“A Season Of Anticipation”
Last Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent. Contrary to popular belief, Advent doesn’t start on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Neither does it start on Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving. Also, contrary to popular belief, Advent is not a season of manic shopping, overspending, and hectic decorating. Advent is a season of anticipation.
The Latin word adventus is the translation of the Greek word parousia, commonly used to refer to the Second Coming of Christ. For Christians, the season of Advent anticipates the coming of Christ from two different perspectives. The season offers the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, and to be alert for his Second Coming.
For centuries, God’s people waited in eager anticipation to the coming of the Messiah. Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Isaiah prophesied several times about the birth of Jesus. In one of these prophesies he said, Make straight the way of the Lord. (Isaiah 40:3).
Malachi prophesied 450 years before Jesus was born that the Messiah was coming, and that Prophet Elijah would herald His birth:
See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction. (Malachi 4:5-6)
Elijah had been taken up into heaven in a whirlwind without seeing death about 400 years earlier. Ever since Malachi’s prophecy, Jews have been looking forward to his return to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.
In Luke chapter 1, God sends the Angel Gabriel to an elderly man named Zechariah with the good news that he and his elderly wife Elizabeth would finally have a son named John. Gabriel also tells Zechariah:
And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (Luke 1:17).
This John would later be known as John the Baptist who prepared people for the Messiah by calling them to repent of their sins and be baptized. We can take part in John’s ministry by pointing people to Jesus this Advent season. Jesus is coming back, and people need to be ready.
God wants people to know that He wants them to return to Him. This is what repentance is all about. God loves us and He wants us to live in relationship with Him. And God was willing to pay the price to make this happen: His only begotten Son whom He sent on that first Christmas.
We have a unique opportunity to get this message out during Advent. People are living in darkness. They don’t know God; they’re not living in a right relationship with Him; and they are running away from God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, salvation.
And yet, people singing about birth of Jesus. They’re hearing words of salvation, hope, joy in Christmas carols at the malls. They’re watching movies about God’s grace at Christmas, such as A Christmas Carol. They are even putting angels on the top of their Christmas trees.
The Holy Spirit is moving at Christmas. The message is going out. God wants us to experience His salvation and grace. God wants us to live in right relationship with Him. God wants us to know His mercy, love, and joy.
We can help get the message out by inviting people we know to the Christmas celebrations we’re having at GMPC. These celebrations are designed to be opportunities for evangelism where people will hear the Good News about Jesus. Here are some of these opportunities:
Dec 10 Distributing Christmas Gift Bags (Available in the Sanctuary after worship)
Dec 11 Best PCS Christmas Store (Gift donations needed)
Dec 17 Christmas Cantata (Both worship services)
Dec 18 Christmas Caroling at Villa Coronado (Meet there at 4:00 pm)
Dec 20 and 21 Preschool Christmas Program (Sanctuary at 9:00 am)
Dec 22 Cookies, Carols, Coco, Critters (5:00-7:00 pm)
Dec 24 Christmas Eve Services (4:00 pm and 5:30 pm)
This Advent season, we have the unique opportunity to help people prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus. May God bless you as you invite others to know Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Your Pastor,
David
