JEREMIAH 31:7-14

THE BACKGROUND

Jeremiah was a prophet to Judah before and during the Babylonian exile.  In the first 29 chapters of this book, we read of Jeremiah’s dire prophecies regarding Judah’s wayward life and what they can expect, if they do not repent and turn to God.  They do not, and are conquered by the Babylonians.  Many are deported, including Jeremiah.  Judah is defeated and dispersed.  They are broken-hearted.  God sends a message of hope to His people through Jeremiah. Chapters 30-33 are this message of hope and consolation.

THE DETAIL

• God tells his broken-hearted people to shout with gladness and sing.  They are to sing raises and pray for God to save a remnant of their race to continue on.  Note that God calls his people “Jacob”.  In the next verse of this passage He also uses the name “Ephraim”.  These are characters from the old stories of Abraham, Jacob, and Esau.  Using “Jacob” to refer to Judah and “Ephraim” for Israel reminds them of their long heritage and the promise of God’s continued love and care for them.  (v. 7)
• Here is the promise: God is going to gather up His dispersed peoples from all over, and bring them back to the Promised Land.  And not just those healthy and strong enough for the journey, but even the lame and women in labor.  No one will be left behind.  (vv. 7-9)
• Jeremiah now proclaims that “He [God] who scattered Israel will gather him [Israel]…”  So, the same God who scatters is now the shepherd who will gather his flock.  Sending his people into exile was seen by His people as a punishment.  God was hitting the reset button, just like he did with Noah and the flood.  Now, he’s a shepherd, gathering His people back together.  (v. 10)
• Here is the key verse, in my opinion.  God has ransomed and redeemed his people.  They are not strong enough to do this themselves.  God comes to the rescue.  (v. 11)
• The remainder describes the joy those in exile will experience, when they return home.  (vv. 12-14)

THE TAKEAWAY

How many coupons have you received in the mail that you have thrown away?  Most were useless slips of paper, not even worth the paper they were printed on.  But it seems there is always one that you can use.  It’s still just a piece of paper with ink on it.  But if you take it to the store and redeem it, it has value. God’s promise to us is that if we put our trust in him, he will transform our worthless lives into something of value.  He sends his son to redeem us and make us holy and happy.

EPHESIANS 1:3-14

THE BACKGROUND

This is the beginning of Paul’s letter to the young church in Ephesus.  The omitted verses, one and two, are simply the opening greeting. Now, Paul writes a beautiful faith-witness story.  Notice that it is God who does all the work.  Paul and his disciples merely receive these blessings by believing.  In verse 13, Paul tells us that we all get these blessings, too, when we believe in Jesus.

THE DETAIL

• Paul begins his letter by praising God for blessing us with “every spiritual blessing”.  (v. 3)
• Next comes a long list of actions that God has done for us:
  1. He chose us… (v. 4
  2. He destined us for adoption… (v. 5)
  3. He bestowed grace upon us… (v. 6)
  4. He has redeemed us and forgiven us… (v. 7)
  5. He has made known to us the mystery of his will (v. 9)
  6. He has given us an inheritance… (v. 11)
• We, too, get all of this, when we believe in him.  We are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit [in our baptism].  (v. 13)

THE TAKEAWAY

God is great!  By His generous grace, he freely gives us all these gifts.  All we must do is believe in Jesus as our savior.  What a wonderful Christmas gift that is!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Paul begins this letter by blessing God.  We often talk about God's blessings for us.  Is it possible for a mere mortal to bless God almighty?  Perhaps we can bless God with our thanks and praise.  And just maybe bless him with our actions.

JOHN 1-1-18

THE BACKGROUND

This part of John’s gospel is called the prologue by biblical scholars.  It is so rich that I believe we could spend the next four weeks studying it. This prologue clearly defines who Jesus is, as well as his place in history. 

THE DETAIL

• In this prologue, John uses two nicknames for Jesus.  He does this to make a point.  The first nickname is the “Word”.  It is even more poignant in Greek—Logos.  Logos meant more than just “word”, it meant “the true word” or “the truth”.  Later in John’s gospel, Jesus will say that he is the way, the truth, and the life.  But here, Jesus is the Logos.  Furthermore, John states that Jesus was there at the beginning of creation.  Jesus existed at the beginning of time.  He took an active part in shaping God’s creation. (vv. 1-4)
• In the last part of verse 4, John introduces his second nickname—Jesus is the Light.  The Light of Jesus shines in the darkness, and this miserable, dark world cannot overcome his brilliant presence.  (v. 5)
• We shift now to mention John the Baptist.  The writer clearly defines John’s role.  He wasn’t the Light, but he testified to the Light.  (vv. 5-9)
• Now we switch back to talking about the Light, Jesus.  Even though he created the world, most did not recognize or accept him. (vv. 10-11)
• Here is one of the key verses:  But to those who did receive him, they became God’s beloved children.  (v. 12)
• The next key verse is verse 14.  “And the Word became flesh, and lived among us… full of grace and truth [Logos].”  Jesus-God took on human form.  He experienced life as a human being, including being tempted, rejected, criticized, and more.  He truly has “walked in our shoes”.  (v. 14)
• John the Baptist is again quoted, fixing John below Jesus in importance.  In the early days after Jesus’ life, John the Baptist had many followers, too.  This statement clearly defines the hierarchy of John to Jesus, making it clear who is on top.  (v. 15)
• Here is the third key verse.  We got the law through Moses, but we get the grace through Jesus.  Thanks be to God!  (v. 17)
• Finally, John says that while no one has seen God the Father, we clearly see what God the Father is like through the life of Jesus.  One of Jesus’ missions was to show us who God is by living his life as a model for us. (v. 18) 

THE TAKEAWAY

• By believing in Jesus as our savior, we become God’s beloved children.  (v. 12)
• During the 11 days that follow Christmas Day, we reflect on the meaning of his birth.  God took on human form, and lived among us. For a time, we could see, hear, and touch God.  What should we learn about God from this gift?  (v. 14)
• My pastor defines “grace” as God’s love, freely given.  The Law of Moses defines God’s high expectations for His people.  Not one of us is capable of keeping all these rules.  Through the gift of His son, we receive His grace.  Our sins are forgiven!  (v. 17)

NOTE: Last Sunday was in Advent, and this Sunday is after Christmas.  Maybe you went to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.  But if you didn’t, you missed the climax of all that waiting and watching—the birth of our Lord.  If you haven’t already done so, I suggest that you read the gospel lesson for Christmas, Luke 2:1-20. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The birth of Jesus is called the Incarnation.  That word means “in the flesh”.  God appears to us “in the flesh”.  He lives with us and for us.  What does that mean to you?  Here’s one suggestion.  Read the familiar bible passage below, and meditate on its full meaning.  I’ve printed it here for you in a very different translation.  I’ve done this to help you to think about the meaning of the words rather than the words we’ve all memorized so many years ago.

John 3:16-18 (The Message translation)

16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

What do these words tell us about God?

What do these words tell us about ourselves?

1 SAMUEL 2:18-20, 26

THE BACKGROUND

Eli was the high priest for God’s People.  By tradition, this position should have gone to one of his sons.  But they were rebellious, and did not serve or respect God.  Hannah was a righteous woman who was not able to bear children.  She promised God that if she conceived, she would dedicate her son’s life to God’s service.  Once the baby was weaned, she took her son Samuel to Eli, to be raised in the synagogue. She and Elkanah, her husband, visited Samuel once a year.

THE DETAIL

• Our story starts out by us learning that Samuel is performing his duties, “ministering before the Lord”.  He is wearing a linen ephod.  An ephod is an over-garment, like an apron, worn by clergy during their service to the Lord.  (v. 18)
• Looks like his mother would make him a robe, and bring it to him each year.  Whether this was the ephod or something else, we do not know. (It doesn’t say.)  (v. 19)
• The high priest Eli blessed the parents, Elkanah and Hannah for the gift of their son.  His blessing included wishing for them “many children”. (v. 20)
• In the verses that the lectionary skips over, we are told that Hannah bore three sons and two daughters. (vv. 21-25)
• The story concludes by telling us that Samuel grew up tall, strong and righteous in the eyes of the Lord. (v. 26)

THE TAKEAWAY

Samuel honored his parents’ wishes, and devoted his life to divine service. In today’s gospel, Jesus follows a similar path.

COLOSSIANS 3:12-17

THE BACKGROUND

Paul’s letter to the faithful in Colossae is a loving letter of how to live as Jesus’ disciples.  Before their baptism, most were pagan Greeks. When they were baptized, the new Christians wore a robe of white.  Their lives were changed forever. 

THE DETAIL

• In the verses previous to this passage (vv. 5-11), Paul tells these new Christians to “put to death” the evil practices of their former lives.
• They must now “clothe” themselves in the Christian way of love and caring for one another.  The words “clothes yourselves” would have been a reference to the new white robe they robe in their baptism.  This should be a reminder to us all of our baptism, and the new life in Christ into which we are all called.  (v. 12a)
• What follows is a long list of Christian virtues.  I’ll give you an assignment in “Food for Thought”.  (vv. 12b-16)
• All of these virtues are summarized in the verse 17.  “Whatever you do, do it in the name of the Lord.” 

THE TAKEAWAY

During this Advent season, John the Baptist has called us to examine our lives, and change.  We, too, should put to death our former lives, and “clothe ourselves with these Christian virtues.  Here in this passage, Paul gives us the new direction; a new way to live our lives. 

Two of the virtues mentioned are meekness and humility.  In our modern culture, these might be considered weak or wishy-washy.  I believe that a person who is strong in faith that still be meek and humble; it’s more of having a loving, gentle approach to life rather than a measure of strength. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Make a list of all the virtues listed in verses 12b-16.  Then, prayerfully reflect on your own behavior.  How do you measure up to each of these?
 

LUKE 2:41-52

THE BACKGROUND

In “bible times”, it was customary to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for celebration of the Passover.  Elkanah and Hannah did this in our first lesson; Mary and Joseph are doing the same in today’s lesson.  They usually traveled with a large group with other pilgrims.  They did this for safety and protection.

THE DETAIL

• The story begins by telling us that Jesus’ family went to Jerusalem every year for the Passover. This year was no different.  Oh, by the way, he’s 12 years old.  It is good to know that he will have his Bar Mitzvah within a year.  After his Bar Mitzvah, he will be considered a man instead of a boy.  (vv. 41-42)
• You know the story. Mary and Joseph leave Jerusalem, thinking that Jesus is with the group.  They head out on foot on a three day journey back to Nazareth.  At the end of the first day, they look for Jesus. He is nowhere to be found.  They are beside themselves with anxiety.  They return to Jerusalem.  After three days,  they find him in the temple asking questions and learning.  (vv.43-46)
• They are upset. Jesus calms them by saying “where else would I be, but here in my Father’s house?”  (vv. 47-49)
• I find the next verse very interesting.  They did not understand his answer [at the time].  (v. 50)
• The happy ending is that Jesus went home with them, and was obedient to them.  Even though she did not understand all of this at the time, Mary treasured these things in her heart.  That’s what moms do, isn’t it?  (v. 51)
• This is we last story we have of Jesus’ childhood.  Luke summarizes it by saying that Jesus grew in wisdom and favor over the years following. (v. 52)

THE TAKEAWAY

• The first and last verses of this passage sound very much like those of our first lesson.  Perhaps this was intentional, or maybe not. 
• It is interesting to me that Jesus is already aware of “his Father’s” mission for him, even at this age. It is also interesting that his earthly parents did not understand what he was saying.  They knew that he was special.  But maybe they did not know that whole story, like many of us assume. 
• We consider the age of 12 to be pre-adolescent.  In Jesus’ culture, we was within a year of becoming an adult.  It was right for him to be in the temple, asking questions, wasn’t it?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Who were Jesus’ real parents?  Mary? Joseph? 

Were Mary and Joseph strict parents, or did they give Jesus a lot of freedom? 

Jesus was very aware of his Father’s intent, even at age 12.  Are we clear about God’s mission for us in life?  Are we walking that walk”?

“Jesus is coming soon!” We’ve all seen these signs on street corners and along the road.  But if you have been observing Advent, and pretending that the Christ Child comes on Christmas Day, it really is true.  This Sunday is the 19th.  Christmas Day is only 6 days away.  Let us make our final preparations for his arrival.

Again this week, our hymn of praise is not from the book of Psalms.  This Sunday’s hymn of praise comes from Mary’s lips; her Magnificat. We will study this in today’s Gospel reading.

MICAH 5:2-5a

THE BACKGROUND

The prophet Micah lived during the reign of Hezekiah around 700 B.C.  The Assyrians were attacking from the north.  The outlook appeared grim for the people of Judah.  Micah presents a prophecy of hope for the hopeless inhabitants of Jerusalem. 

THE DETAIL

• In the verse preceding today’s reading, it appears that the enemy has laid siege to Jerusalem. Furthermore, the king has been humiliated by being slapped on the cheek with a rod.  The situation is dire. 
• Next is a sweet and familiar prophecy for us Christians.  But what did it mean to those in Jerusalem at the time of the siege? Micah, speaking for God, reassures His people that there is hope.   A king will come forth from Bethlehem for His people, just like David did.  Out of that tiny village, big things will occur once again.  (v. 2)
• Bad times are indeed in store for God’s people, but after a time, they will return.  (v. 3)
• The actions of this new king are now described.  He will feed his flock, they shall live secure, and he shall be known throughout the world.  (v. 5)
• Best of all, the king shall be “one of peace”.  (v. 5a)

THE TAKEAWAY

These words from God were a comfort to the people of Micah’s time.  We Christians see the connection to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Matthew, Luke and John include references to Micah’s prophecy, so they saw it, too.  Big things did indeed come forth from that little village.  So, how does God plan to get a carpenter and his betrothed, expectant bride all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem, to make this prophecy come true?  I wonder…

HEBREWS 10:5-10

THE BACKGROUND

In several ways, the book of Hebrews is a strange book to me.  I must keep in mind that it was written by a Jew for the Christian-Jewish church.  It was written to explain the meaning of Jesus’ mission.  This is all done from a Jewish-Christian perspective.  Sometimes, it is difficult to follow.  Let’s work our way through today’s passage.

Today’s passage consists mainly of quotations from the bible.  To make matters confusing, they used the Septuagint.  That was an Old Testament translated into Greek, the universal language of the time. Our Old Testament is a translation from the original Hebrew.  Occasionally, like today, there are “slight” differences.

THE DETAIL

• The passage begins with them “quoting” Jesus.  The passage is actually from Psalm 40:6-8.  Jesus and David are both kings, and speak for God, so I guess they thought it was as good as Jesus saying these words, too.  The main point the writer is making is that Jesus (God) is no longer interested in the old way of burnt offerings and sacrifices as an atonement for sin.  In Psalm 40:6b, our bible reads “but you have given me an open ear”, but Hebrews 10:5b reads “a body you have prepared for me”.  This is due to the use of the Septuagint.  But the overall meaning is the same— a new way to atone for sin is replacing the old.  (vv. 5-6)
•  Let’s take verses 7 through 10 as one big chunk, broken into three bites. 
  1. Jesus says “See, God, I have come to do your will…” (v. 7a)
  2. Jesus talks again about sacrifices aren’t the new way. (vv. 7b-8)
  3. Jesus says (again) “I have come to do your will”. The writer explains that Jesus abolishes the first, to establish the second.  In other words, when Jesus did his Father’s will by dying on the cross, he abolished the need for repeated sacrifices.  He himself was the sacrifice, ONCE, for ALL!

THE TAKEAWAY

Jesus has done his Father’s will, and sacrificed himself for us.  Our response as Jesus’ followers is to obey the Father’s will.  We live our lives by loving one another, and giving ourselves just as Jesus so freely gave of himself.

LUKE 1:39-55

THE BACKGROUND

You may recall from the previous weeks, that we have been following the life of John the Baptist. Last week, we saw the adult John preparing the way for the Messiah.  This week we have a flashback.  His mother Elizabeth is six months pregnant with John, when her cousin comes to visit.

THE DETAIL

• As soon as Mary greets her cousin Elizabeth, the fetus John leaps in her womb.  I’m going out on a limb here to say that this was the first time that John proclaimed the coming of the Messiah.  (vv. 39-41a)
• Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, and proclaims a beautiful blessing to Mary. Note that verse 42b is a portion of the Roman Catholic prayer called the Hail Mary.  (vv. 41b-44)
• Mary’s answer to Elizabeth is that beautiful hymn of praise that we have named The Magnificat. “Magnificat” is Latin for “magnifies”, the operative verb in the first line.  Verses 46-49 are Mary’s song of thanksgiving.  Verses 50-55 declare God’s intentions for the child she will bear. (vv. 45-55)

THE TAKEAWAY

Biblical scholars like to point out the similarity between Mary’s Magnificat and Hannah’s song of praise in 1 Samuel 2:1-10.  Mary was, no doubt, well-versed in the scriptures, she was most likely familiar with this song.  But her praise song differs in many ways from Hannah’s.  Why not study them both to see how they are similar and different?  The takeaway for us from this story comes in verses 50-55.  God is about to turn things upside-down.  Are you ready?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

In some churches, Mary is called the “Mother of God”.  Others find this offensive, and claim her to merely be an instrument of God’s plan. For sure, Mary must have been the one of the most righteous and worthy women on earth.  God chose her for this special task.  From her knowledge of the song of Hannah, it appears that she was familiar with scripture.  She also appears to have done a pretty good job of raising Jesus, too, wouldn’t you say? What might God have thought of Mary, to give her this important task?  What does Mary’s role in this story mean to you? 

ADVENT 3

In liturgical churches, the colors used to decorate the worship space are chosen to match the mood or spirit of the season.  For many centuries, the color used for the season of Advent was purple.  Purple is the same color used for the season of Lent; to evoke a somber, penitent mood appropriate for the season.  But 20 or 30 years ago, a change was made.  The color for Advent was changed to blue, to signify hope.  I say this, because many of us use Advent wreaths during this season, and the color of most of the candles is now blue. There is also a white one for Christmas Day.  But there’s that one pink, or rose candle, and that’s what we need to talk about. The rose candle is for the third Sunday of Advent.  In Latin, it is called Gaudete Sunday, or “Joy” Sunday.  We take a short break from our preparation and inward, penitent reflection to feel a little joy.  We know that Jesus will be born on Christmas Day.  We know that he brings us salvation; our joy is an appropriate feeling.  This Sunday is reserved to feel a little joy along our Advent journey.  But it is Advent, so you know it won’t last for long.

ZEPHANAIAH 3:14-20

THE BACKGROUND

In the verses preceding today’s passage (verses 1-13, not shown), the prophet Zephaniah comes down hard on the political and religious leaders of the day.  God wants his people to care for the poor, the widows, orphans, and foreigners; pretty much everyone who is disadvantaged in their society.  Instead, those in political and religious power were more concerned with lining their own pockets than having pity on those in need. Verses 1-13 are addressed to those in power.  Verses 14-20 are for everybody else.  They are a song of joyful victory that God will deliver over their oppression.  This is the message of hope that Zephaniah received from the Lord. 

THE DETAIL

• We are to sing, and shout, and rejoice, and exult with all our hearts.  This sure does sound joyful.  But why? (v. 14)
• We get two good reasons: 1) God has decided not to judge us for our wrongdoings, and 2) we have a new and righteous king in our midst!  (v. 15)
• Verse 16 starts out “on that day”, so I guess we are still waiting.  God will be in their midst.  (Sounds like Jesus to me!)  The verses following give greater detail as to and how we will rejoice.  (vv. 16-17)
• Next, we learn why we will rejoice. 
  • Disaster will be no more
  • God will deal with our oppressors
  • He will save the lame and outcast
  • Shame will change to praise
  • We will be renowned and praised by others
  • Our fortunes will be restored

These really are great things to be joyful about!  (vv. 18-20)

THE TAKEAWAY

Since we know that the Messiah is coming, these words ring with a new meaning.  Jesus is this righteous king.  He is our warrior who gives us victory—the victory over death. 

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7

THE BACKGROUND

This is Paul’s “love letter” to the church in Philippi.  Since the bible is God’s word for us, it is also God’s love letter to us. 

THE DETAIL

• The opening phrase in this passage is right in line with the theme for this Sunday—“rejoice”.  Rejoicing is the active form of feeling joy.  By rejoicing, we show that we have joy in our hearts.  Why do we feel this joy?  It is because our Lord is near.  He is coming soon!  (v. 4)
• We are to “let our ‘gentleness’ be known to everyone”. I don’t think they mean the sort of gentleness that is soft and wishy-washy.  It’s all about how we show God’s love to others.  They are talking about the kind of gentleness that comes from having kind compassion for those around us.  We can show God’s love by being a judgmental “bull in the china shop”, or we can lovingly care for our brothers and sisters in Christ in kind gentleness.  Which do you think would be more effective?  (v. 5) 
• Next, we are told how to manage our worrying.  (If we worry about things, it’s hard to be joyful.) To eliminate this road block, we should pray “in supplication and thanksgiving”.  We all know that thanksgiving is being thankful for God’s blessings.  Supplication is a big word which means to ask God for things.  See, the word “supply” is hidden in that word.  We are asking God to supply is with the things we need to eliminate our worry.  (v. 6)

THE TAKEAWAY

In school, I learned that if a teacher repeats himself, the point he’s trying to make is an important one.  Paul starts off this passage by repeating himself, saying “rejoice” twice.  Also, he is writing this from a dark, dank Roman prison cell.  If he can feel the joy of Jesus there, we most certainly can feel that joy in our lives. 

Washing away worry with prayer is good advice.  Ask God to give us what we need to eliminate the worry, so we can feel the joy and do some rejoicing.  Jesus is coming!

LUKE 3:7-18

THE BACKGROUND

Last week, we got an introduction to John the Baptist.  We heard his father’s hymn of praise to God, and John’s mission was made clear in the Old Testament references.  Today, we get to see John in action.

THE DETAIL

• John does not mince words.  He gets straight to the point, calling the crowds a “brood of vipers”, or a bag of snakes!  (v. 7)
• He doesn’t dwell on the name-calling long. He tells them to repent.  No.  Not just to repent, but to bear fruits of repentance.  In other words, don’t just feel sorry about your sinful nature, do something about it!!!  (v. 8a)
• The second part of verse 8 needs a little explanation.  Remember that John the Baptist and the crowds were all Jews.  They were “children of Abraham”.  John challenges them to put their heritage aside, and consider their sinful nature head-on.  In order to understand the impact of his statement, I suggest that we substitute our denomination for “children of Abraham”.  Here are two examples,
  • If you are Lutheran, like me, John’s statement would be “Do not even think of saying ‘but ‘I’ve been a Lutheran for over 30 years, how can you talk to me about sinning?’ [John says] God can change these rocks into Lutherans if he so desired!”
  • If you are a Baptist, John’s statement might be “Do not even think of saying ’But I’ve been a Baptist my whole life.  My family has been Baptists as far back as I can remember, how can you talk to me about sinning?  We love the Lord!’  [John says] God can change these rocks into Baptists if he wanted to!”

John’s point here is that regardless of who we are, what we are, or what we have done, we all need to reflect on our sinful nature.  (v. 8b)

• John’s speech includes a little fire and brimstone, as well.  He reminds us that God holds the power of life and death over us.  I am thankful that “God is patient and kind, abounding in steadfast love”.  (v. 9)
• John’s sermon must have had the desired effect. People ask how they can “bear fruits of repentance”.  (v. 10) John gives them three examples.
  1. If you have two coats, give one away. (v. 11) Jesus also said this.  The point here is that we should share from our abundance.
  2. Tax collectors should “collect no more than the amount prescribed”. (v. 13)  Tax collectors were notorious for abusing their authority.  Their job was to collect taxes from the locals for the Roman Empire.  But in doing so, most would collect more than what was due, and pocket the difference.
  3. Roman soldiers should “not extort money… [but] be satisfied with your wages”.  (v. 14) The Roman soldier was an ominous and powerful presence.  Many would abuse this power, and force people to do things such as extort (a fancy word for robbing) money from people.

THE TAKEAWAY

Well, we started out this study in a joyful mood.  I guess with the Gospel lesson, that party is over!  We are pulled back into the hard work of Advent, preparing the way of the Lord by inward penitent reflection. 

When we have dinner guests, two things must be done.  Not only must we prepare the meal, but we must prepare our home for our guests’ arrival. We would never think of having people over to a dirty house—the house gets a thorough cleaning.  Our Advent reflection and repentance is the way we clean our spiritual “house”.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Jesus is coming on Christmas Day. Is your “house” clean?

ADVENT 2

This is the second of a four-Sunday season we call Advent.  During Advent, we prepare for the Christ Child’s arrival on Christmas Day. It is a time for us to reflect on our lives.  Are we ready for his arrival?  If he returned tomorrow, would we be ready?  Most importantly, how do we get ready?  Today’s readings reflect these types of thoughts.  Hopefully, we will reflect, discover, and make changes as necessary to prepare for his arrival this Christmas.

Here’s a joke for you. A grandmother was sitting in her rocking chair, reading her bible.  Two grandchildren were sitting at her feet.  “What’s Grandma doing?” said the one child.  The other child answered “She’s studying for her final exam.”  The season of Advent is about preparing for our “final exam”, whether it is Jesus coming here or us going there.

LUKE 1:68-79

Normally, I don’t comment on the Psalm.  But this week’s hymn of praise is not from the book of Psalms, but from Luke.  The story actually begins in Luke 1:5-20. The angel Gabriel announces to a priest named Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth would bear a child.  When Zechariah expresses doubt, because of age, Gabriel makes him mute.  (That’ll teach him!) 

Fast forward to Luke 1:57-67:  Elizabeth delivers the child.  People ask her what to name him, and she says “John”.  Not satisfied with her answer, they ask her husband.    Zechariah’s first words are “His name is John”.  What follows is Zechariah’s beautiful hymn of praise.  This is today’s psalm.  By the way, this child becomes the man we call John the Baptist. 

MALACHI 3:1-4

THE BACKGROUND

The prophet Malachi lived during the post-exilic period of Judah.  During this time, God’s people reverted to their old ways, not giving the Lord the honor and praise He deserved.  Sacrifices and offerings were weak, and not backed up by righteous living. 

THE DETAIL

• God warns his people that he is sending a messenger ahead of his arrival to the temple. The temple was where God resided on earth.  God tells us that he will “suddenly” come to his temple.  For sure, he is really coming!  Since they are not ready for his coming, He sends a messenger ahead to warn them.  (v. 1)
• But think about it—who can really withstand this event?  It’s not going to be a cheery parade.  It will take endurance and strength!  To refine metal, you must use intense heat to drive off the impurities. A fuller was a person responsible for making clothes pure white (without Clorox).  A fuller’s soap must have been the strongest thing they had.  (v.2)
• So, once God returns, he is going to turn up the heat to the melting point “until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.”  In other words, our offerings will not be acceptable to the Lord until our right actions match our offering gift.  Ouch!  (v. 3)
• But then, once we offer in righteousness, our offering will be pleasing to the Lord.

THE TAKEAWAY

Early Christians were quick to recognize this passage as a prophecy of the messenger who went before the coming of the Messiah.  This reminded them of the mission of John the Baptist.  John’s mission was to prepare the way for the Messiah by getting people to reflect and repent.  To prepare their hearts for the coming Messiah. 

And, just in case you’re wondering, Jesus did indeed turn up the heat.  If you’re in doubt, read he Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7, especially 5:17-37.)

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I can hear my father telling me “Actions speak louder than words”.  God is not interested in our offerings, sacrifices, or worship, unless our beliefs shine forth in righteous living.  How might we be falling short of God’s expectations?

PHILIPPIANS 1:3-11

THE BACKGROUND

The apostle Paul was in a Roman prison, writing this letter to the church in Philippi.  Prison life in Roman times was no picnic.  In fact, they didn’t feed or care for the prisoners; that was the responsibility of friends and family.  Churches like the one in Philippi were his lifeline.  You can tell from the tone of his message that they must have reached out to support him in this time of need.  The joy and love that is in this letter is remarkable, considering the agony that Paul must have been subjected to .

THE DETAIL

• Paul starts out the letter with thankfulness, joy and prayer.  In spite of the fact that he is in prison, he’s happy to hear that they are sharing the gospel!  (vv. 3-5)
• He’s confident that their work will be “brought to completion” by the time of Jesus’ return. The “one who began a good work among you” is the Holy Spirit, of course.  (v. 6)
• Verses 7 & 8 are remarkable in that there is this intense love between Paul and this church—so much so that the prison bars almost seem to melt away! 
• Paul’s prayer for this church is that their love will flow and increase even more, that they will learn what the best path is for them to follow, and that they live in righteousness.  (vv. 9-11)

THE TAKEAWAY

The Advent message for us lays in verses 5 and 6.  We should be working hard to share the gospel message with those around us, as we wait for Jesus’ return. 

LUKE 3:1-6

THE BACKGROUND

Today’s passage is our introduction to John the Baptist’s ministry.  We will study this in detail next week. 

THE DETAIL

• The passage starts with a list of political and religious leaders.  It is written this way because at the time, they did not have calendars like we do, to mark the date of an event.  By stating it this way, Luke was able to pinpoint the beginning of John’s ministry.  (vv. 1-2)
• John’s work was not done in the big cities, but out in the boondocks—“the wilderness” along the Jordan river valley north of Jerusalem.  He preached repentance for one’s sins, and offered “a baptism” as a sign of repentance and forgiveness.  (v. 3)
• Luke now quotes Isaiah 40:3-5, to show that John’s ministry was part of God’s plan to prepare the people of God for His coming Messiah.  (vv. 4-6)

THE TAKEAWAY

It is interesting that the bible doesn’t mention baptism until these verses in the New Testament. Isaiah 1 speaks of the sinfulness of God’s people, and the need to repent.  Verse 16 instructs the repentant ones to wash themselves clean of their sinfulness. 

John calls to each one of us today.  He calls us to examine our lives, “come clean”, and be honest with ourselves.  We should identify the many ways we have fallen short of God’s expectations.  He calls us to repent & begin again, knowing that we are loved and forgiven. This is how we prepare for Jesus’ to enter our hearts on Christmas.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

How do we prepare for his coming?

• By making sure that our righteous actions match the piety we profess.  (Malachi 3:1-4)
• By sharing the Good News with others, while we wait.  (Philippians 1:3-11)
• By reflecting on our sinful nature, repenting, and starting anew.  (Luke 31-6)

Looks like we all have a lot of work to do this Advent season!

November 28th is the first Sunday in the season of Advent. Advent is a four-week long season in the church year.  It marks the beginning of the church year  (Happy New Year!)  It is a season of preparation and reflection, as we wait for the Christ Child to arrive on Christmas morning.  What’s that you say?  Jesus was born over 2,000 years ago?  Well, I guess you’re right on that fact.  But we sort of intentionally forget about that fact for a few weeks, and pretend. We will attempt to recreate that first Christmas, by pretending to be like Israel, waiting for the coming of the Messiah.  (Advent means “coming”.)  In addition to celebrating the historic event, we will also do a little pretend celebration of his arrival this Christmas.  Finally, we will study some of the scriptural passages that look forward to his return.  This is the third “coming” of Jesus that we consider during this season.  In summary, there are three Advents. 

• The coming of the Messiah on that first Christmas 2,000 years ago.
• The coming of the Christ Child on December 25, 2021.
• The coming of Jesus, when he returns again.

I think we’re going to have our hands full these next four weeks!

ADVENT THEMES

Some of the themes of Advent are 1) Wait, 2) Watch, 3) Hope, and 4) Prepare.  We wait and watch for the coming of the Messiah.  We hope that he will come to save us. We prepare our hearts and mind for his arrival this Christmas.  (We already know he’s coming, but don’t tell anybody!)

ADVENT ACTIVITIES

We’re sort of “hard core” about Advent at our house. We use these activities as a way to resist the commercialism of the season. 

1. We might prepare a batch or two of Christmas cookies during Advent, but we wait until Christmas to eat them. 
2. We try not to listen to Christmas carols until very near Christmas.  Would you expect people to sing “Happy Birthday” to you a month or more before your birthday?  We try to wait to put up the Christmas tree for the same reason, waiting until just a week or so before Christmas.  Once Christmas comes, however, we will celebrate the full 12 Days of Christmas, all the way to January 6th.  Only then, the tree comes down.
3. Some ways to prepare for Jesus’ coming are to write Christmas cards, shop for gifts for loved ones, do the baking (but not the eating), and get all the Christmas decorations ready.  (But don’t put them up!)
4. Special daily Advent devotions are good to do.  When the kids were small, we would light candles in a Yule log or in an Advent wreath, and read bible devotions before dinner.  This is how we prepare our hearts for the arrival of baby Jesus on Christmas day.  My “kids” still talk about this on occasion.

The result of doing all this stuff is that we redirect our attention to the “reason for the season”, Jesus.  In recent years we have gone a little soft on some this.  The tree and a few decorations go up mid-December. But the message is still clear—Christmas should be more about Jesus than going to Walmart!  These might seem strict, but they keep our hearts focused on the true meaning of the season.

JEREMIAH 33:14-16

THE BACKGROUND

As you may recall, chapters 30-33 of Jeremiah are called the “consolation chapters” of his great work.  The rest of Jeremiah is full of turmoil.  But this section of his prophecy offers a glimmer of hope; a little relief from all that tension and strife. 

God’s people have been behaving badly.  They now find themselves in exile in Babylon.  It seems doubtful that they will ever return to the Promised Land.  But here is a message of hope from God.

THE DETAIL

• God makes a promise that He still intends to keep—He will fulfill his earlier promise that the Davidic line would  last forever.  (vv. 12-15a)
• The new king will not be like those old, wicked kings that came after Solomon. This new king will be fair to all and do what is right in God’s eyes.  That’s justice and righteousness.  (vv. 15b-16)

THE TAKEAWAY

Isaiah 11:1 states that “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.“  In today’s passage, Jeremiah basically gives the same message.  The seemingly dead royal line of David will sprout a new and righteous branch. 

As Christians, we know that Jesus is the fulfillment of this scripture.
 

1 THESSALONIANS 3:9-13

THE BACKGROUND

Paul was in Athens, preaching the Gospel message to the Greeks there.  With him, of course were his helpers Silas and Timothy.  Paul became concerned about the wellbeing of the church in Thessalonica, and sent Timothy there.  When Timothy returned, he had some good news and some bad news.  They were rich in faith and love, but they lacked the hope in the resurrection.  Paul writes this letter to help correct the problem.

THE DETAIL

• Paul is full of joy and thanksgiving for them.  He longs to see them face to face, so that he can works on the areas that are lacking in their faith.  (vv. 9-11)
• The remaining verses in today’s passage are a blessing and prayer of hope to the Thessalonians, that they might “abound in love for one another and for all”, and strengthen their hearts.  It ends with a reminder of Jesus’ return, which is intended to be the incentive for the encouragement for holiness.  He has already discussed Jesus’ return in chapter 2.  In these verses, he includes a prayer that they remain strong and blameless as they wait for Jesus’ return.  (vv. 12-13)

THE TAKEAWAY

The church in Thessalonica was full of love and faith. They expected Jesus’ return to be at any moment.  When it did not happen as soon as expected, they became concerned and discouraged. Paul encourages us to grow in faith as we keep waiting and watching, not losing hope for his return. 

LUKE 21:25-36

THE BACKGROUND

Two weeks ago, we looked at a passage from Mark, in which Jesus was talking about the “end times”.  We called it “Mark’s Apocalypse”.  As you may recall, apocalyptic writing is a distinctive writing style that is found in many places in our bible.  The Roman Catholic bible contains some additional Old Testament writings.  In fact, there are many other writings from this time that were written in this apocalyptic style.  These are not part of our bible, but they do exist.  All of these are that same writing style, which are a lot like our book of Revelation.  The symbolism is confusing at times, but the message is always the same—  we should keep the faith, because God is in control.  Today’s gospel lesson has Jesus speaks in the apocalyptic style.  He’s talking about the end times; about the time when he will return.  It’s a good Advent message. 

THE DETAIL

• Jesus tells us that there will be signs in the heavens that indicate that the end is near.  There will be confusion, fear, and foreboding.  We Christians should not be afraid, but stand up and raise our hands in praise, because our redemption is about to occur.  (vv. 25-28)
• Next, he gives us a parable which is intended to give us some sort of sign that the end is near.  Throughout the generations, many theologians have interpreted this parable to fit their time, and were wrong.  Surprisingly, Jesus even states that that the current generation would not pass away before the end took place.  We all know that this did not occur.  In Mark 13:32 Jesus states that only the Father knows the timing, not even Jesus knows. (vv. 29-32)
• One thing is certain—predictions may come and go, but Jesus’ words stand.  (v. 33)
• In conclusion, Jesus gives us some Advent advice.  We should be on our toes, spiritually speaking.  We are to wait, watch, and be prepared for his return.  It will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.  (vv. 34-36)

THE TAKEAWAY

So, let us cleanse and prepare our hearts for the arrival of the Christ Child on Christmas Day. 

CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY

This Sunday is the last Sunday of the church year.  It is on this day that we turn our thoughts and minds to the concept of Jesus being our King.  Today’s readings will cause us to reflect on different aspects of this idea.  Combined, they help us to envision and understand the full meaning of this concept.

DANIEL 7:9-10, 13-14

THE BACKGROUND

Up to this point, the book of Daniel has been about stories of men who were strong in their faith. The book takes a turn in the seventh chapter.  It takes the apocalyptic form.  This is a dramatic, highly symbolic style of writing.  Some of the symbolic references we understand, and others are lost in antiquity.  But the message is clear, as we will see below.

THE DETAIL

• Daniel is experiencing a vision or heavenly dream.  He is allowed a glimpse of God, the “Ancient One”, on his heavenly throne. When you see something that is indescribable, you try to explain it using things that you are familiar with. God’s clothing was “white as snow”. This is remarkable back then, because they did not have chlorine bleach.  Pure white clothing was either rare or non-existent.  His hair was white, “like pure wool”.  Since the average age back then was about 40 years old, I wonder how many white-haired people there were.  His throne was on wheels, and appeared to be on fire.  Fire was issuing forth from His presence!  Revelation 4 gives us a similar description.  (vv. 9-10a)
• There were “a thousand-thousand” serving Him, and even more attending Him.  You can do the math, if you like.  Those serving total a million, and the attendants equal 100 million.  But I don’t think Daniel counted them all, or was given an attendance report.  He’s just trying to explain that there were a lot of people there!  (vv. 10b-11a)
• Now we come to the “why are we here?” statement.  This is a court of law, and the books were opened.  (v. 11b)
• Next, Daniel sees someone “like a human being” descend from the clouds, and go before the Ancient One.  Some translations use “Son of Man” for “human being”.  In the Old Testament, they are interchangeable terms.  In the New Testament, the Son of Man is very specific. (v. 13)
• The Ancient One gives the human being “dominion and glory and kingship” over all peoples and for all time.  (v. 14)

THE TAKEAWAY

Have you ever been to a large sports stadium or concert hall that was packed with people?  Some of the newer baseball stadiums can hold about 100,000 people. Imagine ten times that amount of people.  That’s the amount of people in the first group of Daniel’s vision. Yet, this is only a fraction of the number of Christians who are living in this world today, let alone those who passed before us.  No, Daniel was not exaggerating.  If anything, he was understating the number of people before God’s throne. 

What did this vision mean to the people of Daniel’s day?  It gave them the hope and reassurance that God was their king.  God was in control, even though at the time it seemed like God was nowhere in sight.  Their hope was that God was still involved, and would restore the promised kingdom of David. 

What should this vision say to us?  We should hear the same message of hope and reassurance.  In spite of global warming, nations fighting nations, world hunger and poverty, and scary or inept world leaders, God is in control.  God is not only on his divine, fiery throne, but He has given us His son, to be our king forever.  God’s got this!

REVELATION 1:4b-8

THE BACKGROUND

These are some of the beginning lines of John’s revelation; the message from God to comfort and strengthen the believers under John’s care in Asia Minor.  They are called the “seven churches” here.  There may have been more then seven, but they are grouped together for the sake of John’s writing.  Instead of doing the detail verse-by-verse, I’m going to approach it phrase-by-phrase.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus is “the one who is and who is to come”.  He is living now, and will come again.
• Jesus is “the faithful witness”.  He was sent from heaven to preach, teach, and die for us. He was faithful to his duty.
• Jesus is “the firstborn from the dead”.  He was the first human to have eternal life.  Now, because of him, we too, receive this special gift.
• He “loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood” on the cross.
• Jesus “made us to be a kingdom, priests” to serve him and the Father”.  Yes, we are all priests.  We’re just going to have to own that, and live up to it. 
• We all proclaim “to him be the glory and dominion forever and ever”.  We praise him and claim him as our king, when we say these words.
• Hey, “Look! He is coming with the clouds”.  Look at verse 13 from our reading in Daniel. 
• “Every eye will see” this, even those who killed him.  No wonder that “all of the earth  will wail.”  When Jesus takes his judgement seat, heads are gonna roll! 
• “So it is to be!”  You can’t change it!
• Jesus is the “Alpha and Omega”; the beginning and the end (of the Greek alphabet).  He was there at the beginning, and he’ll see this through to the end. 

THE TAKEAWAY

The word “dominion” has popped up both here and in the first reading from Daniel.  The word has two meanings.  First, it is the power and authority that a ruler has over his people. But it also refers to the country or land he has power over.  So, a king has dominion over the people of his dominion. 

Jesus has been given the power to be our king, and his dominion is the whole world.  Thanks be to God!
 

JOHN 18:33-37

THE BACKGROUND

In today’s gospel, we find ourselves with Jesus before Pontius Pilate.  Pilate was a prefect, or governor of the province of Judea.  He was the Roman Emperor Tiberias’ representative in Judea.  His main tasks were to collect taxes and keep the peace.  The Jews have brought Jesus before Pilate, with accusations of claiming to be a rival king.  They are inciting a riot, which is why Pilate is forced to intervene.

THE DETAIL

• Pilate gets right to the point—“Are you the King of the Jews? (v.33)
• Jesus is not at all intimidated by the power that Pilate has.  He is a little “mouthy”, and asks “Is this your idea, or someone else’s?” (v. 34)
• Pilate doesn’t take it as insubordination, but dishes it right back.  It’s not really his fight, because he’s not Jewish.  He asks Jesus what he has done.  (v. 35)
• Jesus ignores this question, and answers the first one.  His kingdom “is not of this world”.  (v. 36)
• Pilate says/asks “So, you are king?”  You could say that he has declared Jesus a king with his own lips.  (v. 37) 
• That’s how Jesus takes it!  In effect, Jesus says “so you say!”  Then comes the jewel of this passage.  “For this I was born… to testify to the truth.”  (v. 38a)
• This sentence is for us—“Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”  In other words, if we listen to his message, we are part of his kingdom.  (v. 38b)

THE TAKEAWAY

Much of Jesus’ teachings were to help us understand the kingdom of God.  This kingdom is a community without borders or barriers. It is everyone who loves God, and shows it by loving one another.  This is the kingdom that Jesus is the king of.  You and I are part of this kingdom!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

We are blessed to live in a land that has never been ruled by a king.  (At least if you don’t count our colonial years.)  So, for nearly 250 years, we have not had any experience with answering to a king.  This is a good thing, of course, but it hinders our understanding the full meaning of the kingship of Jesus.  Here are a few points to consider about kings:

1. They rule for life. 
2. You never get to choose your king; they are given that position by birthright.
3. A king’s decrees are absolute.  There’s no debate.  What he says, goes!
4. When you are called to fight in the army, you fight for king and country (in that order).
5. If the king passes by, even if you’re working in the field, you stop and bow to the king.
6. One of the king’s duties is to act as the supreme court.  When he sits on the throne, he hears cases, and passes judgement. No appeals may be considered.

Nowadays, we like to think of Jesus as our brother.  We sing “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”.  We sing beautiful songs about walking alone in a garden, and “Jesus walks with us, and talks with us”.  This is all very good, of course.  But we must also remind ourselves that Jesus is all powerful. He will come to judge the living and the dead.  Since we are part of his kingdom, we are expected to dutifully obey his commandments without question.  You know. The commandments he gave us, like:

1. Do not judge others, and you won’t be judged.  (That’s his job, not ours!)
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.  (And everyone is your neighbor.)
3. Love your enemies.
4. “Feed my lambs.”
5. Forgive one another, just like God has forgiven us.
6. Share from your abundance.  (“If you have two coats…”, remember?)

Yes, Jesus is most certainly our friend and brother.  But he is also our mighty king, sitting at God the Father’s right side.  Let us not only love, honor, and praise him; but let us also remember to respect, glorify and obey him as our king.