Advent Devotions
All are invited as we Make Room this Advent season.
Great Expectations
Today’s author is Prince of Peace member, Jim Armstrong.
Great news – Jesus is coming. He’s traveling in our direction. He will be here soon. Boy, will that be great. Did you hear what he’s been doing. I can’t believe it. He healed a blind man. He actually touched a leper before he healed him. They tell us that everyone who was sick is now well. And he’s on his way to our town. His hometown. Can’t wait to see what he does here. So with great expectations they gather on the sabbath day in the Synagogue to hear what he has to say. He stood up to read and taking the scroll of Isaiah, he said “The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoner and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord. When he returned the scroll.” He said, “Today, this scripture is fulfilled in our hearing.”
The people were happy with his words until he talked to them about how God has blessed all the people of the earth and not just them. Is that what this new prophet came to say?
The people of Nazareth were expecting great things from this new prophet. But things didn’t work out very well for anyone. What they expected didn’t happen. So much for being the great messiah. The people still lived miserable lives. The sick were still not healed. The dead were still in their graves. The religious leaders wanted to kill him, and Rome still ruled the world. Who did he think he was. He was only a carpenter son; how could he bring about new life. How could he meet every human need?
His name was Jesus, one who would save his people from their sins, but how does that fit into setting up a kingdom. They did not see and understand that he would proclaim a messianic age with a savior who would be Christ the Lord to be worshiped and adored, and not to be rejected. They could not understand how the God of all creation would send his son to show them how to live rich and meaningful lives. Why would he come to ordinary people like them; but he did and he still does. In Isaiah 45:18 we read “For this is what the Lord says, he who created the heavens, he is God. He who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited – he says “I am the Lord and there is no other.”
Maybe we are not so much different today then the people of Jesus’ day. When we look to God to see Jesus the Messiah, what do we see? What do we expect him to be and to do. Do we want a savior who frees us from our sins, so that we may be acceptable to God?
Good news, Jesus is coming to town. Guess what, he’s here. He has been here all the time. What did you expect? And when we come to worship in our Synagogue, what are we looking for? What do we expect to see and hear and feel. If we don’t feel well, is he going to heal us? We have a terrible time in our job, will he make it better. Our home life is not too great, is he going to fix it? We are dying, is he going to give us new life? What is the preacher going to say today that will make my life better. If we sing those strange hymns will it make my life rich? And when the pastor stands before us with bread and wine and says “For I have received from the Lord what I also pass on to you; the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘this is my body, which is for you, eat this in remembrance of me in the same way, after supper, he took the cup, saying ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it in remembrance of me for whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (I Corinthians 11:23-26)
When we see the bread and wine do we see the presence of our Lord God through Jesus touching our lives? As we taste and drink, do we feel the presence of his life flowing into us to nourish the spirit of our lives. When he touches our lives with forgiveness and life do we live in him as he lives in us! Then once again our worship is fruitful and blessed.
Be reminded that the kingdom of God is near! Know that the kingdom of God is here now and we are a part of it. Amen.
Prayer: Come to us Lord Jesus. We expect you to be our constant companion and God both day and night and as you continually become a living reality to us, may what we say and what we do be well pleasing in your sight. Amen.
Previously…
Transformed by Grace
As we begin in our new worship series this weekend, we’ll be reminded that God’s presence often comes in the most critical moments. This Sunday, we reflect on the story of the golden calf, where the Israelites turn away from God in their fear and impatience. Yet, instead of destruction, God responds with mercy. This moment is pivotal, revealing that even when we fall short, God’s desire is to transform us through grace.
The Promise of Passover
Today's author is Prince of Peace member, Gary Olson. Exodus 12:1-13; 13:1-8 The first commandment reads: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:2) ...
Belonging to God’s Promise & Purpose
In the story of the Exodus we listened to yesterday, the Israelites are instructed to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb as a sign of protection from the coming plague. This act of obedience and faith ensured that the angel of death would pass over their homes, sparing them from destruction. This moment in the Exodus story reveals a key aspect of God’s relationship with God’s people: God’s protection and faithfulness in times of crisis.
God Takes Sides
It’s football season and, if they could measure such things, I would imagine the number of prayers said on Sunday mornings are exponentially higher from now until the Super Bowl, certainly compared to the rest of the year. As Christians, we can and should believe in the power of prayer. And we should also note that God does take sides. But, before you go praying for the next Viking’s victory, remember that there is no evidence God plays favorites when it comes to the NFL.