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Advent 2020 – Luke 2:8-14 (Dec. 16)

The darkest day of the year is coming soon. December 22nd here in East Tennessee is supposed to have just 9 hours and 43 minutes of daylight. That means we can expect 14 hours and 17 minutes of darkness. 

Darkness. These winter weeks are dark, and sometimes bring with them sadness, depression, loss and fear. I don’t mean to sound bleak, but sometimes winter is bleak. And dark.

Darkness is the backdrop to so much of the Christmas story. Have you ever noticed that? 

  • Isaiah’s prophecy about Christ’s birth was for “people who walked in the darkness and dwelt in deep darkness” (Isaiah 9:2).
  • “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5)
  • Zechariah rejoiced in Luke 1 that the Messiah would “visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness…” (1:78-79)

And that leads us to our advent reading today. The shepherds were out in the fields… at night. Think of the darkness of a pasture on the outskirts of a small village. The sheep were huddled together, the tired shepherds remaining vigilant against constant threats against the sheep emerging from the darkness. 

Suddenly, an unearthly light fills the whole sky – an angel from heaven is there with a message for these shepherds! Scarcely do the men have time to recover from the shift from night to day but they hear the most wonderful news: 

[10] “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. [12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10–12, ESV)

Good news of great joy! That’s wonderful news for these shepherds, especially as they hear it is for all the people. It’s not just for the kings of the world or the religious leaders or the rich. It’s all the people, even these tired and perhaps smelly and for sure ceremonially unclean shepherds. The Messiah, Christ the Lord, has come, and He is the Savior for all the people. 

Here’s what I think is most intriguing in this scene: the sign the shepherds must look for is not a star or even an angel but a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in an animal’s feeding trough. The splendor of this moment, this bright moment of heaven’s light piercing the dark night, does not compare with the glory of Jesus. He is the one the light points to. In fact, He is the Light that came into the world!

Oh, let those angels singing fill up your senses today. Their song is “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.” God stepped down into our darkness. Sing your gloria back to Him today. Whatever darkness you feel pressing in on you, He is the Light that awakens you to good news of great joy. The darkness cannot overcome the Light!

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Advent 2020 – Rom. 13:11-14 (Dec. 2)

Romans 13:11–14

[11] Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. [12] The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. [13] Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. [14] But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (ESV)

If each of us submitted our favorite Advent or Christmas verses, this passage probably wouldn’t be included! Admittedly, the message here, at first glance, doesn’t seem to be related to Christ’s arrival. But here’s why this passage is important: Since Jesus has come, we must respond by living in His light.

The main theme in this week’s readings is Hope. When the prophets spoke long ago, they prophesied the coming of the Messiah to people long trapped in patterns of sinful disobedience. The prophets spoke often of the One God would send to deliver His people from their sins. The Messiah’s arrival would be like light breaking into a darkened world.

The Apostle Paul says “salvation is nearer now” and “the day is at hand.” By saying this, Paul summons us to look by faith towards the second arrival of Jesus, when salvation will be forever secured and our war with indwelling sin is finally over and done. The second arrival of Jesus is so near that it’s like the sun that will certainly come up tomorrow and dispel the darkness of this cold night.

Do you live with that hope? Even though you feel the brokenness of this world, even though you experience the war inside you of the Spirit of God vs. your flesh, do you have the hope of Jesus Christ and His imminent return? If so, put off the sinful activity you are burdened by, rejecting that sin like you would cast off old, soiled clothing that stinks. And instead spend time with the Lord Jesus. Worship Him today in song. Tell Him how thankful you are that He has come. Trust Him and by faith obey Him, saying “no!” to your sin and saying “yes!” to all He says He will do for you. This is “putting on the Lord Jesus Christ.” And this is how we respond to His arrival.

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Advent 2020 – Isaiah 2:2-5 (Dec. 1)

Isaiah 2:2–5

            [2] It shall come to pass in the latter days

                        that the mountain of the house of the LORD

            shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

                        and shall be lifted up above the hills;

            and all the nations shall flow to it,

            [3]        and many peoples shall come, and say:

            “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

                        to the house of the God of Jacob,

            that he may teach us his ways

                        and that we may walk in his paths.”

            For out of Zion shall go forth the law,

                        and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

            [4] He shall judge between the nations,

                        and shall decide disputes for many peoples;

            and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

                        and their spears into pruning hooks;

            nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

                        neither shall they learn war anymore.

            [5] O house of Jacob,

                        come, let us walk

                        in the light of the LORD. (ESV)

Advent literally means “arrival,” and for us who know the Lord it refers to the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and King of all kings. The prophet Isaiah wrote about the arrival of King Jesus in today’s passage. In Isaiah’s day his country Judah was under constant threat of war, vulnerable and right in the middle of powerful powerful nations seeking to control it. Think of how amazing Isaiah’s prediction of a future reign of the Christ would have sounded to such discouraged people!

Read the verses again and think about the news of the King.

What kind of King would He be?

What kind of things would He do as King?

There’s only good news about Jesus the Messiah. We need the good news all the more today. Our world may seem quite dark with people turning away from God instead of turning to Him. But believe the good news that the King will still come to rule with perfect justice, settling all wars and disputes, and He Himself will teach us all we long to know about Him.

Even now, as Isaiah commanded Judah in his day, walk in the light of the LORD! Don’t look into the darkness of our culture and time, but purpose today to walk in the light of Jesus Christ, our King.