The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants for ever; his kingdom will never end.’ (Luke 1:30-33, NIV)
What is it that we are looking forward to at Christmas? Presents, family, food? Maybe we’re not looking forward to Christmas at all: it’s a time of sadness, rather than joy. Are we looking forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus, or are we looking forward to Boxing Day and the rest that brings?
The promise the angel brought to Mary is a promise of a king who will reign forever. Jesus is the king who will bring peace with God, and who will restore the kingdom of God. This is the promise of Christmas, and it’s a promise that continues now. It's a promise that, one day, God will put everything right, and we will have perfect rest.
Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, NIV)
Advent is not just about getting ready to celebrate Christmas, but also when we think about Jesus return. We don't know when it will come, but we do know that it will come. How should we live as we wait for that day to arrive?
this was John’s message: ‘After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.’ (Mark 1:7, NIV)
Christmas is coming. It happens on the same day every year, yet somehow it always seems to arrive a little bit faster than I expect! As the 25th December gets ever closer, there’s always the question as to whether everything is ready.
The Gospel of Mark begins with John the Baptist. He was sent as the messenger, getting people ready for Jesus to arrive. Are we ready for Jesus? What does it look like to be ready?
“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back” (Mark 13:35, NIV)
Christmas is coming. It happens on the same day every year, yet somehow it always seems to arrive a little bit faster than I expect! As the 25th December gets ever closer, there’s always the question as to whether everything is ready.
Advent begins this Sunday, and it’s a time of preparation to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It’s also a time where we think about the return of Jesus. This will happen, but on a day and a time that we don’t know. Jesus says that we can see the time approaching, and so we should be ready.
Photo by Sergey Zolkin on Unsplash
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:46, NIV)
What is our mission and our vision? What are we supposed to be doing as a church? As the church year draws to an end, we’re going to look at what The Church is supposed to be doing as well as what our church is doing. Why not come along this Sunday and find out more.