Advent-ure 2020 December 1: JESUS (Prepare)

In the fire of captivity at the hands of the Babylonians, the Israelites were strengthened and, under the leadership of Ezra the priest, made preparation to return to Jerusalem. In chapter 7 of the book of Ezra, we can read:
9 On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.

So, in this Advent season, we can consider how we can prepare our hearts.  Yes, Jesus has come, and we observe His coming to earth during this annual celebration - and we anticipate His return to this earth.  We can think more deeply on why He came in the first place: He became one of us, He became a man, lived a sinless life and provided an example for us, then gave Himself as a perfect man to be a perfect sacrifice, so that our sins would be forgiven and so we, along with Him, can be raised to new life. This is the reason for Christmas, the reason for His coming, and we can prepare ourselves for what God wants to do in our lives as we consider His birth.  

+++++

The story and purpose of the coming of our Savior, Jesus, is found in a summary in Philippians 2, our starting point on this year's Faith Radio Christmas Advent-ure: "Call His Name," centered around the 
names of Jesus. That passage from Paul states:
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Angels announced this specific name in Luke, where the angel said to Mary in chapter 1, verse 31: "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus." And, an angel said to Joseph in Matthew 1:21: "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

Jesus - who has saved us from our sins, the Savior of the World, who came into the world so that the world might know Him.

Advent this year may be a bit different in your church, like so much in 2020, but the spirit of Advent continues to burn strong.  In a recent piece on the Breakpoint website, John Stonestreet and Roberto Rivera said:

The Latin word adventus, from which the word “Advent” is derived, literally means “coming.” Positioned as it is, in the weeks before Christmas, Advent places Christ’s first coming into the world, in a manger in Bethlehem, within the larger historical context of redemptive history and the long promises of God to send a Messiah. At the same time, Adventus is the Latin translation of the Greek word parousia, which is used repeatedly in the New Testament to describe Jesus’ second coming, when He returns in glory at the end of the age.

That word, as Stonestreet and Rivera state, had been used to describe the arrival of an emperor in a particular city or area, and the action of honoring this special person.  They write: "The original readers of the New Testament not only would have understood parousia in this context, they would have seen it as an explicit rejection of Caesar’s claim of lordship." Describing this proclamation, they say: "...to say 'Jesus is Lord' is to say, 'Caesar is not.'”  This, of course, would place these proclaimers at odds with the Roman government.  

The commentary continues:

Nearly two millennia later, Christians must still clarify their allegiances. We, too, are tempted to give ourselves to would-be Caesars. Our false gods may be more subtle, but through the prevailing culture they exert power over our thoughts, imaginations, and loyalties.

And, Stonestreet and Rivera remind us that:

Advent invites us to prepare to greet the One who is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,” through whom “all things were created.” We, too, are asked to prepare through prayer and generosity. We, too, are asked to array ourselves in our “finest.” Not in garments but in truth, love, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

As we move into this Advent season, we can be challenged to prepare our hearts.  It is easy to become discouraged due to circumstances largely beyond our control, as it's said.  But, through prayer and meditation on the Scriptures, we can be emboldened to walk in and be taught by the Spirit of God. When anxiety sets in, we can seek out God's antidote.

We can also prepare to be different.   We are citizens of a heavenly kingdom, we are no longer of this world, even though our residence is temporarily on planet earth.  We are new creatures in Christ Jesus, and ultimately He is our Lord.  So, we don't look to human leaders to be our sufficiency - He is the all-sufficient One, who enables us to be distinctive.

Finally, in this Advent season, we can prepare to worship.  As I've said before, the Christmas story is a narrative that contains incredible examples for us to follow in worshiping our Lord.  Mary received the word about the child within her, and responded with a beautiful soliloquy of honor and adoration to God.  The angels, shepherds, and wise men responded in glorifying our King. Jesus has come! Call His name and worship Him!