Advent

Good News of Great Joy! December, 2017

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December, 2017

Table of Contents

Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................. 3

Week #1: Ultimate Hope ...................................................................................................................................... 4

Reflection ............................................................................................................................................................. 7

Response .............................................................................................................................................................. 7

Songs of Praise .................................................................................................................................................. 8

Family Activities ............................................................................................................................................... 8

Week #2: Perfect Peace ........................................................................................................................................ 9

Reflection .......................................................................................................................................................... 13

Response ........................................................................................................................................................... 13

Songs of Praise ............................................................................................................................................... 13

Family Activities ............................................................................................................................................ 14

Week #3: Joy to the World ................................................................................................................................ 15

Reflection .......................................................................................................................................................... 18

Response ........................................................................................................................................................... 18

Songs of Praise ............................................................................................................................................... 19

Family Activities ............................................................................................................................................ 19

Week #4: Love Has Come…and Will Come Again ....................................................................................... 20

Reflection .......................................................................................................................................................... 23

Response ........................................................................................................................................................... 24

Songs of Praise ............................................................................................................................................... 24

Family Activity................................................................................................................................................ 24

Appendix A: Religion vs. The Gospel .............................................................................................................. 25

Appendix B: Prophecy and Fulfillment .......................................................................................................... 26

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Introduction At Vine Community Church, we view advent as a season of celebration, adoration and anticipation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has come, and He will come again. The word Advent comes from a Latin word meaning “coming” or “arrival”. During the season of Advent, we celebrate the birth of Jesus as the Lord Himself arrived on a rescue mission like no other. We also celebrate that Jesus will come again! Only when He comes again, He will not come as a vulnerable baby eventually headed to a cross. This time, He will come as the King of kings and Lord of lords who will fully establish His Kingdom and make all wrongs right. We celebrate Advent using what is called an “Advent wreath” or “Advent crown”. Within the wreath are five candles representing hope, peace, joy, love, and Jesus Christ. (Jesus is our ultimate hope who makes endless peace, joy, and love possible.1) The illuminated candles represent Jesus as the Light of the world pushing back darkness.2 Advent is a season whereby we celebrate the gospel (the “good news”) of Jesus. We celebrate the good news of great joy!

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. (1 Peter 1:8-13)

1 Psalm 16:11; John 3:16; Colossians 1:19-22; 2 Thessalonians 2:16. 2 Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16; John 1:4-9; 8:12; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Timothy 1:8-10.

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Week #1: Ultimate Hope

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7 It doesn’t work. You can’t pick up a book, start reading in the middle, and expect to understand the beauty of the story. You can’t walk into a movie or a play already in progress and expect to understand the atmosphere, characters and plot. One simply cannot enter in the middle of a story and expect to know everything that is important. The same holds true with Advent. The story doesn’t begin with Jesus’ birth in a manger. Don’t worry – we’ll get to that soon enough! The story of Advent actually begins in a garden. The story of Advent begins in a beautiful garden where all God had created was good. In fact, it was very good (Genesis 1:31). There was no bloodshed, no violence, no natural disasters, no guilt, no shame, no anxiety, and no death. There was perfect shalom3 between God and all of His creation.

3 Shalom encompasses peace, completeness, order, safety, welfare, contentment, and harmony.

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In the garden, God graciously gave man enormous freedom. Man was given freedom to enjoy all of His creation with one exception: fruit from one tree. God told man, “Don’t eat the fruit on that tree. Because if you do, you’ll think you know everything. You’ll stop trusting me. And then death and sadness and tears will come.”4 Unfortunately, however, man disobeyed God’s good instruction. Man placed his hope in created things, and the result was horrific. In an instant, the perfect relationship between God and His creation was ripped apart. Sin5 entered the world and everything changed. Fellowship with God…broken. Shalom…turned into complete chaos. Fear, anxiety, guilt, shame, fear, sadness, and death entered the world. This holy (unique, special), righteous (perfect, pure), and just God was forced to remove man from His presence and the now-cursed creation began to unravel and groan for restoration (Romans 8:19-23).

We see on-going evidence of this groaning today, don’t we? As we look around, it doesn’t take long to figure out that the world is broken. We see constant evidence of poverty, injustice, natural disasters, intense suffering, and decay. Even as we look inside ourselves, we know something isn’t right – why are we so selfish? Why do we lie? Why do we covet? Why are we so restless, always seeking something (or someone) to bring comfort and security into our lives? Why do we have doubts, worries, fears, and insecurities? Why are we always looking for approval? We are broken creatures in a broken world hoping for restoration and shalom.

4 Sally Lloyd-Jones, The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,

2007). 28. 5 Sin can be defined as missing the mark (from God’s perfect standard), disobedience, rebellion, cosmic

treason.

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So why doesn’t man just fix it? Because he can’t! Man can’t restore himself or the world back to the Creator’s original design. (Can clay ever mold itself apart from the Potter?) Man simply isn’t smart enough, skilled enough, or good enough to rid the world of the deadly disease called sin. This is bad news! So is there any hope? Any hope at all? In Genesis 3:15, in what is often called “the first promise of the gospel”, God makes an announcement of good news. He declares, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” God promises that good news will eventually penetrate and overcome the bad news. God promises a Redeemer, Someone who will make a way back into His presence. Someone who will defeat evil and sin and restore shalom. And the rest of the Bible will unfold the story that even though man can never be good enough or smart enough to fix what is broken, God will still make a way. And this “way” will not be a checklist of things to do. Rather, it will be a Person. God’s promise will be fulfilled in a Hero Messiah who will rescue fallen man and restore all of creation back to its perfect design. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus is our only way back into the presence of God.

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In the movie The Shawshank Redemption, one of the characters, Red, makes a startling statement. He says, “Hope is a dangerous thing, my friend, it can kill a man.” What truth! He was right! Just as Adam and Eve learned in the garden, misplaced hope is indeed a dangerous thing that leads to death, not life. However, Red’s friend, Andy Dufresne, responds, “Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe even the best of things, and good things never die.” What truth! He too was right! Correctly placed hope always leads to life, never death. Jesus did not come to rescue the good, the strong, and the self-sufficient. He did not come to rescue those who place hope in themselves or in created things. He did come to rescue the broken, weak and needy. He did come to rescue those who place their hope in Him. Bottom line truth: Jesus is our ultimate hope! And this is good news of great joy indeed!

Reflection

1. Whether we know it or not, our life is directed by hope. Whether achievements (trophies, promotions), accolades of others, career aspirations, another person, possessions, dreams, comforts, etc., we all place our hope in something. Where is your hope really placed?

2. In order for hope to be hope, it has to fix what is broken. Are your present hopes able to permanently fix what is broken? If you eat all the right foods, are you guaranteed perfect health? If you go to church every week, will sin be eradicated in your heart? If you feed the homeless, give to charity, and don’t murder, does that make you good enough to meet God’s perfect standard? There is only One who met God’s perfect standard and thus the only One who can truly fix what is broken. Jesus is our only hope!

Response

1. Fil Anderson defines religion as “a human activity devoted to the impossible task of reconciling God to humanity and humanity to itself.” The gospel of Jesus, not religion, is our only hope to achieve reconciliation.6 John 1:12 tells us, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Will you receive His free gift? Will you stop placing your hope in created things? Instead, will you transfer your hope to Christ alone?

2. Pray. This Advent season, pray for God to shine light on any misplaced hopes. And when He reveals them, be prepared to change your thinking and shift your hope to Jesus alone.

6 For a comparison between religion and the Gospel, see Appendix A.

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Songs of Praise O Come, O Come Emmanuel In Christ Alone Rescuer by Rend Collective

Family Activities “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16). Some suggested ways to talk about this amazing hope:

1. If you haven’t yet decorated a Christmas tree, do so. Talk about how light always penetrates darkness. Talk about how Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12) and promises ultimate hope.

2. Turn off all the lights in the house and talk about what it feels like to be in the dark. Then, light some candles and discuss the hope that the light naturally brings.

3. Identify some ways as a family you can be the light of Jesus to help give others hope. Who can you serve this upcoming week?

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Week #2: Perfect Peace

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” – Luke 2:14

Merriam-Webster defines peace as “a state of tranquility or quiet; freedom from disturbance; a state of order; freedom from disquieting thoughts or emotions; harmony in relationships.” The Hebrew word often translated peace is shalom, which encompasses peace, completeness, order, safety, welfare, contentment, and harmony. We long for shalom. We long for quiet, tranquility, and freedom from disturbances. For example, depending on who you ask in our home, peace may mean an afternoon alone watching a football game or a superhero movie. Or, it could mean watching a romantic Hallmark movie without disturbing, mocking comments from a spouse. It could mean an afternoon playing Madden 18 without disturbance from a younger sibling. Or it could mean time alone reading without disturbance and teasing from an older sibling. (All names hidden to protect the innocent .) Of course, the problem above is both the definition and the object of peace. In each of the examples above, peace is superficial and the object of peace is circumstantial. But what if real peace, shalom, could be obtained apart from circumstances? Let’s continue our story….

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After God’s initial promise in the garden, He would make an expanded, unconditional promise to man named Abraham. He promised Abraham land, descendants, and blessing. (Abraham was childless at the time.) In fact, God promised that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through Abraham’s descendants. As time marched on, God demonstrated faithfulness to His promise as Abraham’s descendants had grown into a great nation within Egypt. They were living the good life – nice wages, a respectable work environment, suitable living quarters, and great food. In fact, even though they were slaves, they became so comfortable they forgot the Lord and started worshipping the Egyptian gods (Joshua 24:14). But one day, circumstances changed. A new Pharaoh began to rule who severely beat God’s people and made them work harder and harder. Their lives became filled with despair and affliction. They began longing for genuine shalom and cried out for help.

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God, always faithful to His promises, heard the cries of His people and intervened (Exodus 2:23-25). He intervened to rescue His people from oppression and offer them shalom. Through a leader named Moses and a series of 10 plagues, God displayed His sovereign power against the impotent Egyptian gods and orchestrated conditions to free His people and provide them the means to obtain shalom. Throughout the plagues, the people were given the freedom to choose – would they place their hope for shalom in the Lord alone, or would they place their trust for shalom somewhere else? In the tenth plague, God asked for a final display of trust. God promised that the firstborn in every home would die. However, God also promised that if the blood of an unblemished lamb was spread on the doorposts, He would know that the lamb had died as a sacrifice for the home. The angel of death would then “pass over” and spare those homes. The people would have to choose where to place their trust – was God a liar, or would God do what He said He would do? Later that night, despair and pain were found throughout the land (Exodus 12). But in homes where trust was placed in God’s promise, there was shalom.

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Of course, the blood from the unblemished lamb was just a shadow of a much greater reality still to come… Many years later, God’s prophet Isaiah made another promise pertaining to shalom.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…[and He will be] pierced for our transgressions…crushed for our iniquities; upon him [will be] the punishment that [brings] us peace, and with his wounds we [will be] healed. (Isaiah 9:6; 53:5)

Shalom is not found in man’s ability to manipulate circumstances. Shalom is only found in the reality of a Person … the One originally promised in the garden … the promised Prince of Peace … the Person named Jesus … the Son of God and Lamb of God who humbled Himself, wrapped Himself in human skin, lived the perfect life man should have lived, and then He sacrificed Himself in man’s place as the unblemished Lamb to absorb God’s judgment and thus make peace between God and man.7

7 John 1:29; Ephesians 2:12-22; Philippians 2:3-11; Colossians 1:15-23.

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Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). Back to our original verse, Luke 2:14 – with whom is God well pleased? He is not pleased with the self-sufficient and those who refuse His loving instruction believing they know a better way. Rather, He is pleased with those who surrender and place their hope and trust in Him alone for shalom. Bottom line truth: Jesus freely offers us His perfect peace when we trust Him. And this is good news of great joy indeed!

Reflection

1. Ask yourself: do I really believe God’s promise? Do I really believe that perfect peace, shalom, is possible by trusting in what Jesus accomplished on my behalf? Or, do I believe that shalom is found in ability to control my circumstances? Audit your life: do you spend more time thanking God for His faithfulness or more time trying to control your circumstances in hopes of finding shalom?

2. Are you lacking peace today? ASK for His perfect peace, promised in John 14:27.

Response In his book Worry: Pursuing a Better Path to Peace, David Paulson offers the following: "Here [is the] game plan when you start to worry and obsess:

1. Name the pressures. You always worry about something. What things tend to hook you? Anxieties feel endless and infinite – but they're finite and specific.

2. Ask yourself, “Why am I anxious?” Worry always has its inner logic…What do I want, need, crave, expect, demand, and lust after? Or what do I fear either losing or never getting? Anxious people “eagerly seek” the gifts more than the Giver.

3. Which promise of God speaks to you most? [Examples: Psalm 4:8; 37:11; Isaiah 26:3; Matthew 28:20; Philippians 4:6-7; etc.] Read it out loud.

4. Go to your Father. Talk to Him. Your Father cares about the things you worry about and knows what you need. Cast your cares upon Him, because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

Songs of Praise I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day Silent Night

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Family Activities

1. Make a Prayer Garland. Each person cuts out 15 green and red construction paper strips. On each strip, write down an area currently causing anxiety where peace is needed. (You could also write down names of people you would like to receive the peace that Jesus offers.) Staple the strips as links into one long garland. Hang the garland on the tree as a decoration. Every day, each family member takes a strip and prays for the particular person/area.

2. As you receive Christmas cards throughout the season, take time each evening as a family and pray for those families represented by each card. Pray that they would experience God’s perfect peace through Jesus.

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Week #3: Joy to the World

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10)

When you hear the term joy, what images come to your mind? Do you picture someone with a giant smile on their face? Do you picture someone dancing? Do you picture the character Joy from the movie Inside Out who is always bouncing around with endless optimism?

Whatever images your brain conjures, it is true that joy, the state of well-being, is a prize to be sought. Keep in mind, of course, that joy is much different from happiness. Happiness is contingent upon circumstances; joy is a state of well-being regardless of circumstances.8 Did you know that, according to the American Psychological Association, consumerism in the United States has reached an all-time high and, at the exact same time, the well-being of Americans has reached an all-time low? Does that surprise you? Does it surprise you to learn:

o 75% of Americans regularly experience physical and psychological symptoms of stress? o 225 million work days are lost each year to stress (~ 1 million people not working/day). o 60% of Americans over the age of 12 take prescription pain relievers, tranquilizers,

sedatives or stimulants? o 25% of girls and 9% of boys are depressed at age 14?

8 For those in the midst of a difficult season of pain and suffering, please remember John 11:1-43 – Jesus weeps with you! He too is angry at death and disease! And one day, the gospel of Jesus assures us that it will not just be Lazarus coming out of an earthly tomb; ALL who have trusted Jesus will be with Him and “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Jesus will redeem creation one day, and in Him we will find eternal joy.

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Does it surprise you that we are constantly searching and consuming in an attempt to find joy, yet joy continues to elude many of us? How can that be? With all of our advances in technology, medicine, and wealth, why does joy continue to elude so many? For the majority of us, it’s pretty simple. As George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” And as the apostle Paul wrote in the Bible in Romans 15:4, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” You see, the people in the Bible faced the same dilemma in search of joy we generally face today. Despite God delivering His people from oppression in Egypt thus proving His steadfast love and faithfulness, a pattern soon developed that permeated the rest of the Old Testament:

God promises shalom9 to those who will trust Him and place their hope in Him. The people believe the promise and temporarily place their trust in the Lord. As soon as circumstances become contrary to their perceived ideal, the people, who have

been infected with the corrupting disease of sin, begin transferring their trust to created things—themselves, other people, other nations, ideas, jobs, material possessions, etc.—in an attempt to find well-being.

When created things and earthly circumstances fail to provide the shalom they desperately need, they change their thinking and begin to seek the Lord.

The Lord, who is merciful and gracious and abounding in steadfast love (Exodus 34:6), hears and rescues those who place their trust in Him.

9 Shalom encompasses peace, completeness, order, safety, welfare, contentment, and harmony.

People trust

(kind of)

People search for well-being in creation

When desperate they seek

God

God rescues

God promises shalom

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It’s true. In search of great joy, God’s people, over and over and over again, kept repeating the same mistake. They kept exchanging the Creator for His creation, which is never a good idea – that lesson should have been learned from Adam and Eve. So why did they do this? Even as King David proclaimed, “You have put more joy in my heart than when grain and wine abound”; even as God’s servant Nehemiah boldly declared “The joy of the Lord is your strength”; even as God’s prophet Jeremiah professed, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart”; even as God’s prophet Habakkuk reminded, “I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation”; the people still searched for joy outside of God.10 Why? Because the sin that entered the world was far more deceptive and contaminating than man could ever fathom. Man simply cannot find real, lasting joy in created things, yet sin deceives him into thinking that he can. It is the greatest delusion! And this is really bad news because it means man can never be fully satisfied through his own efforts. But the good news is God has offered us a gracious rescue. Perhaps this is one reason why the Wise Men “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” (Matthew 2:10) when they saw the star. They believed something we need to remember today: the long awaited Hero Redeemer, the One God promised back in the garden, the One to whom the entire Old Testament points,11 the Kings of kings who would be their hope for shalom had finally come. Rescue had come. Joy had come. Jesus had come.

10 Psalm 4:7; Nehemiah 8:10; Jeremiah 15:16; Habakkuk 3:18. 11 For a list of several OT prophecies and their fulfillment in the New Testament see Appendix B.

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Today, the Lord Jesus freely offers us His joy in abundance. Remember: Jesus did not come to “top off” the joy of heroes and the self-sufficient. He did come to provide joy to the broken, the down-and-out’s, and those who need Him. “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). Bottom line truth: Jesus offers us His joy in abundance. And this is good news of great joy indeed!

Reflection

1. Paul Tripp writes, “We struggle with God's plan because, at street level, we don't really want what God wants. We want what we want, and we want him to deliver it." Do you find this to be true in your own life? Is this, perhaps, why joy sometimes eludes you?

2. Where do you currently find your joy? Is it in circumstances? Created things? Or is it in the Creator Himself and His promise that, as His child, He will work all things together for your good in order to become like Jesus (Romans 8:28-30)?

Response

1. Read the lyrics of Joy to the World out loud. As you read, focus on the promises contained within. Allow them to penetrate your heart and speak joy into your life.

Joy to the world! The Lord is come! Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare him room, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

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Joy to the world! The Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found,

Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love,

And wonders, wonders, of His love.

2. Memorize Psalm 16:11 which says, “Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Do you want joy? It is only found in God’s presence, obtained through Jesus.

Songs of Praise Joy to the World Angels We Have Heard on High

Family Activities

1. At dinner, go around the table and share at least one way God is good to you. Remembering God’s faithfulness, even in the midst of difficulty, is one way to celebrate and experience joy.

2. If you have teens, read C.S. Lewis book Surprised by Joy together as a family.

3. Make a list of all the joy-filled people God has placed in your life. Send them a note of encouragement letting them know how God has brought you joy through their joy.

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Week #4: Love Has Come…and Will Come Again

“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger” (Luke 2:7)

Dorthy L. Sayers was a famous English author. She was brilliant. She was the first woman to graduate from Oxford, and she graduated with first class honors. She never married and became renowned for her poetry, playwrights and, most of all, for her fiction crime novels featuring the character Lord Peter Wimmsey. Novel after novel, Lord Wimmsey’s character grew. But something was missing. He was a successful sleuth, and he had won the approval of others. But he was incomplete. He needed more in order to become all that Sayers had hoped for and intended. Then, suddenly, a new character started to appear in the novels: Harriet Vane. Vane was single and she wasn’t particularly attractive, but she was brilliant. She was the first woman to ever graduate from Oxford, and she graduated with first class honors. She was a novelist, a playwright, and a poet. She loved solving crimes. Most of all, she loved solving crimes with Lord Wimmsey.

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Vane and Wimmsey fell in love. They eventually ran away together and lived happily ever after. So what does this have to do with Christmas? Dorthy Sayers had written herself into her novels. The invisible author made herself visible. Sayers had loved her character, Lord Wimmsey, so much that she wrote herself into the story to fulfill her character’s needs, to make him all that she had intended him to be, to bring out the fullness of his created design. And God did the same thing for us… “God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:8-9).

Two thousand years ago, the God of the universe physically “wrote Himself” into His own story of redemption. You see, God’s story did not end in the garden. His story did not end in Egypt. His story did not end with the Old Testament. The invisible God became visible, as promised.12 Love came down. Good news would penetrate and overcome all the bad news.

12 For a list of several OT prophecies and their fulfillment in the New Testament see Appendix B.

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When all the economic and political and religious conditions were exactly as God wanted them (Galatians 4:4-5), a tiny baby arrived in the middle of the vast Roman Empire. The Redeemer King had come. But what kind of Rescuing King was this? This was a baby! This was a baby wrapped in burial clothes, likely placed in a stone water trough in a sheep cave filled with manure. How could this baby offer shalom?13 This Baby would be Love in the flesh. This Baby would be Immanuel, “God with us.”14 This Baby would be the substitute for man. He would be born, like us. He would grow up, like us. He would be tempted in every way, just as we are (Hebrews 4:15). Only Jesus, unlike us, would not sin. He would never search for hope, peace, or joy in creation. He would never misplace His love. He would be perfect. He would live the perfect life we should have lived (in accordance with God’s rightful standards). Then, He would voluntarily lay down His life and die in our place as the perfect and unblemished Lamb of God (John 10:17-18). He would freely give us His perfection through His life and death, which would allow us back into the presence of God as sons and daughters of the King!15 But guess what? God’s story still isn’t over. He is coming again! Only when He comes again, He will not come as a baby. He will come as the King of kings and the Lord of lords to defeat evil forever. He will usher in perfect shalom forever. He will make all wrongs right forever. And when He comes again, the Light of the world won’t just push back darkness, He will judge it and eliminate it forever. And so we wait with eager anticipation and in celebration of this glorious day!

13 Shalom encompasses peace, completeness, order, safety, welfare, contentment, and harmony. 14 Matthew 1:23; John 1:1-5, 14

15 Isaiah 53:3; Matthew 26:67; 27:30; John 1:29; 19:1-42; Romans 3:1 – 4:5; Ephesians 2:1-9; Galatians 4:1-7.

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Bottom line truth: Love has come…and will come again! And this is good news of great joy indeed!

Reflection

Marinate in these amazing truths!

1. Tim Keller writes, “A God who was only holy would not have come down to us in Jesus Christ. He would have simply demanded that we pull ourselves together, that we be moral and holy enough to merit a relationship with him. A deity that was an ‘all‐accepting God of love’ would not have needed to come to Earth either. This God of the modern imagination would have just overlooked sin and evil and embraced us. Neither the God of moralism nor the God of relativism would have bothered with Christmas.”

2. In the gospel, Jesus said, “My life for yours.” The gospel is the proof that God loves and passionately pursues the rescue and restoration of His creation. The gospel is the spectacular news that believers are no longer condemned, but permanently forgiven; no longer empty, but made co-heirs in God’s kingdom. The gospel is the good news that we can grow in a love relationship with an amazing God of love forever.

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Response

1. We are hard-wired to love. Since man is made in the image of God, this means we are made to love.16 And we will either love God supremely, or some other love will claim our heart. If some other love has claimed your heart, confess it. God is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us (1 John 1:9).

2. Jesus didn’t come the way man expected because God’s kingdom is the “upside-down kingdom”. In God’s kingdom, we die in order to live (Romans 8:13); we serve in order to lead (Mark 10:42-45); we lose in order to save (Mark 8:35; Luke 17:33); we give away in order to keep (Malachi 3:10); we humble ourselves in order to be exalted (James 4:10); and we surrender in order to be free (1 Corinthians 9). How does the birth of Jesus teach us how we should live until He returns (hint: see 2 Corinthians 5:15 and 1 John 3:16 / “My life for yours”).

Songs of Praise Hark the Herald Angels Sing O Holy Night Mary Did You Know Go Tell it On the Mountain Love Has Come by Amy Grant Glorious Day by Casting Crowns

Family Activity In response to the good news of Jesus and the great love He has shown us, come up with ways as a family to show the light and love of Jesus to others in 2018.

16 Genesis 1:27; 1 John 4:8

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Appendix A: Religion vs. The Gospel17

Religion The Gospel “I obey; therefore I’m accepted.” “I’m accepted; therefore I obey.”

Motivation is based on fear and insecurity. Motivation is based on grateful joy.

I obey God in order to get things from God. I obey God to get God—to delight and resemble Him.

When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or myself, since I believe, like Job’s friends, that anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life.

When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle, but I know that while God may allow this for my training, He will exercise His Fatherly love within my trial.

When I am criticized, I am furious or devastated because it is essential for me to think of myself as a “good person.” Threats to that self-image must be destroyed at all costs.

When I am criticized, I struggle, but it is not essential for me to think of myself as a “good person.” My identity is not built on my performance but on God’s love for me in Christ.

My prayer life consists largely of petition and only heats up when I am in need. My main purpose in prayer is to control circumstances

My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose in prayer is fellowship with Him.

My self-view swings between two poles. If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to people who fail. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel humble but not confident—I feel like a failure.

My self-view is not based on a view of myself as a moral achiever. In Christ I am at once sinful and lost, yet accepted. I am so bad He had to die for me, and so loved He was glad to die for me. This leads me to deeper humility as well as deeper confidence, without either sniveling or swaggering.

My identity and self-worth are based mainly in how hard I work or how moral I am, so must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral. I disdain and feel superior to others.

My identity and self-worth are centered on the One who died for His enemies, including me. Only by sheer grace am I what I am, so I can’t look down on those who believe or practice something different than me. I have no inner need to win arguments.

Since I look to my pedigree or performance for my spiritual acceptability, my heart manufactures idols—talents, moral record, personal discipline, social status, etc. I absolutely have to have them, so they are my main hope, meaning, happiness, security, and significance, whatever I say I believe about God.

I have many good things in my life—family, work, etc., but none of these good things are ultimate things to me. I don’t absolutely have to have them, so there is a limit to how much anxiety, bitterness, and despair they can inflict on me when they are threatened or lost.

17 Timothy Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), 65.

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December, 2017

Appendix B: Prophecy and Fulfillment Jesus was the perfect fulfillment of all that was spoken in the Old Testament about the Messiah. While there are many prophesies, below are 10 fulfilled in/around Jesus’ birth (not His entire life, just His birth). These are meant to serve as a reminder of God’s faithfulness, as proof that God loves and passionately pursues the rescue and restoration of His creation.

Old Testament Prophecy New Testament Fulfillment

Seed of the woman Genesis 3:15 Romans 16:20; Galatians 4:4; Revelation 12:9, 17

Descendant of Abraham Genesis 12:3 Acts 3:24-26

Descendent of David 2 Samuel 7:12-16 Matthew 1:1; Luke 1:32-33; Acts 15:15-16; Hebrews 1:5

The tribe of Judah Genesis 49:10 Luke 3:33; Revelation 5:5

Called God’s Son Psalm 2:1-12 Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22; Acts 4:25-28; Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5

Born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:22-23; Luke 1:31-35

Called out of Egypt Hosea 11:1 Matthew 2:13-15

Born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2 Matthew 2:1-6; John 7:40-43

Preceded by a Messenger Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1 Matthew 3:1-13; Mark 1:1-3; Luke 1:76; 3:1-6; 7:27; John 1:22-23

Called Immanuel Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:22-23

Years ago, Peter W. Stone and Robert C. Newman wrote a book entitled Science Speaks. In the book, they concluded the probability of one person fulfilling just eight prophecies is 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. (And Jesus fulfilled much more than eight!) To help visualize this, Stoner used the following illustration— According to Stoner, the number 100,000,000,000,000,000 would be represented by silver dollars covering the entire state of Texas. Suppose you marked one of those silver dollars red. Then, suppose you then blindfolded a person, placed them anywhere in the state (at random), and told them to walk in any direction they chose. When they were ready, they could reach down and pick up a silver dollar. The odds of them selecting the one red silver dollar would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. Love has come…and will come again! And this is good news of great joy indeed!