Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 21, 2008
II Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Luke 1:46b-55; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38
I don’t know about you, but the last weeks have been a busy time. I thought that after leaving RadioShack, the Advent/Christmas season would be less hectic. While I am not in that environment now, it is quite crazy. It helps to be up early writing this morning. The house is very quiet — the children are all sleeping, because today is the first day of Christmas break.
This morning’s readings are some of my favorite passages to prepare us for Christmas. This Sunday brings us to within four days of that grand celebration of the birth of the Savior of the world. That has been the focus of Advent at Preston Wesleyan — that Jesus is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.
During last year’s Advent, I took a cue from Todd Agnew’s “Do You See What I See?” CD and brought messages about some of the primary figures of the Christmas story. One of those was Mary. I love Todd’s setting of the Magnificat.
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
50 He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
52 He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54 He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
55 For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
That’s a mature response for a young lady who just found out she is going to be the mother of Jesus — especially when you consider the scandel that would surround the birth. God was about to come to earth as a human to save people from their sin. That’s what Christmas is all about — God’s plan of redemption for his people — Jew and Gentile alike. Paul writes: 25 Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. 26 But now as the prophets[a] foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. 27 All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen.
