People of God, this is the last Sunday before Christmas. As we prepare to be consumed by joy as families and friends gather together, we are also waiting to be consumed by the biblical narrative, which presents a King born of a Virgin Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and given for the sake of the world. But is earth prepared to receive her King? Is every heart prepared to give Him room?[1] The reality is the world is not that all aware of who Jesus is. They seem ready to receive any number of messiahs, but the true Messiah remains on a manger somewhere in mythical tales. If the world is to receive her king, then they must see him as he is. You may remember the story in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe where the children see Aslan for the first time.[2] Lewis writes that “people who have not been in Narnia sometimes think that something cannot be good and terrible at the same time.”[3] The Incarnation is the appearance of something good and terrible at the same time. Jesus is both the God/Man who comes to deliver his people and the God/Man who frightens his enemies. The King does not come masqueraded as man, he comes as man. His words strike fear and passion; love and purity.
When Jesus comes, he demands loyalty. When Jesus comes the people do not remain passive towards him. They either react in absolute allegiance or in absolute hatred towards God. Continue reading “Sermon: The Advental Call to Obedience and Worship, Part II”