The Message

In our advent series we have traversed the Christmas story by way of the first three of our four gospels, through the principal characters of Joseph, Mary, and as we saw last week, John the Baptist. Each of them has spoken to us in very unique and specific ways and has offered us the opportunity to ready our hearts and prepare our minds for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. We come this Sunday to the fourth and final of our gospels and the culmination of our series, as we turn our attention from the principal characters surrounding that story, to the principal subject of the story himself. In John 1:1-18, “The Message”, we come to one of the most significant and captivating passages in the whole of scripture, as John offers us a rare and profound glimpse into the meaning, significance, and purpose of the mystery of the incarnation. Taking us on a journey from Christ’s eternal pre-existence to the gift of individual personal new birth.

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The Messenger

Each of the four gospels presents a unique perspective on the mystery of the incarnation, God’s “being made in human likeness” (Phil 2:7) in the person of Jesus Christ. Matthew and Luke are our only sources for the Christmas stories, giving detailed accounts of Jesus’ birth through the intimate personal experiences of both Joseph and Mary. Mark, on the other hand, considered by most to be the earliest of the gospels, contains no birth narrative. Mark begins his gospel with the advent of John, John’s sudden appearance, preaching in the wilderness. John factors largely as one of the principal characters in both the Christmas story and the gospel story, the details of his birth being second only to Jesus himself, and all four of the gospels recording, in harmony, that his ministry served as both the prelude and preparation for the inauguration of Jesus ministry. Yet, in both stories, John remains possibly the least known and least understood character of all. In Mark 1:1-13, The Messenger, we’ll look together at this important figure of whom Jesus would later say, “among those born of women, there is no one greater than John” (Lk 7:28).

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The Handmaiden of the Lord

We turn this week to the gospel of Luke, whose account comes to us through the lens of the life and intimate experience of Mary, the mother of our Lord. In Luke 1:26-45, “The Handmaiden of the Lord”, we’ll look together at the distinctive and singular role of Mary, how we should rightly understand her place within the salvation story, and what she has to teach each of us about the life of faith in submitting to the Word and will of God.

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A Man For All Seasons

Over the next four Sundays we devote ourselves in worship to preparing our hearts and minds to celebrate the joy and wonder of our Savior’s birth. In so doing, through what is inarguably the fullest, busiest, most demanding stretch of the year, we declare along with the great hymn writer, “Let every heart prepare him room”. This week we begin an Advent series of messages entitled “A Birth Like None Other”. We will take a fresh look at the miracle of Jesus incarnation, in successive weeks, from the unique vantage point of each of the four gospel writers. We begin this week with Matthew 1:18-25, “A Man For All Seasons”, as we consider the personal impact of these momentous events, through the lens of the life and intimate experience of Joseph the husband of Mary.