The Humble King Comes
The Humble King Comes 4: God with Us
December 24, 2022
Tonight is the reason we celebrate! God’s love came into the world in a baby in a manger in Bethlehem. But this isn’t just news from the ancient past, it is also Good News for us today. As we reflect tonight on several passages from throughout the Bible, we see that Jesus is God’s long-promised Messiah sent to give us a new life with him. Jesus is God-with-us!
The Humble King Comes 6: New Future
January 1, 2023
Two people can experience the same thing but have vastly different opinions about their experience depending on whether they are an optimist or a pessimist. Which is the right way to view things, with optimism, or with pessimism? Both are correct, depending on what you are looking at. When looking at the present state of ourselves or the world, we should be pessimistic, for on our own we are lost with no hope of salvation. But when looking at Jesus, what he has done in the past, is doing in the present, and will do in the future, there is reason for infinite optimism, for he is the humble king who came, lived, died and rose again for us. (Based on Isaiah 65:17-25.)
The Humble King Comes 5: New Life
December 25, 2022
The darkness in our lives can take many different forms, but all those forms have this in common: We are in big trouble, we are facing that trouble all alone, and there is no hope of the situation getting any better. Jesus came into this world to shine his light into our darkness. As we make him our leader, he gives us a new life where he brings his wholeness to us and all creation. (Based on Isaiah 9:2-7.)
The Humble King Comes 3: Joy
December 11, 2022
Research tells us that having joy in our close relationships is the best predictor of having a long and happy life. But how do we have joy in our relationships when our circumstances have turned against us? The answer is Jesus. He is the humble King who came to restore our relationship with God, and will come again to heal, redeem, and restore us. Through our relationship with Jesus, we can have deep, abiding joy at the center of our being. (Based on Isaiah 35:1-10.)
The Humble King Comes 2: Peace
December 4, 2022
Many of us love to cheer for the underdog, but very few of us would prefer to be an underdog. Having formidable odds stacked against us can lead to despair. The Good News is that God loves underdogs like us and sent his Son into the world to bring peace to our heart now and peace to all creation at the end of time. It takes humility to trust in the humble King who has come because, from the world’s perspective, it looks like a foolhardy risk. But we know that this humble King died and rose again for us, so we know that it is a sure thing. (Based on Isaiah 11:1-10.)
The Humble King Comes 1: Hope
November 27, 2022
When times are tough, it is difficult for us to have hope. We want things to get better, but there is nothing in our circumstances to indicate that they will. Yet we hear this story from long ago of a humble king who came to a dark and desperate world. Why would that make any difference in our lives two millennia later on the other side of the world? He came to give us hope. (Based onhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=isaiah+2%3a1-5&version=nivhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=isaiah+2%3a1-5&version=niv.)