From the Pastors' Desks

The Christmas program this past Sunday evening was a delightful reminder to me of the goodness of God revealed in the wonder of children. I

One of the great gifts that Christians celebrate at Christmastime is the gift of a high priest. To modern ears, receiving a high priest for Christmas sounds like it might be in the former category. A high priest? What am I supposed to do with that? But when we stop to consider what the priestly implications of Jesus’ ministry for us are we realize that a high priest is a far more beneficial gift than we first imagined.

This season, which Christians have called advent, is a time of longing and expectation. We put ourselves in the shoes of ancient Israel, knowing that their promised king would one day arrive. But we are patiently waiting, not for his first coming, but his last. I want to write about (1) the importance, (2) lack and (3) worth of waiting for Jesus’ second coming, as we count down the days to celebrating Christmas.

What is the best gift you received this Christmas? Well, it might surprise you – but I already know! The best Christmas gift any mortal man could ever receive is the one we’ve obtained in “Immanuel”, which means, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). “God with us” is precisely what we lost in the fall. Adam’s sin forced him, and all his descendants, from the Garden of Eden, the paradise of God’s presence. Ever since, mankind has struggled in the weary wilderness of life “without hope and without God” (Ephesians 2:12). To live apart from God is the definition of “lost”. To do so eternally is the definition of hell. There is no greater loss, no greater deprivation, no great calamity in time or eternity than to be “without God”.

“Nativity” refers to a person’s “birth,” particularly the circumstances associated with a person’s birth. So, what are we to make of the nativity of Jesus? In Luke 2:1-7, God speaks three words of hope to kindle a heart of faith.