God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas
Join us tomorrow as continue our Advent sermon series. Tomorrow, Pastor Pat will be sharing about Joy and the Kids will be presenting a special Christmas program. Bring a friend with you! See you at church!
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:
Human beings are dehumanized by fear.… But they should not be afraid. We should not be afraid! That is the difference between human beings and the rest of creation, that in all hopelessness, uncertainty, and guilt, they know a hope, and this hope is: Thy will be done. Yes. Thy will be done.… We call the name of the One before whom the evil in us cringes, before whom fear and anxiety must themselves be afraid, before whom they shake and take flight; the name of the One who alone conquered fear, captured it and led it away in a victory parade, nailed it to the cross and banished it to nothingness; the name of the One who is the victory cry of the humanity that is redeemed from the fear of death—Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified and lives. He alone is the Lord of fear; it knows him as its Lord and yields to him alone. Therefore, look to him in your fear. Think about him, place him before your eyes, and call him. Pray to him and believe that he is now with you and helps you. The fear will yield and fade, and you will become free through faith in the strong and living Savior Jesus Christ (Matt. 8:23–27).
Dietrich Bonhoeffer – “The Coming Of Jesus In Our Midst” (from Testament to Freedom)
Only when we have felt the terror of the matter, can we recognize the incomparable kindness. God comes into the very midst of evil and death, and judges the evil in us and in the world. And by judging us, God cleanses and sanctifies us, comes to us with grace and love.… God wants to always be with us, wherever we may be—in our sin, suffering, and death. We are no longer alone; God is with us.
Further Reading: Matthew 8:23-27
Adapted from Adapted from Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas. (J. Riess, Ed., O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.) (First edition, pp. 44-45). Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press