“We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.”
Luke 24:21 (NIV)
When the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, are you going to free Israel now and restore our kingdom?”
“The Father sets those dates” he replied, “and they are not for you to know. But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:6-7 (NLT)
Just when you thought it was over, the final curtain call complete.
An encore. An unexpected final scene.
And a call to enlarge your vision.
This death was not the end.
Your hope was not in vain.
The Redeemer has come.
Emmanuel stands before you.
God with us.
Restored.
Resurrected.
The Redeemer has come to Israel, yes.
To Jerusalem.
But also to Judea, and Samaria.
To the ends of the earth.
“Lift up your voice with a shout!
Lift it up – do not be afraid!”
Spread the word.
Whisper, shout, sing.
Dance, rejoice, celebrate.
Our Redemption song is begun.
Think about it:
- What did your Christmas period look like?
- To what extent was it a time to celebrate, to regain joy and hope in the Redeemer?
As an evangelist I am always frustrated and dissapointed that we do not make more of the opportunity of helping people listen more carefuly to the rumour of God come into the world as a baby. Yes there is the noise and clamour and the singing and the eating and drinking, but underneath that is the God given and heart felt yearning for something more, for peace, love and harmony. These are the laws of God written on our hearts but so often not heeded or blocked out by other forces. But they bubble up and in particular they surface at Christmass. Let us as a Church first apologise for locking this Good News away in our Churches and telling people they they can come and get it if they want, let us congratulate those who have sought out the Good News, let us tell the story to others and remind them that that the heart yearning has an author who can be known, loved and adored. Encouraging all who do come to join us in worship to return to hear about ‘what happened next.’ But more than that – that the what happened next was the world would never ever be the same again – and that they are invited to be part of His Story making history in our time!