Pastor’s Corner December 2009

The following was published in our monthly newsletter, the Redeemer Report.

O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord. – John Wade (1744)

It is my prayer these words from the great Advent hymn, O Come All Ye Faithful, would be our guide during these weeks leading up to Christmas and beyond. The particular focus of Advent is the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. That is, Jesus Christ becoming man to bear our sins on the Cross.

J.I. Packer stated accurately- “The incarnation is in itself an unfathomable mystery, but it makes sense of everything else that the New Testament contains.”

The Virgin Birth presents no problem if God has become man. The miracles of Jesus present no problem if God has become man. The teachings of Jesus which claim greater authority than the OT Prophets are no problem when you consider Jesus is God. Jesus’ claims of equality with God make perfect sense in light of the incarnation. Most importantly, the Resurrection itself is hardly unimaginable when God has become man.

This past Sunday we began the Advent “season”. Advent is a 4 week period of reflection on the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Each Sunday we’ll sing hymns that reflect on the coming of Christ, hear Advent testimonies while Redeemer families light the Advent candles, and participate in various Advent-related ministries and activities in December. I will preach two specific Advent sermons on December 13th (Born to Die) and December 20th (O Come Let us Adore Him). The climax will be our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols on December 24th.

The resounding message of Wade’s glorious hymn is this: Our loyalty to Christ and our worship of Christ are enhanced as we ponder the Incarnation. Indeed, O Come All Ye Faithful is a call to worship Christ this Advent season.

John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

In the Lamb,
Pastor Tony Felich