Week 1 of Advent: The Prophets

The role of prophets and prophecy in the Christmas story is often overlooked, yet crucial. How would anyone recognize Jesus as the Messiah if there had not been predictions about him?

Matthew is the master of applying prophecy to Jesus. We see this in several ways in Matthew’s first two chapters:

1. The genealogy Matthew begins with, tracing Jesus’ lineage to Abraham and the royal line of David.
2. The direction given to Joseph to name the child “Jesus” (Joshua), a name that remembers a great hero of Israel and means, “The Lord is Salvation.”
3. The realization that Jesus’ conception was not the result of Joseph’s actions, but the unmistakable fulfillment of a prophetic promise. That promise, given through Isaiah, was of a miraculous conception, a divinely pregnant virgin woman.
4. The apparent interpretation of Jewish writings by magi (wise men) from the east (Babylon or Persia) as predicting that the birth of the Messiah would be accompanied by a miraculous new star in the night sky.
5. The recognition that the Messiah would be born in the village of Bethlehem, the city of David, as predicted by the prophet Micah.
6. The worship of the magi (wise men), offering Jesus gifts appropriate as homage to a king, thus the recognition of the Messiah by Gentiles as predicted by Isaiah and other prophets.
7. The flight of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to Egyptian territory to escape the murderous rampage of King Herod. This allowed Jesus to come out of Egypt as had the nation of Israel in Exodus.
8. The great community grief in Bethlehem, Rachel weeping for her children, as the result of Herod’s massacre of innocent children.
9. Joseph’s settling in Nazareth, thus becoming Jesus’ hometown and allowing for him to be called a “Nazarene.”

There are probably more of these in Matthew 1 and 2 that I am missing, but this extraordinary list shows the central role of earlier prophecies about the Messiah in our understanding of Jesus. Remember, though, that Jesus was not the Messiah because he somehow managed to fulfill all these prophecies like a role player winning a contest. He was always the Messiah and these predictions helped us identify him and understand him. In other words, the purpose and character of Jesus was not formed by the prophecies. The predictions were formed by Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s plan for human salvation.

On this first Sunday of Advent, let us ponder the great wonder of the prophets and their inspired understandings of Jesus even before he was born. This is a testament to the power of God Almighty, who transcends time in ways we barely understand. In these COVID damaged times, may we pray with the writer of the old Christmas carol:

Come, Thou, long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.

Listen to this great Christmas song at this link.

Mark Krause
Wildwood Christian Church

Advent Meditations 2020

Advent is the season of the church calendar preceding Christmas. The word “advent” (from the Latin, adventus) means “arrival.” In common usage we might speak of awaiting the advent of the latest Xbox, a time of excitement building to actual availability.

During the time of Advent, the church remembers the waiting period for the people of God before the arrival of the Messiah. Although it seems that Advent is determined as beginning on the Sunday following Thanksgiving, that is not always the case. We figure Advent by counting back four Sundays before Christmas. For churches who use liturgical colors in their presentation, Advent’s color is purple, the color of royalty.

Advent Banners

Many Evangelical churches have adopted an ancient tradition of lighting a candle for each Sunday in Advent, four in total, organizing these in an Advent Wreath. This can be expanded to light a fifth candle on Christmas Eve, the Christ Candle. Those with backgrounds in the Catholic or Lutheran churches will be familiar with this custom.

There are different versions of the themes for each Sunday in Advent. Most are a variation on this one: Week One, the Prophets (symbolizing hope), Week Two, Bethlehem (symbolizing faith), Week Three, the Shepherds (symbolizing joy), and Week Four, the Angels (symbolizing peace). Other versions personalize these with John the Baptist (prophet) or Joseph and Mary (Bethlehem).

As Christians, we celebrate Advent to remember the loving gift of God’s Son, born humbly in Bethlehem, sent to humankind to be the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. But we might qualify this to say this is our celebration of Christ’s First Advent. Christians are in a continuing waiting mode for Christ’s “Second Advent,” his return for reward and judgment for all people. I believe that one of the reasons we celebrate Christmas so intensely, so passionately, even desperately, is that we long for this Second Advent, the return of our Lord to wipe away every tear.

As I have done for many years, I will be releasing Advent Meditations each Sunday during this season beginning with November 29. I will also post a special meditation for Christmas Eve. I hope you enjoy these.

Mark Krause
Wildewood Christian Church

The Broken Hallelujah

Pastor Ron Wymer’s Thanksgiving message yesterday featured an exploration of the meaning of the Bible word “Hallelujah,” which means “Praise the Lord.” Ron brought out many facets of this word, including that it is often used as an “interjection,” an expression that just tumbles out of our mouths almost without thinking. We can say hallelujah in all circumstances, whether good or bad. As Ron taught, this COVID-19 period must also be a hallelujah time, because while we may be at a loss for explanations and answers, we can always turn to God and praise him. We can always rest in the assurance that he loves us and that nothing can separate us from his love.

This expression (sometimes spelled “Alleluia”) occurs over twenty times in the Psalms and four times in Revelation 19:1-6. Here we find the iconic phrase from the King James Bible,

Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

This is the primary verse for G.F. Handel’s masterpiece, the “Hallelujah Chorus.” Handel is neither fancy or subtle in his lyrics, beginning with the word “Hallelujah” repeated ten times and ending with it repeated five times. Handel and his lyricist almost bludgeon us with Hallelujahs. The word rings in our ears well after the music stops.

More well-known to many is the song by Canadian Leonard Cohen, “Hallelujah,” written in the 1980s but coming to prominence in the 2000s. It is one of the most covered songs in popular music. Cohen’s lyrics are mysterious and open to various interpretations (almost like those of Don McLean’s “American Pie”), but have a biblical tone, referencing the stories of David and Samson. Although Cohen was not known to be religious, he does capture some of the essence of this word and how it should be used. As one blogger has said,

The word “hallelujah,” [Cohen] teaches us,
is a refrain worthy of times of celebration,
of mourning, of regret, of catharsis, and reconciliation.

The meaning of some of Cohen’s words may be unsure but the simple refrain is memorable, comforting, even emotional to many of us:

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Cohen seems to know that “Hallelujah” is not always a religious expression for some of us, differentiating between what he calls the “holy or the broken Hallelujah.” Yet he does reach an amazing, end-of-life conclusion when he says,

I’ll stand before the Lord of song
With nothing on my tongue but hallelujah.

I like this representation. What will we say when stand before the Lord God, the Ruler of the Universe? As Paul teaches in Romans, we will be at a loss for words. But we can always say, “Hallelujah!” Praise the Lord!

Mark S. Krause
Wildewood Academy

Spiritual Warfare #2: Blindness

Pastor Ron Wymer finished his series on Spiritual Warfare last Sunday. You can view and listen to his sermon here.

In the 1970s, Bruce Springsteen wrote and recorded the song, “Blinded by the Light” (later covered by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band). The song is infamous for the mishearing of its lyrics, but the well-known refrain goes like this:

Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce
Another runner in the night

The “deuce” is a reference to 1950s era hot rod (translation: modified car). The lyrics are somewhat nonsensical, but present the general idea of living life recklessly and passionately. The point seems to be that we don’t fully understand the consequences of our impulsive actions.

Pastor Ron’s sermon introduced the similar, biblical concept found in 2 Corinthians 4:4:

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

This is not being blinded by the light, but blinded to the light. Those in this condition have believed lies so deeply they no longer have the capacity to recognize truth. This is more than Springsteen’s life of wild passion. It is a life of living in darkness even when the light of the gospel shines brightly.

What are some of these lies we believe? Let me offer a five that I have observed, even among Christians:

1. That God doesn’t really love you and is punishing you for your sins.
2. That the spiritual world of light and darkness is a myth that does not exist and certainly does not affect you.
3. That the world is out of control and permanently chaotic as if the Lord God Almighty is not still on his throne.
4. That all people, even Christians, are ultimately selfish and cannot act with sincere love to other people.
5. That we have rebelled against God’s expectations so profoundly we cannot repent and be forgiven.

All of these are lies that Satan uses to drive us from hope to despair, from love of God to absolute terror. These are the tactics of the evil one in spiritual warfare, with his strategic goal being our unbelief. In so doing, we may be blinded by the false light of Satan and unable to see the true light of Jesus.

May God take away our spiritual blindness in all things. May we be like the three disciples who saw Jesus transfigured on the mountaintop, revealed in all of his glory, and give him our allegiance and honor.

Mark S. Krause
Wildewood Christian Church

The Spiritual Warfare #1: Prayer is the Battlefield

Pastor Ron Wymer began a new sermon series yesterday on spiritual warfare. Be sure to watch his sermon at this link if you have not already done so.

I have found that Christians tend to run hot or cold on the issue of spiritual warfare.  There are some who believe that almost every event in their lives, whether beneficial or detrimental, is the result of unseen spiritual forces controlling their circumstances. There are others who dismiss the unseen spiritual world as immaterial to their lives (pun intended).

Let me say this: Christian, if you do not believe there are malevolent spiritual beings who want to harm you, spiritually and physically, you are ignoring biblical teachings designed to protect you.

A key passage (maybe the key passage) in the Bible on spiritual warfare is Ephesians 6:10-17. This will be explored in more detail in coming weeks, so I want to make just one point in this blog.

When we read this, we often stop at verse 17, not respecting the flow of the text. Paul did not write little chunks of text to the church in Ephesus. He wrote one, continuous letter. 😎 What if we read verse 18 also?

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

The verses that follow are also about prayer, leading me to this point: In spiritual warfare, prayer is the great battlefield. This is the basis for Paul’s description of spiritual armor.  Our field of battle is not in our churches, not in our workplaces, not in our schools, not in our homes. We do not stockpile guns or swords or pepper spray for this battle. Our opponents are “not flesh and blood,” not other people. Our enemies are the spiritual forces of evil, those aligned with Satan himself.

This does not mean we do not have conflicts with other people. There may be a spiritual component in this, for Satan delights in conflict and division within the church. But the great battle is waged in prayer. Let me offer a couple of things to think about in this area:

1. Why is effective prayer so difficult? Why is it hard to concentrate in private prayer? Why do distractions beset us, thinking about what we will do when the prayer time is over?
2. Why do our minds sometimes turn to bad things during prayer? Things that bring doubt, that bring guilt, that bring temptations?
3. Perhaps the greatest question: why do we not pray more consistently? Why do we minimize our prayer time or forget it altogether? Is our lack of prayer a symptom of the spiritual warfare itself?

P. T. Forsythe once wrote, “The greatest sin is prayerlessness.”  If we do not enter the field of battle, we will have no victory. Let us pray this week with a clear understanding that spiritual realities are in play for us and others.

Mark S. Krause
Wildewood Christian Church