Unexpected Messiah

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

Amid all the hustle and bustle of the day, preparations for celebrations and all that comes with it, I pray you are open to encountering Christ in the unexpected ways he desires to show himself to you!

I’m reminded of fact that The People of First Century Judea were looking forward, expecting a savior, a Messiah.  Luke says they even wondered if it might be John the Baptist.  In some ways, he fit the mold.  He was loud and brash, calling out the sins of the religious leaders and calling them to repent, to turn back toward God in faithfulness, to mark their renewed faith through the ritual of baptism.  He wasn’t afraid to call the high and mighty to task, or to be ridiculed for being very different.

Yet, he was not the Messiah.  As miraculous as his birth story was – the same angel, the same unexpected pregnancy, the same not-quite-on-the-same-page father – but not the same person.  God was still about defying the expectations of even the faithful who were waiting and expecting.

I don’t think that’s different from today.  I think God has a way of meeting us and ministering to us beyond our expectations.  Not that our expectations are bad.  The expectation of God to work, of God to fulfill his promises, of God to send a savior – those are all good expectations.  And yet… somehow, in God’s infinite wisdom and mercy, God still does it uniquely.

Whether you’re able to join us in-person tonight for Christmas Eve worship at 7p or 10p, or will be online with us live or after the fact, my invitation to you today, tonight and going forward… is an invitation to experience the God who defies our expectations.  The God who from the beginning, created us, cares for us and is continually coming for us.

May we have eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts that are open!

Welcoming You to Grow in Jesus this Christmas Eve,

Pastor Don