Advent Reflections
This will probably be my last significant post for a while. I have combined several into one.
1. Read Matthew’s account. What is the real sequence of events? What is the real time frame? We cannot fully appreciate the Christmas narrative until we know the facts, until we separate the Christmas cards from the history. The truth is much more interesting and meaningful than the fantasies we have added.
2. Read the Luke account. How is it different from Matthew’s? Again, what is the real time line? Why did these two gospel writers include the birth narratives, and why the way they did?
3. Read John 1. This is a different kind of “birth narrative” because the whole point is that Jesus did not come into existence nine months before Christmas. What does John’s explanation of the beginning add to the Lucan and Matthean versions, and why?
4. Reflect on the kind of world into which Jesus came. A world of Romans using local tribal kings. A world where the Roman empires would start to see themselves as deities. A world where Jews lived in close-knit communities. A world of oppression. How is it like our own? And how is it different, and how did the fact of Christ’s coming make it different?
5. Reflect on the manner in which he came. To a poor working class family living in a village. To a man and wife (fiancée) tossed about by the whims of the Roman emperor who wanted a census taken for taxation purposes. In a cave for animals (notice how the Scriptures don’t make a big deal out of that). In a little suburb of Jerusalem.
6. Reflect on the sacrifices demanded of his earthly parents.
7. Reflect on the natural and supernatural phenomena around his coming. Angels and miraculous stars. Pregnancy without sex. Dreams. Taxes that send his parents to a prophesied birthplace. Crowded inns. Straw and animals. Shepherds. The two coexist. In the modern world, we have rejected that they can, and miss the wonder.
8. Reflect on the dreams involved in the Christmas story, especially to Joseph and the magi.
9. Reflect on the emotional reactions his coming engendered. Mostly fear—count the times someone, usually an angel, says “Do not fear.” But also the disturbed anger of Herod, whose power is being diminished, and the pondering of Mary.
10. Reflect on joy, peace, love, and security, the emotions we should have.
11. Reflect on the weakness he showed to become our strength.
12. Reflect on the scriptures Matthew quotes from the Old Testament.
13. Reflect on the genealogy in Mathew and how five shamed women are in it: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary.
14. Reflect on the consequences of obedience and disobedience, faith or faithfulness in the accounts.
15. Reflect on how wrong our traditional depictions of Christmas are—and why. We want neat tableaux, but we don’t get that here. Only faithful expository Bible study will get at the truth, which is more refreshing than the Renaissance paintings (as wonderful as those are).
16. Reflect on how those who saw, told what they saw. How widely known were these things? Herod and all Jerusalem knew, Matthew says. Later in Acts Paul says, “These things were not done in a corner.” There are no secrets in God’s revelations.
17. Reflect on Mary’s song of thanks—the Magnificat—and how her great joy overcomes any sense that there will be shame and derision in her life because of her honor.
18. Reflect on the unexpectedness of it all.
19. Reflect on Zacharias’ song. He is not a minor character.
20. Reflect on the Jewishness—to understand the cultural richness—and yet the universality of the story—to understand what God’s plan was all along, to use the Jews to bring us all to him.
21. Reflect how narrow our view of the gospel is. How big is your gospel?
22. Reflect on the “democracy” of the story. All social classes allowed—as long as their hearts are open.
23. Reflect on the hope delivered to the elderly saints Anna and Simeon. These two accounts are often overlooked but bring joy.
24. Reflect on worldly power vs. spiritual power. Herod’s palace was just a few miles from Bethlehem, as close as Brainerd to Rossville. Herod thought he would solve his “problem.” Not quite. He himself was soon dead. Our political solutions are at best short-term, at worst disastrous and evil—kill all the babies born in a certain time frame to retain power. Yes, kill all the babies. That seems like the perennial solution.
25. Reflect on how open your heart is to his coming—then, in the resurrection and in the end times. Do you go to bed thinking “he might come as a thief in the night?” Do you wake up thinking “this may be the day of his return?”
Ancient Christians and those of a more liturgical bent sanctify two periods of time leading up to the two major holidays. Advent and Lent are preparations for the coming of Christ and the passion and resurrection, respectively. Lent starts forty days (forty being the number of testing) and Advent starts the first of December.
I personally have a hard time getting into the Advent spirit until about a week to ten days before. But as I have been studying the Christmas story for my Bible class and want to prepare my own heart (instead of just depleting my bank account) I have written these ways to reflect on the Nativity as the day approaches. I suppose these could be done by the day, although some rearrangement might be proposed.
2. Read the Luke account. How is it different from Matthew’s? Again, what is the real time line? Why did these two gospel writers include the birth narratives, and why the way they did?
3. Read John 1. This is a different kind of “birth narrative” because the whole point is that Jesus did not come into existence nine months before Christmas. What does John’s explanation of the beginning add to the Lucan and Matthean versions, and why?
4. Reflect on the kind of world into which Jesus came. A world of Romans using local tribal kings. A world where the Roman empires would start to see themselves as deities. A world where Jews lived in close-knit communities. A world of oppression. How is it like our own? And how is it different, and how did the fact of Christ’s coming make it different?
5. Reflect on the manner in which he came. To a poor working class family living in a village. To a man and wife (fiancée) tossed about by the whims of the Roman emperor who wanted a census taken for taxation purposes. In a cave for animals (notice how the Scriptures don’t make a big deal out of that). In a little suburb of Jerusalem.
6. Reflect on the sacrifices demanded of his earthly parents.
7. Reflect on the natural and supernatural phenomena around his coming. Angels and miraculous stars. Pregnancy without sex. Dreams. Taxes that send his parents to a prophesied birthplace. Crowded inns. Straw and animals. Shepherds. The two coexist. In the modern world, we have rejected that they can, and miss the wonder.
8. Reflect on the dreams involved in the Christmas story, especially to Joseph and the magi.
9. Reflect on the emotional reactions his coming engendered. Mostly fear—count the times someone, usually an angel, says “Do not fear.” But also the disturbed anger of Herod, whose power is being diminished, and the pondering of Mary.
10. Reflect on joy, peace, love, and security, the emotions we should have.
11. Reflect on the weakness he showed to become our strength.
12. Reflect on the scriptures Matthew quotes from the Old Testament.
13. Reflect on the genealogy in Mathew and how five shamed women are in it: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary.
14. Reflect on the consequences of obedience and disobedience, faith or faithfulness in the accounts.
15. Reflect on how wrong our traditional depictions of Christmas are—and why. We want neat tableaux, but we don’t get that here. Only faithful expository Bible study will get at the truth, which is more refreshing than the Renaissance paintings (as wonderful as those are).
16. Reflect on how those who saw, told what they saw. How widely known were these things? Herod and all Jerusalem knew, Matthew says. Later in Acts Paul says, “These things were not done in a corner.” There are no secrets in God’s revelations.
17. Reflect on Mary’s song of thanks—the Magnificat—and how her great joy overcomes any sense that there will be shame and derision in her life because of her honor.
18. Reflect on the unexpectedness of it all.
19. Reflect on Zacharias’ song. He is not a minor character.
20. Reflect on the Jewishness—to understand the cultural richness—and yet the universality of the story—to understand what God’s plan was all along, to use the Jews to bring us all to him.
21. Reflect how narrow our view of the gospel is. How big is your gospel?
22. Reflect on the “democracy” of the story. All social classes allowed—as long as their hearts are open.
23. Reflect on the hope delivered to the elderly saints Anna and Simeon. These two accounts are often overlooked but bring joy.
24. Reflect on worldly power vs. spiritual power. Herod’s palace was just a few miles from Bethlehem, as close as Brainerd to Rossville. Herod thought he would solve his “problem.” Not quite. He himself was soon dead. Our political solutions are at best short-term, at worst disastrous and evil—kill all the babies born in a certain time frame to retain power. Yes, kill all the babies. That seems like the perennial solution.
25. Reflect on how open your heart is to his coming—then, in the resurrection and in the end times. Do you go to bed thinking “he might come as a thief in the night?” Do you wake up thinking “this may be the day of his return?”
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