Scripture
“It’s urgent that you get this right: The time has arrived—I mean right now!—when dead men and women will hear the voice of the Son of God and, hearing, will come alive. Just as the Father has life in himself, he has conferred on the Son life in himself. And he has given him the authority, simply because he is the Son of Man, to decide and carry out matters of Judgment. John 5:25-27 (MSG)
Observation
Jesus makes it clear He is not operating independently, but rather quite dependently on The Father’s leading. He was not led by need, for everywhere He went there was insurmountable need. Jesus was led through relationship. Jesus was looking with eager expectation for what His Father was doing in any village, any person, any crisis, any conflict and then would join in with Him. “I’m telling you this straight. The Son can’t independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does. The Father loves the Son and includes him in everything he is doing.” (Vs. 19-20). Here’s the amazing thing. Jesus is now offering all who believe in Him that same intimate interaction and faith adventure with The Father. The authority The Father gave Jesus, He now gives to us! This isn’t a promise simply for the hereafter but for the here-and-now! “It’s urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put me in charge, has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living.” (Vs. 24).
Application
What would it be like to wake up every day with a sense of expectation that The Trinity was already at work where we wake, work, and worship and wanted to invite us into the action? This is what advent is all about. Everyone missed Christ’s first coming as a child because they were busy with their pre-conceived ideas of how the Messiah would arrive. The fulfillment of hundreds of years of prophecies was staring them in the face and most missed it except for a few who were actively paying attention (Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Shepherds, Wise Men, Simeon, Anna). Why? Because His glorious arrival was pretty underwhelming. The most glamorous part, the angelic choirs, were only seen by the lowly shepherds. Jesus declares that every day He is arriving to bring many to Him. Will we be a part of what He wants to do? Will we see the miracle in the mundane, the glory in the ordinary, the invitation in the interruption? Or will we, like most at the birth of Christ, and most today, miss this NOW moment? I’ve been using the acronym for NOW to remind me of the urgency of the mission and how my mission is often the one right in front of me. Nearness = Opportunity = Witness. Kirk Henson just shared how he led an employee to the Lord last week. She had worked for him for 9 years and it would have been easy to completely miss this opportunity. Instead he became a witness of the salvation of Jesus in that moment. Kirk joined in with what The Father was working at his place of work and helped a woman step from death into life. When was the best time to do this? NOW! The time is now! Right now! This is the heart of advent, joining Jesus in a faith adventure, seeing what He is doing right now in the hearts of those around us. Henri Nouwen described it this way, “The Lord is coming, always coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize Him at any moment of your life. Life is advent; Life is recognizing the coming of the Lord.” Often the coming of the Lord will be like His first coming… in the middle of the everyday mess.
Prayer
Lord, I pray that You wold forgive me for procrastinating. I’m always singing, and praying, and saying that I follow You, but then I blow You off. Your divine opportunities often show up at the most inopportune times. This is your M.O. I don’t want to miss what You’re doing today, because my plans keep getting in the way. Give me expectant eyes, give me an advent heart long after Christmas is over. Following You is an adventure for sure. It only get boring when I stop walking by faith and I start hedging my bets. This NOW moment means I’ve got to be all in all the time!
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