I’ve spent much of the past two weeks praying for God to reveal Himself in a new way this Advent season. While certainly looking forward to Christmas and preparing for Jesus second coming; my primary focus this Advent has been to spend more time than usual in quiet stillness reflecting on God’s Word and listening for His voice.
This week my thoughts have focused squarely on the Peace of Christ. Even the two chapters of Acts we studied on Tuesday morning for women’s Bible Study witnessed to Christ’s peace in the midst of chaos. I wasn’t surprised this week that the Holy Spirit led me to share a message of peace during devotions at the homeless shelter. It didn’t take long to realize God had been preparing their hearts as well as mine; our discussion was wonderful.
I arrived at home bathing in Christ’s peace and decided to make a cup of tea, turn on the television and find one of those sentimental Christmas movies to watch while doing the daily crossword puzzle. My peaceful evening relaxation was all planned…
I turned the television on and immediately faced Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. The image of a bloody and beaten Jesus Christ broke my evening of Advent Peace. The Passion of the Christ was halfway through to its conclusion. My first thought was, “What is The Passion of the Christ doing on during Advent?” Jesus couldn’t have walked into my living room in person and made a more dramatic entrance into my heart and mind. As He endured the lashings and as I watched the slow motion close up images of His blood being spilled intertwined with the flashbacks to calm and intimate moments of His ministry, I could not stop weeping. My prayer had been answered; Jesus was in my living room revealing Himself in a new way. I’ve watched this movie many times, but never with the backdrop of the manger. I was caught off guard, unprepared to contrast the manger and the cross. Yes, Jesus had just come like a thief in the night as he will in the future. As the resurrection scene ended all I could think about was how He would greet His disciples soon: “Peace be with you.”
Prayer: Loving Father, please break into my Advent celebration and remind me that You are the source of all peace in my heart despite what is going on in my life. Give me strength to rejoice in Christ’s love and live in His peace. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
May Christ’s peace be with you as it is with me, Pastor Brett
I’d never had to contemplate (visualize) Christ’s scourging and crucifixion superimposed over mental images of His birth and a tiny babe in the manger. Yet, He was born to that purpose and we do have the peace of salvation as a result. Amen!
I thank God for his son Jesus, who was born for us and died for us, so that we can live.