Know therefore that the LORD your God is God;
Deuteronomy 7:9
he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love
to a thousand generations of those
who love him and keep his commandments.
I love the weeks before Christmas. I love the lights, the music, the secrets, the partying! But Christmas is so much more than the beautiful wrapping! It’s about looking for the coming of our Savior but so much more than just His birth! Henri Nouwen is quoted as saying, “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!”
There are many Messianic promises in scripture of God’s servant – the righteous one who is our new covenant and sets us, the captives, free! In Isaiah 42, God tells us what He will do through His servant. He’s making Jesus a covenant, a promise, for His people and a light to the Gentiles!
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
Isaiah 42:1, 5-7
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens,
who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth
with all that springs from it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon
those who sit in darkness.
Who is it that God makes to be a covenant for his people?
Who is light, opening eyes, freeing captives?
Yes, the babe of Bethlehem!
The babe of Bethlehem comes to establish the new covenant, to make His home in our hearts through faith; He is our hope of glory! It is because Christ came to earth, our kinsman-redeemer, that we have eternal life!
And this is what he promised us—eternal life.
1 John 2:25
I am resting on the promise
Of the blessed King of Kings,
That my soul shall dwell in safety,
‘Neath the shadow of His wings.I am resting on His promise,
And whatever may betide,
There is naught on earth can harm me,
If in Him I shall confide.I am resting on His promise
Fanny Crosby
That will never, never fail;
It will be my sweetest comfort,
Till I anchor in the vale
Father, you are steadfast, our faithful God. As the sun continually rises and sets, so you provide for us, pouring out your grace, inspiring us with your goodness. You sent your son as the babe of Bethlehem, you took hold of His hand, kept Him so that He could be the faithful servant — that servant who would pay the penalty for sin once for all, conquer death, and be exalted at the right hand of the Father. We praise you that you have promised eternal life, and we know that your promises are all YES! in Jesus! We also know, Lord, that we are not faithful. Forgive us when we think of faithfulness as just one more checkmark beside our name, that our puny attempts at faith somehow earn us kudos in your court. Forgive us for rejecting faithfulness when it is uncomfortable. Forgive us when we forget your commitment, your promises, and live as if those promises are empty. Revive our hearts, open our eyes to Jesus at work in us, around us, that He is always coming. As this Advent season begins, may we draw near to you to rehearse your great promises to us and to walk faithfully in your light. Amen.
