We had our first Monday morning "Coffee and Carols" yesterday (the next one is 6th December), and it was a great encouragement to see both familiar and unfamiliar faces among those joining us.
As well as chatting over hot drinks, people were invited to join in with the carol singing at 11am; and the Advent readings (from 2 Samuel 7:8-17 and Luke 1:26-38) reminded us that the birth of Jesus Christ was the fulfilment of a 1,000 year-old promise to David about a king who would rule forever:
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33)
This also links the birth of Jesus with his resurrection, for a king that rules forever must be able to overcome death. The authority of Jesus over death was something highlighted in last Sunday's service, looking at chapter 4 of John's gospel (verses 43-54), in which Jesus, simply by commanding it, miraculously heals a man's son who is close to death. Here's a brief excerpt from the sermon:
"In chapter one of his gospel, John
describes the Word who existed “in the beginning” and “was with God
and was God”. All things were
created through this Word, and this Word contains the life that brings light to
humanity.
"John tells us (1:14) that this
Word “became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as
of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” He's clearly telling us that Jesus Christ is
this Word that was at the creation of the world and today gives to people Life
and Light (with capital “L”s!)
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