Advent: December 4 – An Un-Christmas-Like Idea

When early Christians spoke about the return of the Lord Jesus, they often thought of it as a great day of judgment. Even though this idea might not seem connected to the joy of Christmas, it comes from the early church and must be taken seriously. The coming of God is not just good news; at first, it is frightening for anyone with a conscience. Only when we feel this fear can we truly understand God’s amazing grace. God comes into a world filled with evil and death. He judges the evil within us and around us. In doing this, He loves us, cleanses us, makes us holy, and brings us His grace and love. He makes us happy, in the pure way that children can be happy.

We have become so accustomed to the idea of divine love and of God’s coming at Christmas that we no longer feel the shiver of fear that God’s coming should arouse in us. We are indifferent to the message, taking only the pleasant and agreeable out of it and forgetting the serious aspect, that the God of the world draws near to the people of our little earth and lays claim to us.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “The Coming of Jesus in Our Midst”

In that region, there were shepherds living in the fields, watching over their flock at night. Then an angel of the Lord appeared before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; I bring you good news of great joy for all people: today, in the city of David, a Savior is born, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This is the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly, a large number of angels appeared, praising God and saying…

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
Luke 2:8–14

^{Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. God Is in the Manger : Reflections on Advent and Christmas. Louisville, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, 2012.}