Advent: December 14 – God Does Not Want to Frighten People

From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 4:17

The Bible does not want to make us afraid. God does not want anyone to live in fear—not even of the final judgment. Instead, God wants people to understand everything about life and its true purpose. He reveals these things to us now so that we can live openly and honestly, aware of the reality of the last judgment.

God tells us these truths for one reason: to guide us to Jesus Christ. He wants us to turn away from wrong paths and seek Jesus. God does not intend to scare us. When he speaks of judgment, it is only to make us reach more eagerly for his promise of grace. It is to help us realize that we cannot stand before him on our own strength, that on our own, we would be lost. But even so, God does not want us to die—he wants us to live.

Christ is the one who judges, and his judgment is full of grace, forgiveness, and love. Whoever holds on to him is already free.

Repentance means turning away from one’s own work to the mercy of God. The whole Bible calls to us and cheers us: Turn back, turn back! Return—where to? To the everlasting grace of God, who does not leave us.… God will be merciful—so come, judgment day! Lord Jesus, make us ready. We rejoice. Amen.

Bonhoeffer’s sermon for Repentance
Sunday, November 19, 1933

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