I’m not even sure Halloween was officially over yet, barely, before I was hearing Christmas Carols in stores and on the radio. For me, that’s kind of a record-breaking early date for Christmas songs! My first inclination was to be frustrated – you know, the whole “exploiting Jesus’ birth” atti-tude that we Christians have to endure at this time of the year. And we’re right, of course. The retailers know that we’re softened up by some of the more sentimental aspects of the holidays and are “ripe for the pickin'” – so to speak. On the other hand, I think I (we) need to get over some of this. Retailers ARE desperate for Christmas. In a real way, their businesses DEPEND ON JESUS! How cool is that! Would that we ALL would realize that everything we are, have and do is incomplete and lost without Jesus. Our world, WE, are desperate for Jesus’ coming. And in this Advent season we rejoice at His coming about 2000 years ago, and long for His coming again.
Advent focuses on Jesus’ coming. We prepare to celebrate his arrival in the manger. Emmanuel – “God with us.” In him, God sided with us, becoming literally human, taking on a human body and existence just like us (that’s what the term “God incarnate” means, to take on flesh). Even though he came two millennia ago, we celebrate his coming anew to our homes and hearts. His original welcome in Bethlehem was not at all welcoming and friendly. Is he welcome in your life? In your family? In your heart?
Another major focal point for the Advent season is the second coming of Jesus, when he will return at the end of time.
We don’t much like to think about the end of all things, and we may not want to be around when it happens, but according to scripture, it’s truly coming and everyone will be there. Despite popular misconceptions, prophecy about the second coming is NOT there to frighten or manipulate us; rather it is designed as a vision of what is to come to give us hope that evil, sin and death will not always have the last word in our lives.
Advent also focuses on the coming of something else. With Jesus’ arrival we also have the kingdom of God beginning to break forth in our lives. The Kingdom of God, simply put, is anywhere that God is allowed to rule. He does not force himself on us, but rather invites us to join him on his journey of service, sacrifice, faith, love, healing, restoration and resurrection. When we move ahead in faith and love, trusting God’s guidance and in the gifts that he gives and reveals to us, we find his strength becomes ours, and his wisdom permeates our hearts and minds. And his will is done. The Kingdom of God — his reign in our lives and the world — becomes real for us.
The world is desperate for Jesus! May he bless us in this season as we celebrate, submit to and pray for his coming. As we hear the Christmas music in the stores, when on hold on the phone, or over the radio, let us be reminded of how desperately we need Jesus – and assured of his faithfulness to be there (here) for us!

~ Pastor Dennis Krueger