by Jason Caywood
Maranatha! The Lord has come! And he will appear again in glory before all to rule as King of the earth.
We have just celebrated the appearing of the Son of God, born of a woman. There is an unfathomable depth to what we celebrate during the Advent season: The incarnation of the eternal God as a human being, in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, through Mary the virgin.
God the Father sent the Son into his own world, in a form that was quite ordinary—not flashy or polished or notably great in the estimation of human wisdom. Yes, he came born of woman: A rather ordinary man by appearance, born of an obscure Jewish woman.
The Lord’s conception as a human being, through Mary the virgin, was the humble path God took to become for us who believe the center and root of knowing the eternal God who made us for himself. In him we have the pattern for how to learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as he forms us to walk in the fullness of the Father’s salvation for us—the Son himself. And the grandeur of God’s grace is displayed in the giving of his blessed Spirit to all who will entrust themselves to God through Jesus the Messiah!
In God the Son, by the operation of the Spirit of Messiah Jesus, God calls us, equips us, takes delight in us; he makes ordinary women and men his ambassadors and priestly servants to all human beings on earth. Together the redeemed are heirs, blessed and appointed in God the Son to serve God now and into eternity.
The Lord is returning, just as he promised. We may be the generation who see him! Regardless, our responsibility to be intentional in service and witness in our brief sojourns on earth remains. One way or another, the Lord will manifest his glory, but how much better for us if he can do that through responsive and willing vessels in this generation!
Maranatha!