Jesus Is Coming in Power
I was watching a very interesting show recently about African animal's migration habits. And in the midst of the sobering story, as the animals made their perilous, annual journeys to fresh water and "greener pastures," the narrator pointed out that as the animals migrate, hungry predators are waiting for them- and many of the animals die terrible deaths. Yes, it's very painful to watch the cycle of life on the plains of Africa. At one point in the story they mentioned that a 6 month old cougar was not a threat (yet) to the herds of wildebeest, and that a one week old cheetah cub would also one day be a dangerous threat to many animals who make the yearly trek- but for now, neither of these animals pose any threat to these large cattle. And all of this, quite surprisingly, reminds me of the gentle baby Jesus in the manger.
Today we begin the annual journey we call Advent. It's a journey to the manger where the Savior of the world is born among us - but he doesn't look very powerful or threatening, for that matter! Actually he looks cuddly, gentle, harmless and cute. He doesn't look like he has come in power to threaten the way we live, our selfish and destructive habits and addictions, or the ways in which we worship other "gods." But that's why he came and still comes - to be a threat - a powerful threat - to allowing a sin-filled life to be the only life we know! Yes, thanks be to God, Christ, Jesus comes in power! And that as we migrate through life, He is there to threaten and destroy the sin and death that, without His powerful life-changing forgiveness, will lead us to destruction.
