Christmas is a time of celebration and hope! The birth of Jesus celebrates the coming of the promised Messiah. God loved us so much that he gave the gift of His only Son, Jesus, to redeem and bring us back into relationship with Him. As we celebrate the coming of Jesus, we also expectantly await Christ’s return.
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The Coming of the Bridegroom
• Greg Boyd
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Christmas is a time of celebration and hope! The birth of Jesus celebrates the coming of the promised Messiah. God loved us so much that he gave the gift of His only Son, Jesus, to redeem and bring us back into relationship with Him. As we celebrate the coming of Jesus, we also expectantly await Christ’s return.
Simeon was looking for the promise that God made with Israel.
In the Old Testament,Yahweh (God) was depicted as the bridegroom of Israel and Israel was pledged to be married to Yahweh (God). Throughout the course of time, Israel was more often than not unfaithful; disobeying God and chasing after other Gods. But God made a promise. Yahweh repeatedly said that someday he was going to come and win the heart of his bride back (see Ezekiel 16:59, 62; and Isaiah 62:5).
Simeon knew, while holding the baby Jesus, that God had kept his promise and that the Messiah had indeed arrived. He was consoled while holding Jesus, because he knew that the bridegroom had come back for his bride.
Like Simeon, we know that God keeps his promises, and that he has revealed his son, Jesus, to give us life and atone for our sins. Today, we celebrate the gift Jesus gave us. In Christ, we have hope because we know that this life is not all that there is. We are promised eternal life with God, where there is peace and unspeakable joy. As believers in Christ, we also have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within us to help us live out Christ’s hope to the world.
As believers in Christ, we are reminded that Jesus will return again and we hopefully await His return. Like a groom pledged to be married to his bride, we have been pledged to be married with Christ. As the church, we are called the “Bride of Christ” and Jesus is our “Bridegroom”. The birth of Christ is a sign of that marriage covenant that God has extended to us and we are called to accept his proposal and make ourselves ready for his return. One day, Jesus will return and we will eternally celebrate together forever (Revelation 19:7).
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Focus Scripture:
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Luke 2:25-30
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.For my eyes have seen your salvation,
