The advent season is a time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and share the love of Jesus with our family and friends: by visiting them, partaking in meals together and through gift-giving. Some of us make charitable contributions, feed the hungry or help in other ways. Others attend church services or go to different venues to listen to musical renditions such as “Handel’s Messiah.” Celebrations help to strengthen family, to build community, to remember Jesus’ birth and to lift up Jesus.
We need to lift up Jesus especially in troubled times. People are dying as a result of violence, poverty, sickness, malnutrition, earthquakes, hurricanes, and uprisings throughout the world. For example, violence is escalating in city streets in America as well as throughout the world. Below is a sample of headlines involving violence taken from the Saturday December 15th 2012, New York Times: “cross-border tensions intensify between Turkey and Syria ; Lebanese captives in Syria speak out, seeking revenge; Sunni rebels burn Shia Mosque; man stabs twenty-two children in China; Gunman forced his way into school.” We are aware of the two dozen children who lost their lives in Newtown, Connecticut, elementary school. We cannot afford to sit passively. We must pray to God as never before, repent, and ask for his forgiveness. God is present with us even in the midst of turmoil (Psalm 46:1). We must lift up Jesus.
We lift up Jesus because there is power in His blood. In Colossians 3:20, God reconciled humanity to himself through the blood of Jesus which was shed for the remission of sin. When Jesus died the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51-53) signifying that Jesus was the sacrificial lamb replacing the Old Testament’s animal sacrifice for atonement of sin. Jesus sacrificed Himself for us so we can receive forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.
We lift up Jesus because there is power in His name. Philippians 2: 10-13NIV states that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” When we lift up Jesus, he pulls down the strongholds that the enemy has set up in our homes, our workplaces, our churches and in our world (2 Corinthians 10:4).
We lift up Jesus because He is our supreme authority (Col. 3:18). He has risen and sits on the right hand of the Father. “He is before all things and in him all things hold together” (Col. 3:17). The prophet Isaiah in Chapter 6:1 tells us about his vision. He saw the Lord “lofty” and “exalted” and the “train of his robe” filled the temple.” Jesus has been lifted up and sits upon his throne interceding for us. In Isaiah 6:3, the Prophet also heard the angels praising God and saying: “Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” Even the angels lift up Jesus. We also need to lift up Jesus by praising Him, crying out to Him, and interceding before Him for the protection of our families, for our children, for the church, for America and for the world.
When we praise God, His glory is revealed and the enemy must flee. Regardless of the tragedies that continually take place and the uncertainty of our economic system, God is still in control of the entire universe. God sees the violence and tumults in our city streets and throughout the world. He sees the issues that we face in our homes, our work-places, and in our churches. He came to set the captives free. Let us therefore lift up Jesus for He is our present help in the time of trouble (Psalm 46:1). He cares for you and me (1 Peter 5:7).
I pray that you have a warm, happy Christmas and Holiday Season. May God’s love shine in your life in the upcoming year as you lift up His Son, Jesus.
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