Advent Reflection: The Savior Has Come
“The Savior Has Come”
by Erin Harris
Throughout our Advent, we have reflected on why we need a Savior, on the promises fulfilled in Jesus, the silence of the wait for Jesus to arrive, and the anticipation of the Savior’s birth. And now all these parts of the journey come together, as tonight, and maybe with family and friends tomorrow and in the coming days, we gather to celebrate the arrival of our Savior.
“So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room available for them.” Luke 2:3-7
If you were sitting in as I taught one of my sons a Language Arts lesson on the parts of a story, where we are right now–Jesus’s arrival and life earthside– would be the climax of the story. The height of emotion, the peak of tension, the turning point where the conflict is faced. I often tell them the climax is like reaching the tippy top of a massive roller coaster.
When Jesus came to earth, the sin, death, destruction, and brokenness of this world could now be confronted by Jesus once and for all. Although this is a triumphant moment, it’s worth remembering that the long awaited Messiah came not as a king or a warrior, but a baby, laid in a humble feeding trough, born to a young couple from Nazareth, a town of little reputation. It would be another 30 years before Jesus’s earthly ministry would begin. But finally, the kingdom of God had broken into the world. Not as expected, but far better than we could have ever hoped!
Our journey of the last few weeks to reflect on our Savior’s coming is now complete, but the story doesn’t end here. There are two more parts of a story to learn: the falling action and the resolution. First, let’s skip to the end and the last few pages of our story. The resolution of this eternal story will not be complete until our Savior returns once again and all is made right.
“Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God Himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” Revelation 21:3-5
In between the climax and the resolution is the falling action. The most important action of the story has already taken place– Jesus came, lived and died for our sake, but every loose end is not yet tied up. In this inadequate metaphor I’ve presented, we are living in the falling action of this eternal story.
Maybe you’ve walked through Advent, joyful and making room to remember Jesus’s birth. Tonight and the days to come are a true celebration! He has come, and we rejoice in the hope of it all!
But maybe, just maybe, Advent has not been all that you hoped it would be. It has been full, heavy, tense, or broken. Or maybe, after all the bright lights and joyful excitement of the season, in the days to come you experience a let down as you come back to the ordinary days of January and everyday life.
If either of these resonate with you, may I encourage you (and myself) with this reminder: It is for this very reason why Jesus came. The Christ child came into a world that is not whole, nor healed– and still isn’t– but because of His arrival, everything is different.
“But to all who did receive Him, He gave the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:12-14a
Immanuel, God with us. We have a Redeemer who put on flesh and entered into our world to make all things new, to make each one of us if we accept the gift of the Son, new; to give us a new identity and a new future as children of God.
Whether you have already accepted this gift of a Savior or wish to this very night, let me bring our Language Arts lesson to a close: Your story is not finished. There are still loose ends to tie up between now and eternity. Some of those will be beautiful and joyful, and some of those will be mundane or even hard. This is life in a broken world. But we know the resolution that’s coming. We know the hope of a Savior. And that hope entered the world in a baby named Jesus. He has come!
