Advent

Jesus came to me!

Nothing but His great love compelled Him to come to me! What was worth loving in me? Nothing, but nothing at all! And yet He came! Did He appear only once? No, He came several times. Jesus came several times and knocked at the door of my heart until I finally opened it to Him. A writer once said: 

“If You had not looked for me first, I would not have come looking for You!”

However, that was not only applicable to me; it really applies to all people. That is why the Bible says: “He loved us first!” And the Savior Himself said to His disciples, “It was not you who chose Me, but I who chose you” (John 15:16). He, who came from heaven to earth more than 2000 years ago to redeem us from all power of sin and to lead us back to the heavenly Father’s house, is the same One who sought each one of us with great patience until He found us. 

 The foundation of our salvation is grounded in this truth. It is not to my credit when I honestly say:  “As surely as the sun shines from above, so surely have I obtained forgiveness for my sins!” It is God’s mercy that has saved me. 

How could I have made my way to Him? And where could I have found Him? Millions, no – unfortunately hundreds of millions, are still trying to find the way to a gracious God. They struggle, they make great sacrifices – and yet they never reach that goal! Therefore, we who know through the Bible that God has come to us and seeks us should not stop giving thanks for it. We should also not stop sharing the good news of His coming with people who may have already heard it but have not yet accepted it in faith. 

Jesus is coming now! 

The wonderful promise of the coming Savior, first spoken by a prophet in the Old Testament and later repeated by Matthew at Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, is not in the past tense. It says, “Behold, your King is coming to you!” He is coming now! He is at your door now! He is the ever-present Lord and Savior. 

 That is why He said, “I am with you always!” No one has to endlessly search for Him because He is there, He is with us! We are the ones who run away, who forget Him, who ignore Him. But when we notice that we can’t manage alone anymore and therefore become ready to listen to His voice and open the door of our heart to Him, then we may also know that He is there to make His promise come true: “I will dine with him!” Surely this means, “I will be with you and abide with you; I will have true fellowship with you!” 

If a follower of Christ can stand firm in severe trials, does not despair in tribulations, and does not become overconfident in good days, then it is because he knows he is secure in the omnipresent Christ and allows himself to be guided and preserved by Him. 

Dear reader! Believe it! Jesus is coming to you now. He is standing at your door now. He wants to be your Helper, Advisor, Protector, Guide, and Redeemer. Entrust yourself to Him! You will never regret it! 

Jesus will come again! 

The fact of His return is testified of in many places in the Bible. He will come again as the Lord of glory and as the Judge of mankind. The first time, He came to redeem humanity from Satan’s power through His holy blood. Now, He comes through the Holy Spirit to offer and give full salvation to every single person. But then He will come to pass judgment on all people. Then it will be revealed whether we have listened to His voice and opened the doors of our hearts to Him. That is why it is so important that we pay attention now, to open the door now and receive Him! 

 Advent means “arrival.” We are in the season of Advent. The Advent season of the church year spans the four Sundays before Christmas. The true season of Advent lasts throughout the year and will continue until it comes to an end at the second coming of Jesus. 

O.M.