Yesterday we looked at how Matthew opened his Gospel with an account of Jesus’ ancestry, which revealed not only that he was the promised Messiah, but also that his arrival was part of a much larger story that was linked to King David and Abraham. Today we will read of Jesus’ birth and how this fulfilled the ancient promise from Isaiah 7:14 that ‘the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God with us’!

But, before you begin today’s reflection maybe just pause , turn your attention to God and pray the prayer below:

Lord, may we, like the wise men from foreign lands,
observe the rising of your star in the darkness of this season.
We may not have gold, frankincense, or myrrh,
But we offer you today our time, attention, and trust.
Amen

Daily Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

Find the above scripture in your bible and read slowly – you might want to read it out loud. You can also find it here.

Quotes: ‘God With Us’

‘God with us. These four words express the character of God, the identity of Jesus, the work of the Spirit. They are the Christian testimony about the past, witness in the present, and hope for the future. Each word offers itself as the heart of the gospel … I maintain that the word ‘with’ is the most important word in theology…

| Rev. Samuel Wells

‘The wonder of the truth of Emmanuel (God with us), can only be truly appreciated as we acknowledgethat God had every right to be against us’

| Rev. Fleming Rutledge

Advent Poem: The Word Became Flesh

The Word became flesh!
God became human!
the invisible became visible!
the untouchable became touchable!
eternal life experienced temporal death!
the transcendent one descended and drew near!
the unlimited became limited!
the infinite became finite!
the immutable became mutable!
the unbreakable became fragile!
spirit became matter!
eternity entered time!
the independent became dependent!
the almighty became weak!
the loved became the hated!
the exalted was humbled!
glory was subjected to shame!
fame turned into obscurity!
from inexpressible joy to tears of unimaginable grief!
from a throne to a cross!
from ruler to being ruled!
from power to weakness!

| Sam Storms

Advent Song

Closing Blessing

May the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you and scatter the darkness from before your path;
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always.
Amen.
(Book of Occasional Services)

As always, we would love to hear your thoughts and reflections and so please do leave a comment in the section at the bottom of this page. Much love to you all on this Advent journey!

Evening Zoom Reflection at 9pm

We will be meeting tonight on Zoom to reflect on this together. You would be most welcome to join us. We start at 9pm and finish at 9:20pm. Bring a Bible and a candle if you have them.

We are usually on a few moments before for a chat. Click here to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84743926286

Feel free to leave a comment below with any thoughts, prayers or things God might have been speaking to you about.