Third Sunday of Advent
Zephaniah 3:14-20 NLT
Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! For the Lord will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy.
And the Lord himself, the King of Israel, will live among you! At last your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster. On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, “Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid!
For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
“I will gather you who mourn for the appointed festivals; you will be disgraced no more. And I will deal severely with all who have oppressed you. I will save the weak and helpless ones; I will bring together those who were chased away. I will give glory and fame to my former exiles, wherever they have been mocked and shamed. On that day I will gather you together and bring you home again. I will give you a good name, a name of distinction, among all the nations of the earth, as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Theodoret of Cyr
I am aware that some commentators understood this text to apply to the return from Babylon and the renovation of Jerusalem, and I do not contradict their words; the prophecy applies also to what happened at that time. But you can find a more exact outcome after the incarnation of our Savior. Then it was that he healed the oppressed in heart in the washing of regeneration. Then it was that he renewed human nature, loving us so much as to give his life for us. After all, “greater love than this no one can show than for one to lay down one’s life for one’s friend,” and again, “God so loved the world as to give his only-begotten Son so that everyone believing in him might not be lost but have eternal life.” (Commentary on Zephaniah)
O God of great redeeming love, we are full of joy and awe and wonder as we consider the thought that Jesus came to be one of us.
Because you took great delight in your human creation, our mighty Savior Jesus came to live among us.Â
Through Jesus, you removed the curse and judgment and disgrace of sin from us.
Through Jesus, you redeemed us from our bondage to sin and self and Satan and brought us into “glorious freedom from death and decay” (Romans 8:21 NLT).
Through Jesus, you have brought calm to our fearful hearts and minds.
To think that you take delight in us.
To think that you seek to do good for us.
To think that you love us so much that, like a mother singing a lullaby to her child, you rejoice over us with “joyful songs.”
Such love is beyond our ability to comprehend, so all we can do is receive it and give you praise for it, through the merits of Jesus Christ, our Messiah and Lord.
Amen.
Redeeming Love
https://youtu.be/NJsUroTxmmI?si=wKznmHqhDitfnLiK
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Corinthians 4.15).
ONLINE ADVENT CALENDAR
Joy for every December day! This online Advent calendar provides Scripture and a devotional thought, a song, and sometimes a work of art to guide you into worship each day through the Advent season and into the celebration of Christmas. It runs for the entire month of December. Just click on the link and then click on the date.
https://www.ailbe.org/shepherds/shepherds-content/22-articles/2332-rusty-s-online-advent-calendar
