As we exit the Advent season, we are reminded that Christmas is not just a celebration of an event in the past. So, as we look to 2025, January’s reflections will focus on preparations for a future that is already and not yet. This week reminds us that Jesus’ Return will be unlike that of His birth:

IN WORD – What was Jesus like? Many envision Him as a guru of peace who never said a harsh word. Others envision Him as a mellow mystic who could not relate to our humanity. There is no shortage of opinions, but few are entirely consistent with Scripture. The misty-eyed, airy-voiced, peace-marching Jesus of modern films, wishful imaginations, and popular theology never existed. He has been crafted by those who have either never read the four Gospels or have never really believed them.
The real Jesus was the Incarnation of the Jealous God (Exodus 34:14), the Warrior God (Exodus 15:3), the One who dwells in mystery and majesty. There was fire in His eyes and passion in His voice. And according to Revelation 1, there still is. Jesus still speaks.
Is the Hollywood Jesus the one you expect to hear? Don’t be swayed by false characterizations. Read the Gospels and see the anger at hypocrisy and the anguish of the Cross. Hear the violence in His prayers and the divisiveness of His words. Know that His coming was a crisis event, the turning point for the whole human race.
IN DEED The fiery, zealous Jesus may speak to us with a still, small voice, but do not rule out the roaring voice of thunder and lightning. He doesn’t always nudge us; sometimes He jolts us. The Jesus who offered comfort, healing, and peace to the troubled and outcast also blasted the legalists and the proud. The Jesus who drew calmly in the sand and urged the meek to persist in their meekness also made a scene at the Temple with His violent outburst. The Man of Sorrows is also a man of action. The Lamb of God is also the Lion of Judah. Make no assumptions about His voice. Just be open to it. Have ears that hear. When He speaks, it will be powerful enough to change your life. “The voice of God, having once fully penetrated the heart, becomes strong as the tempest and loud as the thunder.” – Ignatius of Loyola (in “Walking with God” by Chris Tiegreen)

Today’s passage reminds us that the returning Jesus will be unlike His birth and His life. It will be the end of human history and the return of the King and usher in the heavenly Kingdom. Jesus will come not as a babe or a man, but as the Almighty God (see Isaiah 9:6-7). The Kingdom will not be like the last 2000 years with the slow spread of the gospel, but all the world will know He is the omnipotent God simultaneously in full glory and power. Jesus will return not to save, but to judge and reclaim all that is His.
Are you prepared for Jesus’ Return should it happen in 2025? We can do so by living daily in humble submission to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Take time this week to reflect on Revelation 1- 3 this week. Contemplate on the picture of the returning Christ in chapter one, then use the letters to the churches to reflect on your readiness for Jesus’ Return. Have a Happy New Year and a blessed 2025! – from Magnolia in Seattle, Pastor Sam