ADVENT-HOPE

the church now sings the song to commemorate the first coming and expects the second coming in the future.

The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Prophecy of birth

Jesus came like this as a baby , by living here amng us and like us He identified with normal life,the cross was an identification with death that we all face, and with His resuurection He identifies with our HOPE

Micah 5:2–3 (ESV)

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.

Lexham Context Commentary: Old Testament Micah Encourages Israel to Hope in Their Future Ruler (5:1–6)

Micah promises a future Davidic king. Interestingly, this king does not come from Jerusalem, where one would expect the Davidic lineage to continue. Rather, this king comes from Bethlehem and represents a new start in Judah’s history—back to the beginning, if you will. What kind of king is this? One who will shepherd God’s people in the Lord’s strength. He will be peace incarnate. Matthew’s Gospel is quick to identify this coming king as Jesus Christ and is right to do so.

weakness-Humility-too little

Sermons from John Piper (1980–1989) From Bethlehem in the Majesty of the Name of the Lord

God Magnifies His Glory

First, God acts to magnify his glory. In 5:2, God speaks and contrasts the littleness of the town of Bethlehem with the greatness of the ruler who will come out of her.

Sermons from John Piper (1980–1989) From Bethlehem in the Majesty of the Name of the Lord

the second is that he keeps his promises. There’s a beautiful passage in Romans 15:8, 9, which shows how the coming of Christ confirmed both these truths

The Message of Discipleship: Authentic Followers of Jesus in Today’s World Chapter 1: Following the Crucified Lord (Mark 8:22–38) > Part 1: The Foundations of Discipleship

Following the crucified Lord

John Stott, who did so much to encourage biblical discipleship, once related a cautionary tale which highlights the importance of firm foundations. The medieval Chichester cathedral, consecrated by Bishop Ralph de Luffa in 1108, was built on the remains of the old Roman city. The ground contained much debris from the Roman era which later compressed and shifted. The foundations of the cathedral were not strong enough to cope with the subsidence, and worrying cracks soon appeared in the superstructure of the building. Walls and towers became unstable and major repair work was carried out. But the problems were below ground, not above. Despite the extensive repairs, as the centuries wore on the building experienced various disasters: the façade of the south-west tower crumbled away, the north-west tower collapsed completely and the cathedral spire tottered and fell. Eventually the decision was taken to reinforce the foundations. The surveyor who oversaw the work commented that if only ‘Bishop Ralph had extended his footings by another 4 feet 6 inches’ many of the problems which later beset the building could have been avoided.

As strong foundations are essential for a stable building, so they are essential for good discipleship. Mark’s Gospel as a whole ‘is vitally concerned with discipleship’ and helps provide these foundations. In particular, Mark chapters 8 and 9 speak powerfully about the essentials of following Jesus. If we grasp the teaching of these verses we will have a firm grounding for our lives as disciples; if we fail to grasp Jesus’ teaching, major cracks will soon appear. In Mark 9 Jesus will lead his followers up a mountain to see him transfigured, and then down again to engage in cutting-edge mission and ministry (9:1–8, 14–32). First, as Mark 8:22–38 shows us, they must understand who Jesus really is and be taught what Peter T. Forsyth termed the ‘cruciality of the cross’.

1. Confession of Christ the starting point for Christian discipleship

His Gospel is rather like a play with two acts. Our verses, especially 8:27–33, constitute the break between the two acts, the ‘pivotal’ moment upon which the story turns

Mark 1:1–8:30 constitutes the first act. It effectively asks the question, ‘Who is Jesus?’ The answer is Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the ‘Christ

The second act, Mark 8:31–16:8, asks the question, ‘How will Messiah fulfil his mission?’ The answer which is given and subsequently unpacked startles all who hear it: the Messiah, the great and mighty Christ, will suffer, be killed and rise again (8:31)