Joy!  The Great Expectation

by Rev. Jeff Wilson  |  12/15/2024  |  From the Clergy

This weekend is Gaudete Sunday; meaning Joy! The prophet Zephaniah of the 7th Century B.C. exhorts Israel to rejoice, to be glad for her King is with her to defend her from misfortune and fear. The hardships Israel endured was the consequence of her own waywardness by having strayed from ‘communion’ with the Lord. She was beaten down by rival nations and exiled from their homeland. Israel’s king is the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph.

God is the bridegroom to Israel who chose her, to be purified and made secure in the glory of His love, manifest for the world to see. It is a time for great celebrations. In the same way, eight centuries later, St. Paul exhorts the Philippians to rejoice, for the Lord Jesus Christ is not only near, but is now in their midst through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “Peace, I leave you, my peace I give you.” This is the peace beyond all understanding, our safeguard.

In this season of Advent, we too are called to renew our fervent love for the bridegroom who is coming and has come to redeem us from the burdens we carry in our hearts; the burdens of sin we’ve carried by violating our own consciences. Again, this is what makes for peace. As we repent, seeking his forgiveness, the Lord purifies us by his own blood, removing the guilt that has caused us great anxiety. The Lord’s peace reigns in us as we seek to be in Holy Communion with Him, living the life full of His grace. Let us truly rejoice and be glad for we’ve been given great hope in Him who has loved us from the very beginning.

-Rev. Jeff Wilson