Here's to a New Beginning
This month, I’ve encouraged you to lean into Advent...prepare your heart for Jesus. In this, the last Advent post of 2023, I challenge you to open your heart to a new beginning.
Two weeks ago, I shared part of my story of moving to our current community (city, church, home). I described it as simultaneously an adventure but also a struggle. We moved three of our four kids to a new school (the youngest started school that year), Kia started a new business, and we lived in a cramped rental home for a year as we looked for a permanent home to live in. Kia also pointed out to me recently that the rental wasn’t just small, but came with the smell of stale smoke and a neighbor girl who would let herself into our bedroom in the mornings (allowing us to wake up with her staring at us).
Another description of this time in our life would be a new beginning.
A Fresh Start
In many ways, we completely started over. We emptied most of our old life to begin a new one. When we sold our home, we also sold 20 acres of land where we had once dreamed of building a new home. We moved into that small rental but eventually found the perfect home for us. My kids left schools and friends to start new schools and to make new friends. Kia left her family business after 20 years and established a permanent location to run a new business. I left behind a dream of creating a writing and speaking career to return to full-time ministry. All of this was in a brand-new community.
My story of a new beginning is not unique. I’m sure you’ve done the same thing. We all have.
Maybe this is a small and unseen side of why we love the Christmas story. Christmas is the story of God’s new beginning.
In the beginning…
Each of the four gospels describes the arrival of Jesus differently. Matthew gives a total of two verses about Jesus, and he is more concerned about how Joseph responded to the news his fiancé was pregnant with God’s son. Luke contains the story we most associate with Christmas - Mary, Joseph, no room in the inn, angels, and shepherds. Mark entirely skips the Christmas story to go right to Jesus’ baptism. John has the most unique description of Jesus’ arrival of them all.
As we read the Christmas story through the eyes of the Apostle John, he begins with a retelling of creation:
In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone. -John 1:1-4 (NLT)
Jesus was with God at creation, and he was instrumental in creating the world we live in. We live because, along with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus breathed life into us. John goes on to describe Jesus as light in the world. However, darkness entered the story (Genesis 3), so a redeemer was necessary.
The world needed a new beginning.
In a New Beginning
I want you to think about that for a moment. The world is broken now, even after Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, and resurrection. We still need new beginnings, but imagine the state of the world then. It led to anticipation of a Savior.
Jesus came to bring a new start, a new world, a new beginning.
Again John takes a different angle as he describes Jesus’ birth. John is a poetic writer, and the Message translation does a great job of capturing the spirit of his writing:
The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish. -John 1:14 (MSG)
The Word became flesh. God himself became a man, and he entered into our everyday way of life. The world has never been the same.
Prepare for a new beginning
This month, I’ve encouraged you to lean into Advent. I want you to prepare your heart for Jesus. To be clear, this is bigger than Christmas. Advent is all about Jesus. In this, the last Advent post of 2023, I challenge you to open your heart to a new beginning.
Jesus came to earth as flesh and blood to establish his Kingdom and invite you into his family. A new beginning is available to you.
John says it like this:
He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. -John 1:10-13 (NLT)
New Life is Available to You!
If we fast forward 33 years, on the night Jesus was betrayed, we see him prepare for his death with a final meal with his closest friends. At this Last Supper, Jesus breaks bread and offers it to his disciples as his body or flesh, and then Jesus pours the wine and shares it with them as his blood.
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”
Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. -Mark 14:22-24 (NLT)
The very flesh and blood that we celebrate arriving on earth on Christmas was sacrificed for us, so we can have true life through a new and hopeful beginning.
My prayer for you this Christmas is to enter into this new beginning for the first time or for you to experience it again afresh. Jesus is available to you.
Jesus moved into your neighborhood so your world can be completely new and different.
Writing + Advent Playlist
I don’t know if we have the same taste in music, but here are some songs to explore. All the links go to Spotify. While writing this post, this is some of what I was listening to:
Classical Christmas - Spotify Playlist
Joy to the World - Kirk Franklin
Christmas Dinner - Spotify Playlist