2020 has been a troubling, turbulent year – one to which we could apply Her Majesty, the Queen’s apt and pithy comment in 1992: annus horribilis.

While commentators and historians will analyze the events of the year for some time, in many ways it has been God’s wake up call to the reality that, despite what we might like to think, there are significant events in life beyond our control.

Indeed, unexpected events suggest that there’s another dimension to life which we should not ignore – especially as we move into the new year.

In the minds of many, the rise of secular progressivism and its antipathy towards religion has blunted the reality of God’s existence and revelation. How important it is that we keep calm and stay the course of faith – faith that is not a blind leap in the dark, but a faith in the One whose quiet and humble coming into the world opened the door to the glory and joy of life eternal.

Isaiah 60 is one of the great chapters of the Old Testament. It looks to the glory of a future day for God’s people. It begins: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising… I am the Lord; in its time I will hasten it (Isaiah 60:1-3, 22b).

In the minds of many, cities are synonymous with evil, corruption and the unbridled pursuit of the pleasures of the flesh, so that we can easily overlook the significance of the city in the Bible. The Scriptures consistently speak of the City of Zion or Jerusalem as a picture of God’s dwelling with his people.

Isaiah’s first readers had lost their city, the temple (the symbol of God’s presence) and their king. We can only begin to imagine how they would have received Isaiah’s words in chapter 60. For he was now telling them that darkness would give way to light and gloom would give way to glory, for God would establish his City – the City of Zion.

You may find it helpful to read Isaiah 59:15b – 60:22 that speaks of the coming of God’s kingdom in great glory. But it is a section that exemplifies the tension between the is and the yet to be of God’s kingdom. As we read this, a helpful question to ask is what lessons can we draw for today from this great section of Isaiah?

Isaiah 60 prepares us for the coming of God’s king in all his glory. It speaks of our ultimate destiny as members of a city, the new Jerusalem where, as Revelation 21:1-4 tells us, there will be no more pain or suffering, crying or death. Above all we will know the deep joy of God’s presence with us. Springing from this we will enjoy life to the full with one another as his people. But this new city lies on the other side of a cosmic divide. Isaiah’s words will only be fulfilled through the personal intervention of God himself. Only then will we be delivered from the tragic consequences of our present world.

How then should we now live – as pessimists or optimists about life? The answer lies in our need to be biblically rich in our understanding of God and his purposes. An unqualified optimism that says we should expect all the benefits of God’s kingdom now, is unhelpful. But so too is an unqualified pessimism. For to be pessimistic about life now implies that we should withdraw from society and not get involved with present issues and concerns. Pessimists tend to think of outreach as holding an evangelistic event and then drawing back into the security of the church community. They have little motivation to engage with people in their wider community in the gospel cause. Sadly, it is one of the reasons only 10% of churches in the US are experiencing what is called ‘gospel’ as opposed to ‘transfer’ growth.

Instead, we need to believe that what we do in this world has significance and can change people and things for the better; that what we do in the service of Christ in this world lasts. Paul the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 15:58 writes, Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immoveable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

As we start a new calendar year it’s worth pausing and considering the amazing picture Isaiah paints in chapter 60. He speaks of the return of the exiles to Jerusalem – which occurred in 520BC – and the rebuilding of the city. This was nothing short of a miracle. God had said it would happen. And it did.

Furthermore, Isaiah wants us to see this event as a picture of God’s far greater promise and far greater success. The success of God’s future city points us to the success of God’s rule. Come what may, no human authority, no evil power is greater than God. God and his purposes can be trusted.

Let’s pray for the grace and the wisdom, the commitment and the strength to live every day in this new year in the light of God’s tomorrow.

Christmas this year stands out as a beacon of hope. Friends and family often tell us they love the lights and carols of Christmas. But this year which has been so tumultuous and troubling, Christmas holds out something extra special. How wonderful if it were really true!

Isaiah 9 is part of the Christmas back-story. In the early chapters of his writing Isaiah spoke of dark times, of deprivation and suffering, anger and a sense of hopelessness. In Isaiah 8:21 we read: Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God.

‘But don’t give up’, Isaiah says, ‘for a time will come when the light will dawn’. And in chapter 9 he tells us where the first glimmer would be seen: Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who are in distress. In the past God humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali – lands to the north of Israel – but in the future God will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan…

The Promise. Galilee will be where the light will dawn. There will be joy, Isaiah says, and the shadow of death will pass. For, as verse 6 says: To us a child is born, to us a son is given.

The sign of God’s saving plan would begin with something very weak, something very insignificant – the birth of a baby. Yet, the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called, wonderful counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah was laying down a timeless principle: we need to be patient and turn to the Lord, putting our trust in him. As we look back at Isaiah 9 we discover that God led Isaiah through his own family experience to see the unfolding of God’s purposes – of judgment, redemption and hope.

But there was more to come. The carol ‘Hark! The herald angels sing …’ picks up the biblical theme of the next stage in God’s plan.

Some six hundred years after Isaiah wrote, Dr. Luke tells us: In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered (2:1).

Like a good newspaper reporter or historian, Luke identifies the time of his narrative – when Augustus was Emperor. As we look back at this we see that Augustus’s decision requiring a census set in motion events that resulted in the fulfilment of God’s promises. It’s worth noting that God works out his purposes in the course of human affairs.

Luke then tell us The time came for her (Mary) to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (2:6b, 7).

The word inn which is part of our culture’s Christmas story is not an accurate translation of the original word. The usual word for inn is found in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:34). The word in Luke 2 is different: katalyma which literally means ‘a place to stay’ or ‘guest room’. It is also found in reference to the ‘guest room’ in a private house in Jerusalem where Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples (Luke 22:11).

In Jesus’ day poorer families lived in homes with one large extended room. At one end there was always a small area at ground level under the same roof where the family animals were kept at night to keep them secure.

Luke is telling us that there was literally no guest room in a private home for Joseph and Mary to stay. Mary had to make do for the birth of Jesus at one end of a living room. What’s more, she used the cattle feeding-trough or manger, set up at the end of the raised floor of the living room as the baby’s crib.

The announcement. Yet Luke tells us that at the birth of Jesus, the angel said to shepherds: “… To you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (2:11).

Luke’s description of the humble circumstances of Jesus’ birth draws our attention to an irony. The title Augustus that Caesar Octavian had taken to himself, signified greatness and divinity. The circumstances of Jesus’ birth were the converse and prompt us to ask, ‘How could Mary’s baby be the long promised Messiah?’ Yet the angel had told Mary that her baby would one day be far greater than any emperor or monarch, president or ruler (Luke 1:32f).

Shepherds. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them… (Luke 2:8,9a). Given the resources of heaven it’s striking that the angels didn’t use the occasion to hold a spectacular announcement in Bethlehem or, come to think of it, in Jerusalem.

We need to keep in mind Isaiah’s words in chapter 9. God himself would raise up a ruler who would do what no other leader could do – he would rule with justice and peace.

At the time of Jesus’ birth, shepherds were at the bottom of the social order. They were the lost, the outsiders. Yet it was to them the angel made the announcement. In fulfilment of his promise, God has reached down from the glory of highest heaven to rescue and transform the lives of all people, even the lowliest, including the outcasts.

No wonder the angels sang: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, ‘shalom’, ‘peace’.

Is it true? Or was the announcement that Jesus is the Savior, the Christ just another false hope? GK Chesterton once remarked, ‘Truth must necessarily be stranger than fiction; for fiction is the creation of the human mind and therefore congenial to it’.

Too often we fail to find the joy and peace of Christmas because we have not truly found God’s shepherd-king ourselves. But, let’s be honest: we are all in need of a savior.

It means carrying out our own investigation and encouraging our family and friends to do the same. It is only when we turn to Jesus with changed minds and hearts that we can truly sing, O Come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant… Yea Lord we greet Thee, born this happy morning…

Catastrophic events such as we have seen this year give us pause and challenge us to see life with new eyes. This year nations have looked to their leaders to chart a course to preserve life and secure livelihoods. Leaders who worked at this won our respect.

Throughout the ages people have expressed their desire for leaders they can respect. Plato wrote about this theme with the notion of a philosopher king in his Republic. In recent times Tolkein addressed the longing people have for a trustworthy leader in the Lord of the Rings.

Good and upright leaders are rare. That said, because no leader is perfect, most people (as every election shows) long for a leader who will use their position to provide for the security and welfare of the nation.

When we look back to the history of Israel we learn that the prophets spoke of a special leader whom God would send. In Isaiah 1-39 we read of God’s condemnation of his people’s self-worship and their disregard of him. Isaiah had warned of God’s judgement and in 586BC the Babylonians demolished Jerusalem and took its people captive. But Isaiah is not all negative, for he opens a window on something new God planned to do – through a special king.

In Isaiah 61 we read: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me;… Isaiah 61 continues by telling us what this Spirit-led figure will do: He has come to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; And the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn… (61:1b-2).

It is not until we come to the New Testament that we see the real significance of these words. For in Luke 4:17-19 we read that Jesus, as guest speaker in the synagogue in Nazareth, opened the scroll of the book of Isaiah at chapter 61. He read: The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me,… to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Period. Full stop.

Jesus didn’t complete Isaiah’s words, “…and the day of vengeance of our God.” Significantly he went on to comment: “Today these words are being fulfilled in your midst”.

By putting a period/full stop to Isaiah’s words, Jesus indicated that there would be two stages to the ‘Day of the Lord’ – the day of favor, and the day of justice. His first coming was the time of favor, of mercy – of God’s rescue operation. His return would be the time of God’s judgment and the establishment of his rule in all its glory for all to see.

It’s important that we notice how Jesus applies Isaiah’s words in his public ministry: he says he has come to the aid of the poor, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed.

When did Jesus do this? After all he didn’t provide food and clothing for all the needy around him; he didn’t release any prisoners, not even John the Baptist. Why?

When we explore words such as poor, blind, captive and mourn in the pages of Isaiah and the Old Testament as a whole, we see that these words are often used as metaphors. The poor is often a reference to those who are spiritually poor, the blind, to those who are spiritually blind, and the captives, to those who are captive to self, sin and death. Those who mourn are aware of their broken relationship with God as well as the brokenness of the nation in its relationship with God.

That said, there were times when Jesus literally fulfilled Isaiah’s words. He did feed people who were hungry; he did give sight to some who were blind; and he did release people who were captive to the powers of evil. In each instance the miracle is a picture of God’s compassion and his ultimate purpose to provide life in all its fullness and freedom for his people. The events pointed to the beauty and perfection of the rule of God’s king.

By reading from Isaiah 61 in the synagogue in Nazareth that day, Jesus assumed the mantle of the anointed servant-king of Isaiah’s vision. He was announcing that the final great era of God’s mercy had dawned.

Yes, he introduced a tension between the is and the yet to be of God’s rule, but it is a tension we need to work with, for it is God’s plan. It’s so important for us to see this: for we need to live with this tension in our lives. Many around us have thrown God out of the equation of life and see political power and their world-view as the solution to the world’s ills – of which there are many. The day will come when Jesus Christ will return in all his kingly glory.

Before he departed from his followers, Jesus commissioned them with the primary task of proclamation – announcing God’s good news of release to all nations. What’s more, he continues to raise up men and women to carry on this task, to give people everywhere the chance to turn to God. Isaiah tells us and Jesus repeats: ‘Now is the time of God’s favour – the era of God’s grace’. The opportunity to respond to God’s good news won’t last forever.

Now is the time to listen up and to respond. In Jesus we find the leader we long for: God’s king who will come in all might, majesty, dominion and power.

Do you believe this? Are you prepared? And are you keen to help others to be ready for the Advent, the return of the King?

From the earliest days of Christianity anyone who has said that Jesus Christ will return one day has been considered crazy. Certainly, the idea of Christ bursting through the skies in a blazing display of power and glory, is not an idea that is easily accepted. And now centuries have passed and nothing has happened.

In his Second Letter the Apostle Peter warns, scoffers will come. Scoffers describes contemptuous mockery. ‘Jesus’ return isn’t just unlikely,’ they say. ‘It’s pure science fiction.’

What is Peter’s response?  Consider the opening words of chapter three: This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you; in them I am trying to arouse your sincere intention by reminding you that you should remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour spoken through your apostles.

Prophets and apostles are shorthand for the Old and the New Testaments. He’s saying that the prophets and the apostles are unanimous in what they say about God’s King and his ultimate reign.

And indeed, when we scan chapter 3, we find that Peter points to significant events in God’s story – creation; the flood in Noah’s day; and Jesus’ warning about his return one day as a thief in the night. Peter also quotes from Isaiah 65 which speaks of a new heaven and a new earth.

From cover to cover the Bible tells us that the world is going somewhere and that a day will come when God’s king returns to establish his just rule in all power and glory. Eternity will become a reality.

We need to understand that God is Lord of his creation. He exists outside of time. He also has a lively interest in all of us.

God is Lord of his Creation. Let me read verse 5: They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water, through which the world at that time was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the godless.

Noah’s flood is historical evidence that God did what the false teachers and scoffers say he won’t do — step into history as judge. ‘If God did it once, why shouldn’t he do it again?’ Peter asks. ‘You choose to ignore what the Bible so clearly says. You act this way because you do not like what it implies.’ God has judged his creation once and warns that he plans to do it a second time – through fire.

God exists beyond time. In verse 8 we read: But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.

To us Jesus’ life, death and resurrection seem so long ago. For God, these events are like the day before yesterday. When we understand God’s perspective of time, our common complaints about the delay in Jesus’ coming seem rather petty. We’re treating God as if he exists in time. He doesn’t.

God has a lively interest in us. This is what Peter says in verse 9: The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance…

We must not confuse God’s lack of intervention with insensitivity or indifference. He could, if he chose, burst upon the world now. Peter wants us to understand the beauty of God’s compassion. God wants to give people like you and me time to turn back to him.

Jesus himself taught that he would rather leave the ninety-nine on the hill in the wind and rain to make sure that the one who is lost is safe. Yes, it does feel cold and uncomfortable while we wait, but he’s being patient.

But this same Jesus also says, ‘The day of the Lord will come like a thief.’ In the same way that a thief acts when we least expect it, so will Jesus’ return come at an unexpected hour.

It’s true that many in the first century expected God’s king to return soon. It’s equally true today that most people don’t think it will happen. Yes, we live in a nuclear capable age; yes, we understand the power of seismic forces; and yes, we live in an age of unpredictable brutality. But most people don’t really think the end of the world will happen. The reality is, two thousand years have come and gone. It could happen at any time.

It’s easy for us to let the voice of scoffers lead us to doubt the return of the Christ, and so leave us unprepared. We shouldn’t forget Jesus’ own warning in his story about the foolish bridesmaids (Matthew 25:1-13).

The day of the Lord will come like a thief, Peter writes. Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,…?

‘What kind of people should we be?’ Peter asks.

False teachers will always tell us to ignore the idea of Jesus’ return because they want to retain and teach their own selfish and licentious lifestyle. The last thing they want to think about is the return of God’s king.

Only one thing will stand when God’s king returns: our relationship with him. We cannot afford the luxury of idleness or apathy in spiritual or moral matters.

Scepticism about the second coming is dangerous because it can lead to laziness. The Day is fixed. Soon we shall find while travelling on, time gone.

Inscribed on a clock-case in Chester Cathedral, England, is a poem, Time’s Paces, attributed to Henry Twells. It reads:

  ‘When as a child I laughed and wept, Time CREPT;

   When as a youth I waxed more bold, Time STROLLED.

   When I became a full-grown man, Time RAN.

   When older still I daily grew, Time FLEW.

   Soon I shall find, in passing on, Time GONE.

We do everything we can to deny the passing of time. We pay attention to the skillful marketing of products that can supposedly ‘delay’ the ravages of the passing years. The subject of time is rarely a hot topic of conversation.

Come with me to Jesus’ sobering words in Mark 13:24-27: “In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.”

There are times when significant events occur that can impact the course of history. We saw this with the fall of the Berlin Wall back in November 1989, and with the destruction of the twin towers in New York on September 11, 2001. The fall of the Berlin Wall was greeted with joy. The attack on the twin towers led to fear and anger.

In Mark 13 Jesus doesn’t beat about the bush concerning the realities of our troubled world. He speaks of suffering and, using metaphors, he predicts global, catastrophic events, including pandemics. In this context he forewarns us of a day of his coming.

His expression, the Son of Man, takes up the prophecy of Daniel some five or six hundred years before. For Daniel 7 speaks of the Son of Man coming in dominion and glory and that all peoples, nations and languages will be brought under his rule.

Consider for a moment the splendor and pageantry of royal occasions on earth such as a coronation – and then multiply the scene a million times, and then a million times more. We might then begin to imagine the dazzling glory and the awesome power of the return of God’s king.

The idea of an end of time is totally dismissed these days. The idea is laughable. Catastrophic events impacting the world is a theme that books and films play with. But such events never mean an end of time. Movies such as 2012 and The Road portray humanity coming to the rescue in the aftermath of any global catastrophe. Opinion-makers today tell us that there will always be survivors to carry on and chart the human destiny.

The picture that Jesus portrays of a world catastrophically consumed by fire and his appearing across the skies for all to see, is simply derided. Yet he is clear. He points to an end-time and the beginning of a totally new age – one where there will be no crying or mourning, where death itself will have passed away (Revelation 21:4).

What we forget these days is the Person who speaks so clearly and firmly about these matters. If the prophecies made by people such as Isaiah and Ezekiel centuries before Jesus was born came true, if Jesus’ very specific predictions about his death and resurrection also came true, is it not conceivable that his further prediction about his return, will also be fulfilled?

In Mark 13, verses 28 through 30, he uses the analogy of the fig tree. Just as the sprouting leaves on the fig tree indicate that summer is near, so do catastrophic events indicate the coming of God’s new age.

When will this happen? Star-watchers can’t help us with an answer. And Jesus tells us that not even he knew (Mark13:32). However, he is sure of this. There will be an end time when he will return.

Indeed, he tells us that despite calamitous cosmic events, his words will not pass away. Why is it that we so easily put aside our Bibles? Is it that we are too busy? Is it our lack of faith? Jesus was right in his predictions about the destruction of the temple and fall of Jerusalem. We can be sure he is correct about the future. We would be foolish not to pay careful attention to him.

Perhaps, above all, we forget that it is a fearful thing, to come near the living God. The giving of the law to Moses caused people to tremble with fear as they stood at the foot of Mt Sinai (Exodus 19:16). Isaiah’s vision of the Lord in the temple caused him to cry out, “Woe is me …” (Isaiah 6:5). Significantly in 2 Corinthians 5:11, Paul the Apostle writes: Knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others…

So, how should we now live? Watch, pray and work. Watch. Be aware that this world is passing. Be prepared for the coming of the King. Pray. Pray that God, in his compassion, will open blind eyes and soften hard hearts. Work. God calls us to partner with him in rescuing the lost and bringing them home.

Oh! I didn’t tell you that there is a last line to that poem in Chester Cathedral:

‘Soon I shall find while travelling on, Time GONE. “Will Christ have saved my soul by then?” I asked.’