20171207 At the name of Jesus …

Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV) Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

As the Apostle Paul describes it in his letter to the church at Philippi, as he describes the second coming of Jesus, what a wonderful future to look forward to, sometime in the future.

In the here and now, at this end-of-year time, as we move to finish of our school year, with its graduations, celebrations, finishing up, holiday organisation, future planning, and (dare I say) moments of wind down, it is an exciting time – Christmas is almost upon us. We’ve had a wonderfully uplifting Thanksgiving Service, End of Year Concerts and Assemblies, final classes – all intended to be celebrations of our students and the gifts they have; thanksgivings for the nature of our community, where partnership between parents and school is all about seeing the potential God has in store for this College, now and into the future. We’ve had gatherings where we have honoured highly respected members of our community, for milestone years of service, as volunteers or staff. All these moments add to the sense of hope we have, for what God has in store for us.

…

As followers of Jesus, this time of year is always such a great time, as we gather with our loved ones, with our church communities, contemplating Jesus’ first coming, praising God for his gracious work, embodied in the arrival, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

This year, my family have been spending Advent opening our new, and significantly different Advent Calendar. It’s the “Names of Jesus Advent Calendar”. It has 24 different names and a biblical reference for each day of December (pre-Christmas), and it provides a wonderful stimulus for reflection and prayer. (We’re also working our way through the calendar in the back offices of the Admin area, here at school). I’ve summarised them below – I hope it might provide an opportunity for you and your family in your devotion times this Christmas season, to share with me in the wonder and completeness of our Saviour’s sacrificial work on earth, done for each of us, 2000 years ago.

The Word: John 1:14
I Am: John 8:58
Son of God: Luke 1:35
Redeemer: Isaiah 59:20
Light of the World: John 8:12
Lamb of God: John 1:29
Mediator: 1 Timothy 2:5
Immanuel: Isaiah 7:14
Cornerstone: Ephesians 2:20
Bread of Life: John 6:48,51
The Vine: John 15:1,5
Glory of the Lord: Isaiah 40:5
Man of Sorrows: Isaiah 53:3
Alpha Omega: Revelation 1:8
Prince of Peace: Isaiah 9:6
The Way: John 14:6
Lord: Acts 2:36
Morning Star: Revelation 22:16
Good Shepherd: John 10:11
Messiah: Mark 8:29
Son of Man: Matthew 12:40
Christ: 1:41
Saviour: Luke 2:11
Jesus: Matthew 1:21

Have a wonderfully blessed Christmas season; stay safe; I look forward to meeting up with you again in 2018.

In His Mighty Name