The King is coming—let us go to meet Him in faith!

the advent season invites us to pause and contemplate the great promises of god: the king is coming, salvation is revealed, and our hope grows. following is a foretaste of the divine services planned for december. with themes that strengthen our faith and confidence, the divine services lead from the start of the new church year, through the celebration of christmas, and all the way to the closing of the year—a path filled with comfort on which god accompanies us closely. the king brings redemption. jesus christ is the promised king who came to jerusalem to offer a kind of redemption that far surpasses any earthly expectations. his reign brings liberation from sin, and grants peace and righteousness. on the first sunday of advent, we are reminded that he will come again in order to complete the history of salvation. our anticipation of this moment is our motivation to live in faith and prepare ourselves for eternal fellowship with god. the promises of god are true. the second sunday of advent focuses on mary’s faith: she accepted the promise of god even though it appeared inconceivable from a human perspective. her trust demonstrates that god’s promises always stand, even if they are not immediately understood at times. believers are encouraged to hold fast to god, just as mary did, especially in difficult times. after all, god sees our needs, hears our prayers, and will also reveal his help and love at the right time. jesus opens eyes and hearts. on the third sunday of advent, those who attend the divine service will encounter jesus as the saviour who healed the blind and granted them new light. however, this healing goes far beyond the visible domain: it symbolises the opening of our hearts to the activity of god. he grants us the ability to recognise his presence and his plan in our personal lives. with jesus at our side, our spiritual eyes can be opened and his healing power can be felt. our redeemer gives us hope. the announcement of the redeemer in isaiah 42: 9 is a message that still resonates with power today: god remains true to his promises and brings salvation. jesus christ shows us a new perspective—we are not to work with power or violence, but rather with grace and love. his birth reminds us that god’s plan to liberate mankind has already begun—and that it is still in progress. this fourth sunday of advent invites us to look into the future filled with trust and hope. god is in our midst. christmas tells us the moving story of god’s love: he came into this world as a human being in order to save all human beings. the name immanuel—god with us—is the promise that god will always remain at our side and accompany us. his nearness allows us to trust him in difficult times, and encourages believers to spread their faith, peace, and love into the whole world. this message calls upon us to celebrate god’s presence and allow it to come alive in our daily life. our faith carries us into the year ahead. the year concludes with gratitude for god’s great works, while expressing the hope in his return. “come, lord jesus!” is not only a prayer, but rather a motto of life that encourages us to take responsibility for ourselves in the present. the fellowship with god that we can experience today in faith will be perfect at his return. as this year comes to a close, we are encouraged to go into the new year with confidence, and to continue to allow god’s love to lead us. photo: denys -stock-adobe.com.