For generations the people of God had been waiting and watching for the Messiah. They longed to be set free from Roman rule and for God to fulfill His promise of making them a great nation. One of those waiting and watching and praying for God’s salvation was a priest named Zechariah. In his old age Zechariah was visited by an angel and told that God was sending the deliverance and salvation that the people of God had been waiting and watching for. In Luke 1:67-79 we have the praise and prophecy that Zechariah spoke in response to this incredible news. This is commonly referred to as the Song of Zechariah or the Benedictus (Latin for blessed be). Zechariah’s song is filled with references to the promises that God had made to the people of Israel. In the previous message we heard Zechariah’s praise for God’s keeping of His promises to David. This message considers God’s keeping of His promises to Abraham.

For ten months Zechariah was kept in silence and during that time all he could do was ponder and try to understand how the message of the angel fit with all he knew of the promises of God. By the time his voice was restored Zechariah new salvation was coming. He was confident in the work that God was doing and he was filled with praise.

According to the dictionary ‘Advent’ is defined as an arrival. It’s the coming or arriving of someone or something. But when we speak of Advent in the church, we are generally referring to a very specific arrival, the most significant arrival of all time, the arrival of the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. Advent season, the four weeks leading up to Christmas is a time set aside for us to think about the meaning of the coming of Christ. It’s a time to try and put ourselves in the shoes of those who lived before His coming, who looked forward in anticipation to His arrival. While we can look back and see the whole progression, from promise to fulfillment, it is important for us to understand what it would have been like to live in waiting, longing for the fulfillment of the promises of God that were still laden with mystery (Colossians 1:26; 1 Peter 1:10-11).

As Christians there are certain virtues that should cause us to stand out from the world around us. Jesus made it clear that the primary characteristic that should mark us is love. He said that the world will recognize us as His disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35). Another virtue that should cause us to stand out

The best defense is a strong offense; it’s a well known adage that has its’ roots in military strategy. The idea is that if you are expecting an attack the best way to defend yourself is to go on offensive – take the fight to the enemy. There’s a sense in which this old adage can be applied to our faith; as believers we are open to attack. We are always under the threat of attack from doubt, unbelief, complacency and the temptations of the flesh. Perhaps the best way to defend ourselves against these attacks is to go on the offensive – to engage in fighting against those things that threaten us. A common refrain that I first heard from Jerry Bridges is that we need to “Preach the Gospel to Ourselves Everyday.” One of the best ways to ‘go on the offensive’ is to fight our temptations by knowing and reminding ourselves of the truths and implications of the Gospel.

One thing that becomes more and more clear as we move through the letter to the Colossians is Paul’s deep love for them and his genuine concern for their situation. Chapter 2 begins the same way chapter 1 ends, with Paul expressing his ongoing struggle on behalf of the Colossians. As a faithful minister, who loves people and loves the Gospel, Paul is concerned that the Colossians are being tempted to minimize the supremacy of Christ and he longs to see them remain faithful. In this passage he expresses his deep struggle for them and his desire to see them stand strong so that they won’t be led astray by false teaching. His admonition is the same as it has been throughout the letter, but he states it more clearly than he has in any place up to this point: Christ must be central, and if you have received Christ, walk in Him.

In Matthew 25 we have a story told by Jesus that reminds us of the importance of being faithful stewards. In the story the master of a house is leaving on a long trip; before he goes he entrusts three of his servants with portions of his estate to for them to manage. When he returns two of them have been faithful stewards and are blessed, but the third has been unfaithful and is punished. In Colossians 1 Paul’s aim is to help the Colossians see the importance and the preeminence of Jesus and in the process he begins to describe his own ministry to them

As Paul writes to this young church, this gathering of new believers in Colossae he wants them to understand the centrality of Christ and their need for Him. As we considered verses 15-20 we answered the question, “Who is Jesus?” We made the observation that one of the greatest errors of all time is denial and minimizing of who Jesus really is. As we come to verses 21-23 it is important to acknowledge another point of error: many (if not most) people believe that we are born basically good and that our default position is right standing with God. This, however, is not the teaching of Scripture and as Paul writes to the Colossians he wants them to know their need for reconciliation as well as the significance of what Jesus has done to make reconciliation of sinful men to God available.

Who is Jesus? This is one of the most important questions that can ever be asked and it is a question that must be answered by every person. The way we answer is the difference between eternal life and eternal punishment. And while many in our world have answered this question incorrectly, as the people of God we should work hard to not only know the answer to this question, but to live in a way that reflects our belief in who Jesus is. As Paul writes to the Colossians his primary aim is to help them know who Jesus is and what position He holds. He wants them to know that Jesus is preeminent; that He is over all things and that there is nothing above Him.

Most Christians are quick to acknowledge the importance of prayer. More specifically, most agree that we should faithfully pray for one another and for the church as a whole. But while we know that we should pray, the question is, do we? How often do we pray for one another and the church? An important follow up question is this: When we do pray for one another, what is the primary focus of our prayers? What are the things that we focus on most in our prayers for one another? As we come to Colossians 1 we have the opportunity to listen in as Paul describes the way he prays for the Colossians and what He is asking God to do in and through them. As we read the contents of Paul’s prayers it should encourage us to consider the kinds of prayers we pray and evaluate the content of our own prayers for the church and for one another.