After Jesus healed the demon-possessed man from the Gerasenes, he sent him home to his family with this message: “go and tell them everything the Lord has done for you.” When it comes to our responsibility to share the Good News, we can learn from these instructions. Asking, “What has Jesus done for me?” is a good first step.

When Jesus selected twelve men to be his disciples, they had two roles to play: they would spend time with Jesus, and they would set up his church after he ascended into heaven. Their mission was one of urgency with eternal consequences. You and I are called to that same mission, and we must tell others about the path to eternal life!

Mark’s Gospel opens with a wild man in the wilderness. John the Baptist is calling people to new life, very similar to Moses and Israel at Mt. Sinai. The Gospel of Matthew closes calling the disciples (and us) to go make disciples. As we engage with the story of Jesus, God’s bigger story, we find that we are a part of the story – we have purpose.

Followers of Jesus give up and let go of their lives.

When the rich young ruler met Jesus, he wanted to dictate the terms of engagement. Instead of giving a checklist of things to do, Jesus claimed mastery over his entire life. This proved to be too big of an ask for the man who went away sad. Today, followers of Jesus give up their right of self-determination, and instead allow Jesus mastery over every area of their lives – even the area of finances.

Matthew 8 tells of when two would-be disciples offered to follow Jesus, but they had some assumptions about what that would look like. Jesus’s response to them shattered their expectations. Christians today often have expectations about what faith will be like. We all need to learn to let them go.

When Jesus called his first disciples, he wasn’t just asking them to start a new job. He was asking them to change their entire lives. This wouldn’t just be a new occupation. It would be a new vocation. Because of that call, we believe that followers of Jesus give up their vocations to him.

When the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, they proclaimed “Peace!” Contrary to human efforts to create peace on earth, or peace in our lives, lasting peace can only result from the work of God. Jesus’ birth ushered God’s peace into our world. Thus we can have peace with each other, and experience peace in our lives.

For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son. The Advent of Jesus is an amazing moment in the larger narrative of God’s story. We allow the gospel of John to help us reflect on the coming of Jesus and we come face to face with God’s love.