Worship by Scotty Smith

 Lord Jesus, absolutely nothing is more important than who you are, and how we personally respond to your greatness, glory, and grace. The issue never has been what do we think about Advent; but what do we think about the One who came at Advent and will come again at his second Advent. Isaiah “nailed it,” in this passage, written 600 years before your birth. And we want to embrace it, celebrate it, and rest in it as your beloved Bride.

You came to us as God wrapped in the flesh of a baby—omnipotence taking on our weakness, neediness, and utter dependence. Knowing the government of the entire cosmos already rests on your shoulders fills us with a joy second to knowing your shoulders fully bore the guilt of our sin.

You are a Wonder of a Counselor. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in you (Col. 2:3). But you didn’t come just to give us advice, but to give yourself. You are “our wisdom from God—our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).

You are Mighty God, creator and sustainer of the entire universe—the One by whom and for whom all things have been made (Col. 1:6). You sustain everything by the power of your word (Heb. 1:3), and one Day all things will be summed up in you (Eph. 1:10).

Jesus, to see you is to see the Father, and to know you is to know the Father. In this sense you are Everlasting Father. We would never be able to cry, “Abba, my loving Father,” if you hadn’t first cried, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Lk. 23:46).

   Prince of Peace—only you deserve this title for you paid the price of our peace. Because of your finished work, Jesus, God is at peace with us, and we have peace with him. All hostilities and dividing walls will eventually crumble under the weight of your grace.

Everywhere sin and death did/do their worst, you claim as the domain of your redeeming love and restoring power. Your blessings, government, and peace are flowing “far as the curse is found.”Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah… Come back soon, Lord Jesus! So Very Amen, we pray.

Lord Jesus, from the stable of your birth, through your sufferings on your cross, into the sky by your ascension, you are the resounding “Yes!” to every promise God has made. But we ache—we “groan inwardly and wait eagerly” (Rom. 8:23) for the much-more-ness of Isaiah’s vision. Life between your two comings, feels increasingly tense, tentative, and terse.

We crave the Day when wolves and lambs, and eagles and aardvarks will frolic together as friends. Leopards, puppies, and grizzly bears will cuddle and nap. Then they will wake up to singing mountains and clapping trees. But as much as we love the vision of perfect peace in the world of “flora and fauna” (plants and animals), a gazillion times more so, we long for the Day when your entire every-nation-Bride will never hurt again, or harm one another. We will only love perfectly, and be loved perfectly—all because of you, Jesus.

You presently rule the entire universe from a throne of grace, Eternal discretion—not political elections, evil machinations, or human manipulations determine the future. But with hearts, tuned by your grace, we sing loudly, we cry out full forte… “Come Thou, Almighty King… Come Thou incarnate Word,” Come Lord Jesus come, and finish making all things new. So Very Amen.