Podcast: 2025-12-14: Pastor Mark Quist – Discipleship: Advent 3 – Joy: God’s Salvation in Christ is Cosmic and It Looks Like Joy

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2025-12-14: Pastor Mark Quist – Discipleship: Advent 3 – Joy: God’s Salvation in Christ is Cosmic and It Looks Like Joy  

God’s salvation in CHRIST is COSMIC and it looks alot like JOY.  I’ve been thinking about this; a big thing in a small package.  Jesus’ coming was unbelievably small and by all indications insignificant – a small town called Bethlehem, born out back away from the inn, placed in a manger… yet, this was God’s plan.  The Son of God came to us incarnate, born as a vulnerable little baby.  And babies are small packages.  Yet, this was a big ‘happening’ with a cosmic effect.

During the Advent season we celebrate gifts like hope, peace, joy and love.  How do we understand these gifts?  I wonder if we see them as little packages that bring us some personal comfort, benefit, and direction in living.  And they do bring these things.  However, think about it.  God’s gift of salvation and the evidence in hope, peace, joy, and love aren’t only for us individually (small packages).  Think bigger, they are God’s gifts for the entire world (BIG package).  It’s COSMIC.

Hear it in the proclamation of Isaiah 35 and 52, “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.” What?  “The world will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.”  Huh?  “All the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.”  That sounds BIG.  From a baby boy born in a manger in no nothing Bethlehem?  Yep.

Advent Joy!  The angel says to the shepherds, “I bring you Good News that will cause great joy for all the people! A Savior is born to you!”  Is this joy a personal joy only, or is it joy for the whole world?  The cosmos? If so, how so?

See you Sunday,
Pastor Mark