What blessings should we expect for following Jesus? Well, earlier in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus called John the Baptist the last and greatest prophet (Matt. 11:7-14). What would his reward be? And what does his legacy teach us about following Jesus ourselves?
Have you ever been disappointed with God? How do we respond when our expectations of God, the church, and our lives don't line up with the reality? This week we're diving back into the Gospel of Matthew. After Matthew introduces the promised King (ch. 1-3) and Jesus announces the kingdom (ch. 4-7) and brings the arrival of the kingdom (ch. 8-10), but now in Part 3 (ch. 11-13) we'll see the reality of opposition and rejection of Christ's kingdom.
How would you like to grow this year? In this final Advent Song, John the Baptist exhorts "all people" to "prepare the way for the Lord." As we reflect on 2016 and look ahead to 2017, this is a fitting time for us to heed John the Baptist's call to evaluate our current way of life and strive to make greater room for Christ.
