Advent 2015: Jesus as Yes and Amen!

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 1:20

When our children were young we would have them choose one gift they would like to have for Christmas. With six children we had very limited funds for Christmas presents but we wanted each child to receive something they really wanted as long as it wasn’t to expensive.

Our youngest daughter Barbara was a rather precocious child, very active and loud. She was always down on her knees by the tree trying to catch a glimpse of her gift. I would wrap them so they could not guess what was in the package. When Barbara received her gift she ripped off the wrappings and quickly opened the box as she looked in she hollered as loud as she could YES! Jumping up she threw her arms in the air shouting Yes, Yes!

I like to think that the yes in this passage is quite like my daughters exuberant Yes.

There were a number of people in the Corinthian church who had a problem with the Apostle Paul. They accused him of being a yes and no man, they questioned his Apostleship. Paul’s response was, he made his decisions not in a worldly manner but in dependence on God’s grace.  But when it came to his message concerning Jesus Christ, the Son of God there was no yes or no, it was a resounding YES.

God’s gift of his Son as Savior of the world was God’s shout of Yes to all the promises given since Eden concerning the coming savior. You see in the fullness of time God’s yes is personified in Jesus Christ as in him all the promises are fulfilled. It is the Father’s Christmas gift to you and me.

We then as God’s children can declare by faith “Amen” to God’s “Yes.” In the original that Amen is a very strong affirmation to God’s yes in Christ Jesus, God’s gift to us which we remember and celebrate at Christmas time, joyfully with thanksgiving.
~Pastor Jack Matheis