The first advent guarantees the second advent. This message was given on December 20, 2015 at New City Church in Calgary by Pastor John Ferguson. For more info, please visit: www.newcitychurch.ca.

1. Far As The Curse Is Found
Human Suffering & The Hope of Christmas
“The End of Christmas”
~ The Gospel of Luke 1:46-55~

2. “Christmas Bells”
Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow
1807-1882

3. I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men

4. And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men

5. How do we understand the hope of
Christmas in a world where hate is
strong & mocks the song of peace on
earth, good will to men?

6. It’s one of the most famous
songs of Christianity. It’s
been whispered in
monasteries, chanted in
cathedrals, recited in small
remote churches by
evening candlelight, and
set to music with trumpet
and kettledrums by Johann
Sebastian Bach.

7. …It’s the gospel before the
gospel, a fierce bright
shout of triumph thirty
weeks before Bethlehem,
thirty years before Calvary
and Easter….

8. It’s all about God, and it’s
all about revolution. And
it’s all because of Jesus—
Jesus who’s only just been
conceived, not yet born,
but…who has made Mary
giddy with excitement and
hope and triumph.

9. Far As The Curse Is Found
Human Suffering & The Hope of Christmas
“The End of Christmas”
~ The Gospel of Luke 1:46-55~

10. 46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies
The Gospel of Luke 1:46-55
the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God
my Saviour, 48 for he has looked on the
humble estate of his servant. For behold,
from now on all generations will call me
blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done
great things for me, and holy is his name.

11. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear
The Gospel of Luke 1:46-55
him, from generation to generation.

12. To magnify something is
to make something large in
your sight; to make something
weighty and significant
in your life.
The Magnificat

13. Mary…like so many Jews
of [her] time, searched the
Scriptures, soaked
[herself] in the psalms and
prophetic writings which
spoke of mercy, hope,
fulfilment, reversal,
revolution, victory over
evil, and of God coming to
the rescue at last.

14. 51 He has shown strength with his arm;
The Gospel of Luke 1:46-55
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts
of their hearts; 52 he has brought down
the mighty from their thrones and exalted
those of humble estate….

15. 53 …he has filled the hungry with good
The Gospel of Luke 1:46-55
things, and the rich he has sent away
empty. 54 He has helped his servant
Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as
he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and
to his offspring forever.

16. “…and a sword will
pierce though your
own soul also…”
~ The prophetic words of Simeon
in the Gospel of Luke 2:35

17. The First Advent
guarantees
the Second Advent.

19. Because D-Day has occurred,
V-Day is assured.

20. Because Advent 1 occurred
Advent 2 is assured.

21. Then rang the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not death nor doth he sleep.
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

22. On this side of eternity,
Christmas is still a
promise…. Every
Christmas is still a
“turning of the page” until
Jesus returns. Every
December 25 marks
another year that draws
us closer to the fulfillment
of the ages, that draws
us closer home.
~ Joni Eareckson Tada
“A Christmas Longing”

23. When we realize that
Jesus is the answer to our
deepest longing, even
Christmas longings, each
Advent brings us closer to
his glorious return to
earth. When we see him
as he is, King of kings
and Lord of lords, that will
be “Christmas” indeed!
~ Joni Eareckson Tada
“A Christmas Longing”