Another

Today is Advent Eve. I’m sure there is some cultural importance to this but maybe not. Advent is the Season of the Celebration of our Lord’s Birth – the beginning of His earthly pilgrimage.

“Advent is the beginning of the Church Year for most churches in the Western tradition. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is the Sunday nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec 24). If Christmas Eve is a Sunday, it is counted as the fourth Sunday of Advent, with Christmas Eve proper beginning at sundown.” For more on this see: http://www.cresourcei.org/cyadvent.html

This year, I’m going to approach my Bible reading and blogging during this Christmas season a bit differently: I’m going to read through as many of the portions of the Old Testament that have to do with the coming (The Advent) of the Messiah… and maybe blog accordingly.

For me, the Christmas season begins by remembering the birth of Seth in Genesis 4; because it is from Seth that the lineage of Abraham comes and the subsequent lineage of David. Seth means: appointed. When Adam and Eve sinned God’s rescue plan kicked in and Seth was born and the lineage of Jesus Christ points all the way back to him (See Luke 3.23-38).

When Cain murdered Abel, Eve’s next son born, was Seth: God has appointed me another son… to take the place of a murdered Abel.

Our family has a similar story (but without murder) – our oldest son was born on September 24^, 1984. He was born with severe mental and physical disabilities and was given about two hours to live. Through the skill of modern medicine our boy, Marshall, survived the two hours and lived 14 years. On November 16,1998, he died of pneumonia.

My wife and I committed to this child’s life and did what was necessary to care for him and provide for him during his brief life. We decided that we would take care of him in our home as long as we were physically able to do so. We expected that to be a long, long time. In 1997, my wife became pregnant with our third son, Parker. I knew with that pregnancy we were going to have to do something else with Marshall.

God granted us Another. Not to take the place of Marshall, but to help us to prepare for what would be the last year of Marshall’s life. Marshall transitioned out of our home on September 7^th 1997, when we placed him in Providence Children’s Nursing Center in Portland, Oregon; about 5 hours from our home. He died in November of the following year.

Life changed for us, as a family, when God appointed us another. Life changed for the human race when God appointed another for Eve. And from another came Another – Another One who would reintroduce the race to God, and re-open the door for us to have friendship with Him. Advent is about the coming of Another who would do for us what no one else could ever do. And He did, and we celebrate His coming on Christmas Day.

Have you another in your story? Think about that this Christmas season as you celebrate the coming of Another who offers you the greatest gift ever: eternal life in the presence of Almighty God forever! Amen!