December 1, 2025
A New Beginning - Part 1
Matthew 21:1-3
12/01/2025
1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to
Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent
two disciples,
2 saying to them, ``Go into the village in front of
you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied,
and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to
me.
3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say,
`The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at
once. (ESV)
We are now at the beginning of a new Church Year. Advent,
which begins on the Sunday closest to the Feast of Saint Andrew,
November 30, is a penitential season where we prepare for the
celebration of Jesus' incarnation. It is a time of preparation,
a somber season that is also filled with joy.
Our readings, our hymns, our thoughts are focused on the
threefold coming of Jesus. We define the threefold coming of
Jesus as His coming in the flesh, His coming in grace, which is
the Church, and His coming in glory at the end of the ages. As a
shorthand, Christ came, Christ is here, Christ is coming again.
This first week of the Advent season turns our focus to
Christ Jesus coming in the flesh. What best explains His
incarnation than to look at Holy Week, the week during which
Jesus died and rose again to pay the price of our sin? The
events of Palm Sunday led directly to the cross, grave, and empty
tomb.
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to
Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two
disciples, saying to them, ``Go into the village in
front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey
tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to
me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say,
`The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once.
So begins the season of Advent, our Lord enters Jerusalem to
the cheers of the crowd. He enters Jerusalem as the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world.
May our Lord bless each of us this Advent season with the
peace which comes from knowing God's love. Amen.