On November 25th, in preparation for the Christmas season, Atlanta Bethel Community Church mediated on Jesus’ coming and birth. Pastor Anderson Kim preached the Word from Luke 2:1-14. Through the Word of God, he explained God’s creation, the Fall of Man and the restoration found in Jesus Christ. Jesus lived a humble life of continuously lowering Himself, all beginning with His birth in a lowly manger.

“What is the lesson that Luke teaches us through this? Luke is telling us that Christ was born on this Earth in a completely different way than was expected. The Jewish people thought Christ would come as it say in Daniel 7:13:

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.”

In other words, they were waiting for Christ to come in power and glory, like a lion, and bring about the Kingdom of God with power. However, the last prophet of the Old Testament, Micha, prophesied that Christ would be born in Bethlehem and be as a little lamb. The Jews disregarded this and so the way of Christ’s coming on Earth was totally different from what was expected. He wasn’t sent in this position of power or on high, but a seemingly low and poor position. We are able to see in Philippians 2:6-8,:

“…who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

in order to meet Christ, we should also be standing in this low position.” Pastor Kim encouraged the attendees to meditate on the humble life of Jesus, from the beginning in the manger to the cross, and follow in the way of Christ.

After service, the members shared in their reflections over the message and welcomed recently married members, that haven’t been seen in a while by the church. The members talked about their recent marriage and shared photos and grace,