John 5:19-40 – Wednesday after Christ the King

The Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he does. He will show him greater works than these so that you will marvel. (John 5:20, CEB)

If you read the Introductory Remarks, you have read that our Devotional has a flow. The flow should mean that this entry does not exist, because it is on Wednesday, and should be reflecting on the previous Sunday, Christ the King.

And, you would be right. However, what is it that we are doing in Advent? We wait. We wait in hopeful anticipation, wait in expectant yearning, wait in active prayer. And we are not simply waiting just to wait, we are waiting for something specific and life-changing, indeed creation-changing to happen. John 5:20 reads, “The Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he does. He will show him greater works than these so that you will marvel.

Indeed, we will marvel.

In Advent, we prepare our hearts, souls and minds to be marveled by the acts of God. We prepare to marvel, yes, at the truth incarnate in the baby born and laid in a manger in a stable in Bethlehem so very long ago. But we also prepare to marvel at the active hope that will be one day fully realized as Christ comes back to set creation aright.

As we prepare for Advent, let us remember the real reason we gather: To proclaim Christ our King crucified and to proclaim that he will one day return.

May God help us marvel at the greater works in store for us. Amen!

– Pastor John Sipf, St. Mark’s and St. Peter’s Ev. Lutheran Churches