Dear First Baptist Family,
I’ve visited Notre Dame in Paris a few times and have always been amazed at the grandeur and sacredness of that space. Like others, I was deeply saddened when there was a devastating fire 5 years ago. The bells of Notre Dame have been silent since then.
However, just in time for Christmas, the bells are ringing again. Notre Dame reopened on December 7th with a reconstructed 315-foot-tall spire atop the cathedral. Atop the spire is a cross. But there’s something even higher than the cross: a golden rooster.
The rooster has been a symbol of Christianity since the 1st century. It reminds people that Peter denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed (see Luke 22:60-62). The rooster symbol was also useful for many cathedrals across Europe as weathervanes (roosters supposedly have the power to detect changes in the weather).
For France, however, the rooster means even more. The coq gaulois, or Gallic rooster, is a symbol of the French people. The Latin gallus can mean Gaul (France) and coq, rooster. The rooster’s presence atop the rebuilt cathedral is therefore meant to signify the strength of the people of France.
When the French president, Emmanuel Macron, spoke of the new rooster atop the cathedral (which has been refashioned to suggest a bird rising from the flames like a phoenix), he described it not as a religious symbol, but as a symbol of the “indomitable spirit of the French people.”
There’s a spiritual lesson here.
What sits higher than the cross in your life?
Deny Yourself
It seems that the French president is suggesting that while the cathedral of Notre Dame is beautiful artifice, it only serve to prop up the “human spirit.” The pinnacle of life is not God, but humanity. What an ironic turn, given the original purpose of the cathedral giving glory to God through it’s design and beauty.
Jesus told his disciples, “If
In other words, there’s something greater than yourself. Jesus didn’t take on flesh and die on the cross just so you could become a little better version of yourself. Instead, He offers real life as you believe in Him, deny your egotistical and selfish tendencies, and embrace a life of service and sacrifice for others. In that way, God’s original, good image in you is restored.
It’s good to ask during Advent whether you have made Jesus a little lower than yourself.
Perhaps that is true in the way you structure your time. You may discover that your frame of decision-making is mostly self-serving, or perhaps you find yourself rushed from one activity to the next with little margin. You call on Jesus occasionally, but you mostly ask Him to bless what you do rather than guide you day by day.
Another indicator that you have made Jesus a little lower than yourself is the way that you get more glory for your life instead of Him. Or perhaps your prayers mostly center on yourself — your wants, needs, and hopes.
Jesus also taught His followers, “Seek first His [God’s] kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33, NIV).
Are you seeking first God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness today?
Prepare the Way of the Lord
Advent is a time to reaffirm who sits on the throne of your life. It’s a time to get ready for a fresh experience of the wonder and joy of God coming into the world.
John’s mission was to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of Jesus (see Luke 1:17). The idea of preparation is borrowed from Isaiah 40:3, where a path is made ready though the wilderness for the coming of the king. Typically, spiritual preparation means removing obstacles and aligning oneself with God’s will, often interpreted as a call to repent and live righteously in anticipation of God’s coming.
How can you prepare the way for the Lord in this season of expectation? Here are five ideas:
Decide now to dedicate time to reflecting on God’s gift to the world in Jesus. Meditate on the fact that we need a Savior. Christmas becomes a delight when we understand our real need for Jesus!
Engage in sober self-examination. Advent is to Christmas what Lent is to Easter. You can pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” Let every heart prepare him room by cleaning house and realigning with Jesus’ kingdom.
Build God-centered anticipation and expectancy and excitement into your home—especially for the children and grandchildren. If you are excited about Christ, they will be too.
Spend a lot of time in the Bible, especially the stories of Jesus’ birth from Matthew and Luke. You can also take time in the Gospel of John to reflect on how Jesus is the “Word” that has come into the world.
Share the news with others. You can do your part to prepare the way for Jesus to enter into someone’s heart this Christmas season. Serve people in need, and along the way, ask God to help you say a word about Jesus. Invite others to come along for our special Christmas services, including Christmas Eve.
I’m so glad to be celebrating Christmas with you! I love you and I look forward to every time we gather together to lift up Jesus — higher than anything or anyone else.
Blessings to you —
Pastor Brent McDougal