Join the Club

Third Avent Reading

God’s readiness to give and forgive
is now public. Salvation’s available
for everyone!

Titus 2:11 (The Message)

At one point in my life I lived in an area where people were defined by their club membership. It was one of the first questions asked when meeting someone new, “Where are you a member?” The catch was that even within the “club” system there were levels and so there was the possibility that your club membership may or may not add up to much.

With the arrival of Jesus in the waters of the Jordan a life-changing ministry begins where the doors to the existing religious clubs are thrown open. Almost immediately the “club” board realizes that their power base is eroding away and that before long their membership will include the “riff raff” dining with Jesus. The structures that they had carefully put into place, the important levels of religiosity would no longer have any merit.

With the coming of Jesus God appears in the flesh ready to give and forgive. The rules that had been put into place for the protection of his creation were no longer needed. Nothing would now stand in the way of a personal, one on one relationship.

It’s a marvelous sense of belonging. There are no entry interviews, fees or personal recommendations in the kingdom. Doors don’t exist because the kingdom is always open and everyone is invited and welcomed into the “club!”

Jesus, thank you for
coming and changing
the system, the structures
the rules so that everyone is welcomed.
Amen.