Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendour, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive – Is 52:1-2.

The Christian New Year begins on Sunday! Remember that we stand on the shoulders of followers of Jesus from the past 2000 years. This is one of the best and most simple explanations of the calendar’s movements.

The arrival of the season of Advent is not just about ‘busyness’ but a call to recognise that something needs to be made right in the home, church and the world. We need a Saviour, the world need Jesus to make things right. The season of Advent is not just a repeated liturgy, but a renewed awakening to the person and coming of Christ and a way to deepens our walk with God. To be awake is to be active for Kingdom purpose, a call to spiritual consciousness of God’s love in Jesus Christ. Advent is a call to personal cleansing and transformative waiting on the incarnation of the Divine Word and the anticipation of the culmination of all of history in Christ’s eschatological advent. Advent is a reminder that it is ONLY through Jesus Christ you and l can be wholly cleansed and stand before a Holy God. 

Isaiah 52 is full of truth on preparation for deliverance for God’s people in order to experience cleansing. Just as it is a requirement for medical workers, especially doctors and nurses to be clean for what they do, Advent is a personal call to ‘shake the dust from yourself, a sign of letting go of the past so as to worship God in spirit and truth (Is 52:2, Ps 24:3-5).

Let us pray that many people will be liberated, and receive a great call to awake and receive the Lord’s gifts of new clothes and a new purity (52:1).

Let us pray that many will be set free from the bondage of the past and come to know and receive Jesus as the their Saviour (52:2).