Son of God (4th Advent) - Pastor Dave Klassen

We are in a season of asking, “What shall we name the baby?”—King, Savior, Emmanuel—and today, Son of God. Scripture calls Jesus the Son of God not as a title of sentiment, but as a declaration of His divine identity and authority. From the beginning, humanity forfeited its God-given rule by obeying the serpent. Evil’s vandalism of God’s world flows from that surrender. But the Son of God came to reclaim what was lost, to reassert heaven’s reign on earth, and to bring God’s presence into our chaos.

At His baptism, the Father named Him: “My beloved Son.” In the wilderness, Satan targeted that identity: “If you are the Son of God…” The temptations offered shortcuts—meet your needs without trusting the Father, prove God on your own terms, gain the world without the cross. Jesus resisted every shortcut and upheld the Father’s will, preserving the authority He later exercised in teaching, healing, and casting out demons. Even the winds and waves obeyed Him; even the demons named Him rightly: “Holy One of God.”

This identity became the offense that led to His crucifixion, and also the victory that disarmed rulers and authorities at the cross. The darkness still acts, but no longer rules. The Son has staked His claim and invites us out of the dominion of darkness into His kingdom of light. That is why His presence does more than soothe; it reorders. From creation’s chaos to the Red Sea, from the Jordan’s flood to a storm-tossed boat, God brings order where we have no control. And He does this now—in the storm you can’t fix, the bondage you can’t break, the questions you can’t untangle.

So this Christmas, honor Him as the Son of God by inviting Him into your real, unedited chaos. Not to make life tidy, but to bring His lordship, His timing, and His peace. With Jesus in the boat, the storm does not have the last word. With Jesus in your life, neither does your past, your fear, or your enemy. He is here to reign—and to reorder.