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ADVENT DEVOTIONAL SERIES / AN UNSTOPPABLE FORCE MEETS AN IMMOVABLE OBJECT Delwin Eiland
La Anunciación ( Murillo , 1648 )
There ’ s a classic philosophical concept that comes up in movies like “ The Dark Knight ”, or in songs like “ Something ’ s Gotta Give ” and even the great American cultural phenomenon of 1987 : WrestleMania 3 .
It ’ s called the Irresistible Force Paradox . “ What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object ?” So what is the actual answer ? Are there any real-life examples that put this paradox to the test ?
If there ’ s one thing that you and I , artists in our church , are confident will happen every year without fail , whether in-person or by some beautifully done online service , it ’ s Christmas . That ’ s an unchangeable date , an incredibly tall task , an immovable object if there ever was one .
The coming of Christ was an immovable reality . The world at large needed a savior and the people of Israel had been promised a Messiah through the line of David . The stage was set , and the people were waiting . But how would the Messiah come ?
In Luke chapter 1 , the Angel of the Lord comes and meets with a teenage virgin named Mary . The conversation unfolds in a way that appears as though Gabriel drew the short straw in a “ crucial conversation “ contest . In our vernacular , it would ’ ve gone like so …
“ Hey , Mary ! Don ’ t worry . God thinks you ’ re awesome , and He digs you . Mmkay ? Now … You ’ re gonna have a kid … and he will be THE king . Like the one you ’ ve been waiting for . How are you feeling about that ?”
You could cut the tension in this text with a butter knife .
Then Mary asks this simple question , a question that everyone who ’ d heard about the coming Messiah throughout the generations was asking : “ How will this happen ?”
Now the angel ’ s reply at this moment marks the entrance of the second player in our paradox : the unstoppable Force . “ The Holy Spirit will come on you , and the power of the Most High will overshadow you .”
The same Holy Spirit that was present at the beginning of time , hovering over the waters , would come over Mary and prove His power – the exact thing needed to bring about the coming of the Messiah .
An unstoppable force meets an immovable object .
The rigors of preparing for our immovable event will bring us long hours , short tempers , and tired souls . But the text beckons us to embrace this reminder : the only way we are effective is if the unstoppable force of the Holy Spirit breathes upon our work and the Most High overshadows us .
May the Holy Spirit of God bless you , keep you , and make His face shine upon you . May He be gracious to you as He turns His gaze toward you and gives you His peace .
Delwin Eiland Delwin serves on the FILO Core Team as the FILO Conference Worship Pastor and as the Worship Pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids , MI . When he isn ’ t working , he enjoys running , cooking , donuts with his son and a weekly dance party with his wife , Ashlee and their three children .
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108 December 2023 Subscribe for Free ...