Make Some Noise!

Overview of Make Some Noise!

When someone amazing is about to come on stage, we get hyped. There is no one bigger than Jesus, so he deserves a proper introduction as he comes onto the world stage. This sermon series focuses on the boisterous preparation for the coming of the Messiah. Each guide in this series includes:

• AIM exegetical commentary on the text,

• insightful sermon illustrations,

• inspiring quotes,

• discussion questions, and

• liturgical resources on themes in the passage.

Created for Advent 2023. Texts are for RCL Year B and are suitable for non-lectionary preachers at any time.

TPW puts you in the driver's seat. We want you to approach God's Word, prayerfully listen to the Holy Spirit, and create a message for your congregation. We don’t offer ready-made sermons. Instead, we provide resources and inspiration to help you craft your own sermons and services.

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Series Introduction

Scott B. Bullock

Pre-Game Buildup

I went to one of the LA Kings 2023 home playoff games against the Edmonton Oilers. AC/DC’s “Back in Black” blasted my eardrums in stereophonic intensity while a seismic wave of percussive backbeat passed through my body, accompanied by a blinding light show that seared my retinas, a blitz of illumination which should have come with a potential “seizure-inducing” fair warning. It was a four-minute build up before the announcer introduced the players to the roar of the playoff crowd. Once the men in black were on the ice, the fans chanted antiphonally (call and response), “Go Kings, Go. Go Kings, Go.”

The Kings players' introduction left no question about who was coming or what was about to happen.

Holy Hype

An early tradition observed seven Vesper (evening) services as a build-up to the celebration of the feast day of Christmas. It is an octave (eight days), with seven evenings that precede the day of celebration. The people chanted antiphonally in a call and response that echoed both the ancient prophetic hope of the Messiah and the universal Church’s longing for his return.

Advent is sometimes called the "little Lent," a period of waiting that bears the same purple paraments and vestments as its lengthier cousin, a color that represents penitence. Like Lent is to Easter, Advent is to Christmas, a period of contemplation and preparation for the reception of the Messiah, God with us.

Noisy Preparations

While Advent, like Lent, is a time to slow down and prepare, that period of preparation is not necessarily still or quiet.

Think about it. Have you ever gotten your home ready to host a party for someone? It can be a chaotic and cacophonous affair. We recently prepared our home to celebrate the senior prom of our daughter and a good friend. Our home became ground zero for the pre-prom festivities. We worked to make it special so that when the young folk arrived, they’d receive more than the hype of game day, but a sense of this special occasion and our grand love and gratitude for them during this milestone of their four years of high school. It was a loud and busy, but focused preparation.

Advent is similar—a focused but noisy affair, but noisy in the sense of the Hebrew word “Rua” from Psalm 100 fame: “make a joyful noise (rua)” in preparation for the coming of God.

What is AIM Commentary?

AIM stands for Ancient context, the text through the lens of Jesus (Ἰησοῦς), and our Modern application.

Understanding the Ancient or original context of the passage is necessary to inform and guide our interpretation. We also believe along with the Reformers that the interpretation of the Ancient context of the Hebrew scripture for the church necessarily flows through its Lord, Jesus Christ. Furthermore, we affirm that the role of the preacher to bring the congregation from the Ancient context through Christ and to the Modern context, making the message real in our hearts and lives.