Fourth Sunday of Advent – December 20, 2026
“Now to him who is able...”
- Romans 16:25a –
God Is Able
The word “doxology” means “a glory saying.” Doxologies are hymns of praise. The bible, prayer lives, and liturgy is filled with doxologies. The beginning and end of this passage is a very simple doxology, “Now to him, to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.” But those words bookend a much more complicated statement of faith, showing us why God deserves the glory forever. 
He is able. So much of the story of Christ and His Church seems impossible. The story of Mary, a pregnant virgin, is beyond our understanding. Mary was a virgin. God was able to do that. Elizabeth and Zechariah were beyond childbearing years. God was able to do that, too. The earth flooded, but Noah’s family were saved. The Red Sea stood in the way, but God moved it. The prophets did miraculous things. Jesus did more than we can imagine, even the unbelievable.
The Jews expected a Messiah. They were waiting for the good news that God’s promises would finally be fulfilled in a mighty king who would lead them into another golden age. They knew the promises and they thought they were the generation to see them fulfilled. 
Paul, however, saw that there was a mystery in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He saw that God was working miracles in people who were not even Jewish. He saw Gentiles being moved by the Holy Spirit into active faith. It wasn’t just a confession of the mouth, but it was a movement of spirit and flesh that was changing the world. God is able to do it. 
And God is still able, which is why He is worthy of praise. God is able to make His hand move in the lives of those who were never expected to hear or understand the Gospel message. Those who hear that all the promises were fulfilled in Jesus Christ experience God’s grace and see that He is truly able to do this thing. Then they, too, can join us in the doxologies that tell the story of Jesus and glorify God before the world.
Fourth Sunday of Advent – December 20, 2026
“Now to him who is able...”
- Romans 16:25a –
God Is Able
The word “doxology” means “a glory saying.” Doxologies are hymns of praise. The bible, prayer lives, and liturgy is filled with doxologies. The beginning and end of this passage is a very simple doxology, “Now to him, to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.” But those words bookend a much more complicated statement of faith, showing us why God deserves the glory forever. 
He is able. So much of the story of Christ and His Church seems impossible. The story of Mary, a pregnant virgin, is beyond our understanding. Mary was a virgin. God was able to do that. Elizabeth and Zechariah were beyond childbearing years. God was able to do that, too. The earth flooded, but Noah’s family were saved. The Red Sea stood in the way, but God moved it. The prophets did miraculous things. Jesus did more than we can imagine, even the unbelievable.
The Jews expected a Messiah. They were waiting for the good news that God’s promises would finally be fulfilled in a mighty king who would lead them into another golden age. They knew the promises and they thought they were the generation to see them fulfilled. 
Paul, however, saw that there was a mystery in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He saw that God was working miracles in people who were not even Jewish. He saw Gentiles being moved by the Holy Spirit into active faith. It wasn’t just a confession of the mouth, but it was a movement of spirit and flesh that was changing the world. God is able to do it. 
And God is still able, which is why He is worthy of praise. God is able to make His hand move in the lives of those who were never expected to hear or understand the Gospel message. Those who hear that all the promises were fulfilled in Jesus Christ experience God’s grace and see that He is truly able to do this thing. Then they, too, can join us in the doxologies that tell the story of Jesus and glorify God before the world.