Church of the City New York Advent 2025: He Shall Be | Savior
Dec 22, 2025
Pastor Jon Tyson dives deep into the true meaning of Christmas as he addresses the profound need for salvation in a broken world. He critiques the superficiality of holiday sentimentality, emphasizing the urgency of divine intervention through Jesus. Exploring themes of human suffering and false hopes in leaders, he illustrates how Christ embodies dignity, mercy, and transformation. The discussion highlights the importance of narrative identity and the uplifting hope brought by embracing a redemptive story. Listeners are urged to look beyond despair towards the gifts of comfort, forgiveness, and new vision.
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Christmas Sentiment Is Insufficient
- Christmas sentiment is too thin to address real human suffering and brokenness.
- Jon Tyson argues the incarnation shows God entered our deep fractures to save us, not just uplift holiday feelings.
Year’s Hard Images Undercut Holiday Cheer
- Jon Tyson recounts images from the year: California fires, war victims, floods, and a burned church in Nigeria.
- These examples illustrate real human loss and the limits of a cheerful holiday narrative.
Human Messiahs Always Disappoint
- Human leaders and movements are temporary and often disappoint when treated as Messiahs.
- Jon Tyson says only Jesus reshapes moral architecture and brings lasting dignity, mercy, and justice.