The Gospel Coalition, a US-based evangelical ministry, has published a new Advent reflection titled "On Christmas, God Shook Up the World." The essay, dated November 10, 2026, links a prophecy from the prophet Haggai to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. The author argues that God's promise to shake the nations finds its fulfilment in Christ. The piece is a devotional meditation, not a news report on an event.
What the essay says
The essay begins with Haggai 2:6-7, written in 520 BC. In it, the Lord of hosts promises to shake the heavens, the earth, the sea and all nations, and to fill the temple with glory. The author asks whether anyone at the time expected that promise to be fulfilled through a baby born to humble parents, more than 500 years later.
The writer points to 2 Peter 3:9 and Hebrews 12:26. Together, these passages describe God's patience and a shaking that sifts out what does not last. The author says Jesus is the one whose life, death and resurrection divide those who worship him from those who do not. The essay also recalls the earthquake and torn temple curtain at the crucifixion, and the Roman centurion's confession, "Truly this was the Son of God."
The essay links these events to Revelation 21:24, where the kings of the earth bring their glory into the new Jerusalem. It also recalls the wise men from the east who brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus.
Context
The devotional is taken from Unto Us: 25 Devotions About the Messiah, edited by Winfree Brisley and Jared Kennedy and published by The Gospel Coalition in 2024. Readers can buy the book through the TGC Bookstore or Amazon.
Collin Hansen, the author of the piece, is vice president for content and editor in chief of The Gospel Coalition. He is also executive director of The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics and hosts the Gospelbound podcast. He is an adjunct professor at Beeson Divinity School. The Gospel Coalition describes itself as an evangelical network of churches and ministries.
What to watch
The essay ends with two questions for readers. The first asks how God's apparent lack of action might express his patience. The second asks how readers might help non-Christian friends and family see the glory of Jesus during Advent.
