December 3 2006, Advent 1
Jeremiah
33:14-16; Psalm
25:1-9; 1
Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke
21:25-36
The Coming of Jesus
Today is the first Sunday in Advent. Now people outside the liturgical churches don’t really know what Advent is. Some of the see the Advent calendars in stores and have figured out that it is a ‘count down’ to Christmas. And the various Advent calendars can be very inventive. I’ve seen Advent calendars that were made to look like a three-dimensional stable and another one where each window contained a small piece of chocolate. Advent calendars do give a little bit of the flavor of Advent – it is a time of waiting and great expectation. It’s a time of looking forward to the coming of Jesus.
Advent is not just waiting for the birth of the baby Jesus and peace on earth and feel good for a few days. There is much more to it than that. There are four Sundays in Advent, and they are somewhat symbolic of the four ways in which we look for the Lord’s coming.
The first Advent of Jesus is his birth. He comes to us as a little baby – helpless, very human and in humble circumstance. This is an image that we understand and reminds us of the joys associated with the birth of any baby. It’s an image that even small children can tie into and understand. (This is Jesus allowing us to care for him.)
The second Advent of Jesus is his ministry. He comes to us is as an adult beginning his ministry as an itinerate preacher; when he lived into God’s purpose for him on this earth. He is loving and compassionate and yet we see power in him. This is the time when we begin to understand who he is, and through him, we learn more about who God is. This is a time of intellectual growth – of learning from him.
The third Advent of Jesus is in our hearts. He comes to us as spirit – to fill us and move us to mercy and peace. As we begin to absorb his teachings we begin to open up to the power of his spirit - within us.> This is a time of emotional/spiritual growth in the Lord when we begin, not just to understand, but to internalize God’s presence and his purpose in our individual lives. This is allowing us to learn to act within God’s will.
The fourth Advent of Jesus is his second coming. This is the time when we will all be together. Some people consider this to be a great judgment day, but that’s not what Jesus says here. It may be a day when we are called to account for what we have done on this earth. But it doesn’t say to bow down in fear of judgment – it says to “stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” And he says that you need to be prepared. Jesus, the Son of God, will be coming in a cloud with power and glory to redeem all people.
I’ve had people ask me, “Do you think it’s going to be soon? There are earthquakes, and tsunamis, and hurricanes. There are wars and injustice and illness runs rampant in many areas of the world. Tell us when it is going to be so we can be prepared.” That’s what the disciples asked. That what people are still asking today.
A lot of people have tried to figure out the date and some have banked everything on being right. Yet the world still goes on and life still happens. It think we have to live our lives on two levels. We have to go on living our lives for this world, making plans for the future, doing the things we need to do to be prepared for tomorrow. But we also have to live our lives knowing that tomorrow may be our last day, and we have to be prepared to meet Jesus when he comes.
Jesus uses an example of spring and
new life when he says, “When you see these things taking place, you know that
the
Sam and I went to see the AD Players in “Rock Nativity” on Friday night. I really enjoyed the show, but I especially liked Gabriel. I liked the way he was portrayed – leading and guiding various characters – often whispering in their ears the word that God would have them know... using the power of suggestion. I think it’s a perfect example of how God speaks to us today.
I believe that the
Advent asks us to prepare the way for the Lord – that includes moving the clutter out of our life. The clutter includes those things that keep us from fully accepting and recognizing Jesus when he comes to us in his many forms. One of my mentors told of a seminary professor who intensely disliked another professor. When he saw the other coming, he would say, “Here comes Jesus in his most despicable form.”
Advent asks us to stay alert – to stay alert to opportunities to share the love of God, to share the hope for the future, and to share the strength of God’s power to wait for his movement in our life. May your Advent be blessed with joyful expectation and anticipation in the coming of Jesus - the mystery of God made flesh.
Please feel free to email me with comments at nan@doerrworks.com