Advent 2009
There’s a car sticker I’ve seen which I thought was quite amusing – it read, ‘Look busy, Jesus is coming back’… But of course, amusing though it may be, there is an element of truth here. Jesus has promised that he will return to earth one day, and at that time the world as we know it will end and the kingdom of God will be completed.
None of us know the day or hour, although you can usually find someone with a banner telling you on most main City streets !! But, none of us actually know, and it is a waste of time to try and work it out, because God never intended us to know !
Advent is one of the most misunderstood seasons of the Church calendar – looking forward to Christmas we often confuse it with secular preparations and lots of festivities, and that’s probably inevitable, but in the Church calendar it is a solemn time of anticipation, both of the celebration of the birth of Christ, and of his coming again.
The colours in the Church change to purple, the only other season that is used for is lent, and of course there are no flowers in the Church. Advent is a time of self examination, and of putting things right in our lives. It is a time of reflection as we anticipate the coming of Jesus, and this morning I want to think of 3 ways in which Jesus has come or comes.
The first is the past – Jesus, 2000 years ago, came into the world as a baby. At Christmas we will rightly remember this incredible event, because it marked a turning point in history – not just calendars changed to mark his birth, but lives changed as the way to joy, peace, happiness, fullness of life and salvation was born.
The prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled, the promises of John the Baptist were borne out, and history began a completely new era. Jesus lived amongst the people, he offered them ways of living, ways of caring for each other… And of course he showed them the perfect example of self sacrifice as he gave everything for them. As Jesus died, so did the hopes of so many people – but those hopes were resurrected as Jesus was, and death could no longer prove the destroyer it had been.
And the early followers took on board what Jesus said about coming back, and they focused everything on that fact, expecting that it would happen soon. But as we know it didn’t and gradually the Church learned that there was a lot of work to do before Jesus returned.
The world was full of pain and misery, and was full of people waiting to hear the good news about Jesus. The good news was not to be restricted for a small group of followers, but for all people, and those early Christians, just like us, were to be ambassadors of the faith.
So Jesus came in the past – and our recognition of that fact and our examination of his life, determines our response to him today. And Jesus comes again by being born into the hearts of those who choose to follow him, and he acts through us to continue to build his kingdom.
Lots of people will describe themselves as Christians – most polls which are carried out still receive the answer that a large majority of people in this country describe themselves as Christians, and that is actually a wonderful statistic to think of. Sometimes we bemoan the fact that all of these Christians don’t come to Church on a Sunday, but what a wonderful opportunity it gives to us and to Churches everywhere – to make ourselves attractive and appealing enough that people will want to worship with us.
When Jesus is truly born into the heart of a follower, that life is transformed – not into one of immediate perfection, but into one of faith and trust and hope… And Jesus continues to come in the present as he acts through us with the gift of the Holy Spirit…
In advent we search for ways of getting closer to him, we search for ways of somehow being more ready to welcome him into the world, both through the celebration of his birth, and at the time of his promised return.
And as we look forward to the return we think of how Jesus comes in the future – at a time we don’t know, and we are reminded to be ready.
When Helen was learning to drive (the last time !) she had a number of lessons and in what turned out to be the final lesson, the instructor told her that she was quite unique – she didn’t to sense any danger on the road, and concentrated on a very narrow field of vision, which was never going to be great for driving !
As well as being aware of the immediate risks, he said she also needed to be more aware of what was coming – in other words to look forward…
As Christians, each one of us need to be aware of the present – it is our duty to look around us now and see ways in which we can make Jesus more visible in the world today. It is our duty to be his hands and his feet doing his work of compassion and love and mercy and grace and self sacrifice – and the list can go on and on !!
But added to that list we are also to look to the future and the promise of Jesus’ return – we are to point ourselves and others in the direction of God’s eternal and magnificent kingdom – a kingdom where there is no pain, no suffering, no tears – a kingdom of peace and contentment, a kingdom where God sits closely with his people and his radiance shines over each one of us as we enjoy his everlasting fellowship…
Advent is a time of reflection – of the past, of what we have done or not done, what we could have done, what we should have done ! But it is also a reflection on the present, as we recognise that, saved by God’s grace, we have opportunities to put behind anything wrong and move forward with a clean slate, to really start again with new resolutions and new possibilities.
And it is a reflection of the future as we recognise the gifts we have and seek to use them for God’s glory and to get closer to him day by day…
So as we journey through this advent period, may it be a time of careful consideration of what God has wanted from us in the past, what God asks of us today, and of what God will help us to be and achieve in the future. AMEN
None of us know the day or hour, although you can usually find someone with a banner telling you on most main City streets !! But, none of us actually know, and it is a waste of time to try and work it out, because God never intended us to know !
Advent is one of the most misunderstood seasons of the Church calendar – looking forward to Christmas we often confuse it with secular preparations and lots of festivities, and that’s probably inevitable, but in the Church calendar it is a solemn time of anticipation, both of the celebration of the birth of Christ, and of his coming again.
The colours in the Church change to purple, the only other season that is used for is lent, and of course there are no flowers in the Church. Advent is a time of self examination, and of putting things right in our lives. It is a time of reflection as we anticipate the coming of Jesus, and this morning I want to think of 3 ways in which Jesus has come or comes.
The first is the past – Jesus, 2000 years ago, came into the world as a baby. At Christmas we will rightly remember this incredible event, because it marked a turning point in history – not just calendars changed to mark his birth, but lives changed as the way to joy, peace, happiness, fullness of life and salvation was born.
The prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled, the promises of John the Baptist were borne out, and history began a completely new era. Jesus lived amongst the people, he offered them ways of living, ways of caring for each other… And of course he showed them the perfect example of self sacrifice as he gave everything for them. As Jesus died, so did the hopes of so many people – but those hopes were resurrected as Jesus was, and death could no longer prove the destroyer it had been.
And the early followers took on board what Jesus said about coming back, and they focused everything on that fact, expecting that it would happen soon. But as we know it didn’t and gradually the Church learned that there was a lot of work to do before Jesus returned.
The world was full of pain and misery, and was full of people waiting to hear the good news about Jesus. The good news was not to be restricted for a small group of followers, but for all people, and those early Christians, just like us, were to be ambassadors of the faith.
So Jesus came in the past – and our recognition of that fact and our examination of his life, determines our response to him today. And Jesus comes again by being born into the hearts of those who choose to follow him, and he acts through us to continue to build his kingdom.
Lots of people will describe themselves as Christians – most polls which are carried out still receive the answer that a large majority of people in this country describe themselves as Christians, and that is actually a wonderful statistic to think of. Sometimes we bemoan the fact that all of these Christians don’t come to Church on a Sunday, but what a wonderful opportunity it gives to us and to Churches everywhere – to make ourselves attractive and appealing enough that people will want to worship with us.
When Jesus is truly born into the heart of a follower, that life is transformed – not into one of immediate perfection, but into one of faith and trust and hope… And Jesus continues to come in the present as he acts through us with the gift of the Holy Spirit…
In advent we search for ways of getting closer to him, we search for ways of somehow being more ready to welcome him into the world, both through the celebration of his birth, and at the time of his promised return.
And as we look forward to the return we think of how Jesus comes in the future – at a time we don’t know, and we are reminded to be ready.
When Helen was learning to drive (the last time !) she had a number of lessons and in what turned out to be the final lesson, the instructor told her that she was quite unique – she didn’t to sense any danger on the road, and concentrated on a very narrow field of vision, which was never going to be great for driving !
As well as being aware of the immediate risks, he said she also needed to be more aware of what was coming – in other words to look forward…
As Christians, each one of us need to be aware of the present – it is our duty to look around us now and see ways in which we can make Jesus more visible in the world today. It is our duty to be his hands and his feet doing his work of compassion and love and mercy and grace and self sacrifice – and the list can go on and on !!
But added to that list we are also to look to the future and the promise of Jesus’ return – we are to point ourselves and others in the direction of God’s eternal and magnificent kingdom – a kingdom where there is no pain, no suffering, no tears – a kingdom of peace and contentment, a kingdom where God sits closely with his people and his radiance shines over each one of us as we enjoy his everlasting fellowship…
Advent is a time of reflection – of the past, of what we have done or not done, what we could have done, what we should have done ! But it is also a reflection on the present, as we recognise that, saved by God’s grace, we have opportunities to put behind anything wrong and move forward with a clean slate, to really start again with new resolutions and new possibilities.
And it is a reflection of the future as we recognise the gifts we have and seek to use them for God’s glory and to get closer to him day by day…
So as we journey through this advent period, may it be a time of careful consideration of what God has wanted from us in the past, what God asks of us today, and of what God will help us to be and achieve in the future. AMEN
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