Sunday 29th November - 1st of Advent
Theme: The Day of the Lord
Readings: Jeremiah 33:14-16 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 Luke 21:25-36
Psalm 25:1-9
Theme: The Day of the Lord
Readings: Jeremiah 33:14-16 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 Luke 21:25-36
Psalm 25:1-9
Collect:
Almighty God,
as your kingdom dawns,
turn us from the darkness of sin to the
light of holiness,
that we may be ready to meet you
in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Comment:
Today is Advent Sunday, when we remember the ‘advent’ or ‘coming’ of our Lord Jesus Christ to live on earth. Traditionally we think of two advents: the first when Jesus was born, having come from God to live as a son of a Jewish carpenter in the Middle East, and the second at some time in the future when he will come again to wind up the old age and bring to fulfilment the new. It could be argued that he also comes through his Spirit in the time between his two comings. However, on Advent Sunday we think of the traditional meaning of the day.
The Bible is not interested in simply satisfying our curiosity. We would love to know exactly when Jesus will come again, what the order of events will be, what will happen on Judgement Day, what the new heaven and new earth will be like, and who will be counted in and who will be barred. The Bible is more interested in helping us to live each day in such a way that we will be welcome participants in the new creation. It gives us enough light to live by, but not enough to satisfy our thirst for knowledge; it enables us to live by faith, not by sight. Nevertheless, our hope for the future is a vital factor in our lives today, providing us with meaning and purpose, and encouraging us to keep going forward when the road is rough and steep.
In his letter to the Thessalonians Paul prays that their love will increase and overflow. He prays that this will be no flash in the pan, but that their hearts will be strengthened for whatever comes so that they will be blameless and holy when Jesus himself returns with all his holy ones (the word is usually translated ‘saints’). Paul goes on to expand on this in the next chapter, talking first about Christian behaviour and then about how Jesus will return. He tells us that at his return there will be resurrection and transformation – the ‘dead in Christ’ will rise first, the alive in Christ will then be given resurrection bodies, and together we will meet the returning Lord to escort him to earth. The implication is that the ‘holy ones’ referred to earlier include not only dead saints but living ones – and that is why we need to live in such a way that we will not be out of place in that company. What is required? Simply to live lives of love.
The Gospel reading is more problematic, for the passage seems to be primarily about the end of Jerusalem rather than the end of the world. However, the language Jesus uses is so extraordinary that we can’t help thinking it has a wider reference – ‘the day... will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth’. Jesus’ message is to be ready, and not to be taken unawares. In fact, when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70, the Christians had remembered Jesus’ warning and had already made their escape. However, there won’t be any running away from Jesus when he returns at the end of the age; our readiness will consist in the obedience and integrity of our lives, and in the way we are watching and waiting for his coming.
Jesus does not go into detail about what will happen next. However, his parables reflect the current Jewish beliefs about the age to come – a general resurrection of all the dead and a gathering for judgement, with sinners disposed of in ‘hell’ and God’s faithful people welcomed into God’s eternal kingdom, the new heaven and earth.
Questions:
1) Can our Christmas preparations help us prepare for Jesus return? If so, how?
2) In the early church their vision of the future was a powerful motive for daily life. How can this happen today?
Almighty God,
as your kingdom dawns,
turn us from the darkness of sin to the
light of holiness,
that we may be ready to meet you
in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Comment:
Today is Advent Sunday, when we remember the ‘advent’ or ‘coming’ of our Lord Jesus Christ to live on earth. Traditionally we think of two advents: the first when Jesus was born, having come from God to live as a son of a Jewish carpenter in the Middle East, and the second at some time in the future when he will come again to wind up the old age and bring to fulfilment the new. It could be argued that he also comes through his Spirit in the time between his two comings. However, on Advent Sunday we think of the traditional meaning of the day.
The Bible is not interested in simply satisfying our curiosity. We would love to know exactly when Jesus will come again, what the order of events will be, what will happen on Judgement Day, what the new heaven and new earth will be like, and who will be counted in and who will be barred. The Bible is more interested in helping us to live each day in such a way that we will be welcome participants in the new creation. It gives us enough light to live by, but not enough to satisfy our thirst for knowledge; it enables us to live by faith, not by sight. Nevertheless, our hope for the future is a vital factor in our lives today, providing us with meaning and purpose, and encouraging us to keep going forward when the road is rough and steep.
In his letter to the Thessalonians Paul prays that their love will increase and overflow. He prays that this will be no flash in the pan, but that their hearts will be strengthened for whatever comes so that they will be blameless and holy when Jesus himself returns with all his holy ones (the word is usually translated ‘saints’). Paul goes on to expand on this in the next chapter, talking first about Christian behaviour and then about how Jesus will return. He tells us that at his return there will be resurrection and transformation – the ‘dead in Christ’ will rise first, the alive in Christ will then be given resurrection bodies, and together we will meet the returning Lord to escort him to earth. The implication is that the ‘holy ones’ referred to earlier include not only dead saints but living ones – and that is why we need to live in such a way that we will not be out of place in that company. What is required? Simply to live lives of love.
The Gospel reading is more problematic, for the passage seems to be primarily about the end of Jerusalem rather than the end of the world. However, the language Jesus uses is so extraordinary that we can’t help thinking it has a wider reference – ‘the day... will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth’. Jesus’ message is to be ready, and not to be taken unawares. In fact, when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70, the Christians had remembered Jesus’ warning and had already made their escape. However, there won’t be any running away from Jesus when he returns at the end of the age; our readiness will consist in the obedience and integrity of our lives, and in the way we are watching and waiting for his coming.
Jesus does not go into detail about what will happen next. However, his parables reflect the current Jewish beliefs about the age to come – a general resurrection of all the dead and a gathering for judgement, with sinners disposed of in ‘hell’ and God’s faithful people welcomed into God’s eternal kingdom, the new heaven and earth.
Questions:
1) Can our Christmas preparations help us prepare for Jesus return? If so, how?
2) In the early church their vision of the future was a powerful motive for daily life. How can this happen today?