Fred at Mars Hill, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Advent Week 1 Hope
This Sunday, November 29,2020 is the first week of the Advent season. Advent is a time to reflect on the Messiah, Jesus. The word Advent in Latin means “arrival or coming”.
Much of the church today recognizes the Advent season as an opportunity to remember the baby in a manger. Some use the Jesse Tree to explain how the Messiah came through a long lineage from Adam. The children’s studies center around the wonderful story of Jesus’ birth.
But that is not the complete picture of Jesus coming. The idea of the coming of Messiah in the first century church was about His next coming. The second coming was the Christ followers focus.
The Return
This idea that Jesus was coming back soon helped them to be steadfast in spreading the gospel message. Paul alludes to their concerns in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. The Thessalonians were concerned about those who had “fallen asleep”or died. What happens to our family if they die before Jesus returns? Paul comforts them with the hope of His second return. A time when He will gather His people to be with Him. (John 14:3)
Even now, God’s people long for Jesus to return. It is His promise. It is our hope. We are eagerly looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.(Titus 2:13)
His appearing
2 Timothy 4:6-8 Paul is preparing for his last messages. He has fought the good fight, finished the course, kept the faith. He tells Timothy that in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day; and not only me, but also all who have loved His appearing.” Will we be as faithful to our Lord as Paul? Will we receive that crown of righteousness?
I have to ask myself and you, “Am I and are you living with this thought every day?” Do we long for, eagerly look for His appearing? Are we concerned about the eternal condition of those we know and love?
The first century Christians lives were forever changed by the same grace we have been given. Grace that transforms us and changes us from hopeless sinners to hopeful saints who long to be with our Savior and Lord.
Hope and Promise
This first week of Advent is all about Hope and Promise! Yes, that baby in a manger gave us the promised Savior but there is so much more to the story. His second coming is drawing nearer and nearer as each day passes. If the first believers of Jesus felt the urgency to spread the gospel, because they felt He would come back and friends and family would not know Him, how much more should we be concerned? Should we not feel an urgency to tell them? Or are we unbelieving and not longing for the blessed hope of His appearing? Will the Lord come and find us faithful?
These questions I will be asking myself this week as we begin the first week of Advent. May we find our Hope and His promise in our lives this week!
Prayer:
Father I pray that we would awaken and be as a waiting bride longing for the time when she sees her bridegroom coming for her.
I pray the Holy Spirit of God would stir and bring such revival of a love and longing for You that the world would see Jesus in us and desire to follow you.
https://youtu.be/draHA_9MS18 King and Country sings O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Freda Reynolds
Additional reading:
https://www.treadingwatertiljesuscomes.com/
