Advent

Last Sunday was the first Sunday in Advent in the traditional Church calendar. There can be lots of sentimentality about the season of Advent. But all the traditional church readings for the 1st Sunday in Advent are about the Second Advent – not about the First Advent. The First Advent readings are the stories of the angels speaking to Mary, Elizabeth, Joseph and Zechariah, foretelling the coming virgin birth of Jesus to Mary in Bethlehem.

So I thought I would say a few words about the Second Advent or the Second Coming of Christ as it’s sometimes called. Jesus’ first hearers were seekers after signs of all kinds. Jesus tells us that the things we often consider to be traditional ‘signs of the times’ are in fact non-signs, these things must always happen. He refuses to give a count-down to his return, to satisfy idle curiosity. I believe personally that there will always be wars and rumours of wars, earthquakes and famines, these are not signs as such - this is just business as usual in a fallen, broken world. In fact only two real signs given in the Gospels are the preaching of the good news to all the nations of the world, climaxing in the mass conversion of Jews at the very end – this worldwide evangelisation is happening very powerfully in our lifetime. The command and promise of world evangelisation or world mission is one of the reasons why I am a missionary [Mt 24:14]. But secondly and sadly, we are warned that there will be a great turning away from God by those who once professed his name [Mk 13:9-22].

The Jews were looking for an earthly, human Messiah-king – but no, they would get a heavenly one – in fact a returned Jesus, whose coming would be so powerful it could not possibly be a human event. Hence all the heavenly – and slightly scary – imagery of the Gospels’ account of Jesus’ return. These prophecies are just saying this event will be cosmic in consequences. It will be a visible coming and everyone will know it’s happened: which thoroughly contradicts the Jehovah’s Witness’ teaching that Christ came in 1914, but secretly!  Some, who claim to be Bible teachers within the evangelical church, have made false prophecies about the timing of Christ’s return. The timing is simply not predictable, but it will be very sudden and totally unexpected. So if you are studying to pin down dates – forget it!

Thirdly he tells them that the best way we can prepare is not to work out the date of Jesus’ coming, but to make yourself ready for Christ’s return every day. This latter point is Jesus’ repeated conclusion to his teaching on the end times - we need to be ready for his return, not to pretend we know the details of his return. Yet it is relevant to every generation – after all we could easily meet God very suddenly and unexpectedly in death whatever our age, circumstances or current state of health – hence in Matthew, at the end of the section on the last things, Jesus tells 3 parables:

·     “Ten wise and foolish virgins” – Is there oil in your lamp now?

·     The parable of the “Talents” – How are you using God’s gifts given to you?

·     The parable of the “Sheep and the Goats” – Does your lifestyle match up with your claimed Christian faith? 

They are an encouragement to live with eternity in mind - always being ready for the Lord’s return.

In conclusion, what do we do with all this? The Bible’s teaching on Christ’s return is not to satisfy our curiosity or to create a spiritual ‘one-upmanship’ for those who are ‘in’ on the latest prophetic hot news about end-time revelations. But the Bible’s teaching on the Second Advent of Christ is ultimately moral and ethical in content. Jesus’ conclusion in his teaching on his return is that we Christians must be ready in our daily lives - always living unashamedly on stand-by. John Wesley was once asked: “How would you live if you knew Jesus Christ is coming back tomorrow?” He replied, “The same as I have lived today.” I hope all of us could give such a straight and plain answer.

The certainty of the Lord’s return is ultimately a ‘blessed hope’ – Titus 2:13. There is little of it around. The advent of new diseases, the spread of nuclear weapons, the chronic social injustices in every society do not give much hope for the future. The more we know about the human condition the less hope we can have. The Christian ‘hope’ is not something better round the corner through social change, but that God created the heavens and the earth, that he sent his Son to redeem this mess we live in both socially and personally, and all that this is for a purpose. A purpose which will only be accomplished at the return of Christ.

So what is our New Testament action plan?:

Let us be watchful: being ready for Christ’s return. Mt 24:44

Let us preach the gospel - especially to those who have never heard: Mt 24:14

Let us build up the church: Eph 5:21-23

Let us pray: Yes, we should pray for the Lord’s return – Maranatha! – Come Lord Jesus! 1 Cor 16:22; Rom 8:19; Rev 22:20 Thy Kingdom come! Mt 6

Let us worship: Joining with the Christians of Revelation’s time and gather around the throne of the Lamb in worship and praise.

And what stops us from doing these things? I can tell you for free! Love of this world, a world which is perishing.