December 3 – First Sunday in Advent

As you’ve noticed, we’ve begun a new season in the church year. Advent is the time we look forward to the coming of the Savior – weeks of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Advent is a time to ponder the meaning of the coming of Christ into the world.

But at first glance, the Sunday readings seem to have little to do with the birth of Jesus, because the focus is broader than simply looking what happened in Bethlehem long ago.

First, each Sunday we look back centuries before His birth by reading from one of the Old Testaments prophets, who were waiting for the promised Messiah. They teach us to trust the promises or God, and wait for the Lord with hope.

Second, in today’s gospel we look ahead to Christ’s second coming, when he will return as judge and redeemer. The message is remember the Lord is near and be ready for Him.

Then in the second lesson, an apostle writes about preparing to meet Christ now – in that time between Christ’s the first Advent in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago and His second coming at the end of time.

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The theme for the first Sunday in Advent can be summed up in a single word: HOPE.

A few minutes ago we sang:

“Light one candle for the Messiah

let the light banish darkness

He shall bring salvation to Israel

God fulfills the promise.”

that is the basis of our hope for the future: God is faithful and fulfills His promise.

Jesus says, Heaven and earth will pass away,

but my words will not pass away. Luke 21:33

So trust His Word, and wait for the Lord with hope.

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There are many ways to express the message of Advent. During this season, we need to look no further than a Christmas card. The perfect card puts into words what we cannot pen for ourselves.

In our 2^nd lesson, St. Paul pens his own greeting card. His words are intended to reach his readers hearts. On the face of the card, along with an appropriate illustration, are these words: Now we give thanks to our God for you.

Then open up the card and Paul continues, May the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow more and more… 1 Thessalonians 3:12

Advent is the season when the mystery of God’s love is opened to us as we progress toward Jesus’ birth.

A love manifested in the Father giving His Son for us. A love shown forth in the life of Jesus. A love that is poured into our hearts by the power of His Spirit. A love that we can share with others – and thus, as Paul says, a love that grows more and more.

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A pastor received an interesting Christmas card last year. Inside were the words from Hallmark: “Got lots of happiness to share this Christmas.”

Underneath were scrawled some words in a personal greeting; “Sending you love and prayers for the hollow days”.

He stared at those last words – not holidays or even holy or hallowed days, but hollow days.

Hollow as in without substance or worth.

Hollow means a cavity or a hole, empty or void.

It was probably just a spelling error on the part of the sender of the card, but maybe that person was on to something. Some folks do need love and prayers for the hollow days. The Christmas season is not really a joyful time for everyone.

Many feel the absence of loved ones with whom we celebrated Christmas in the past. Somehow that sense of loss is greater in this season. So in Advent we look ahead to the final day, when the Son of God will return with power and great glory, and we will be reunited with those who have gone before us in His kingdom. While we wait with hope, we celebrate the season with our church family.

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And this season can also be stressful – there’s just more for you to do then you can possibly accomplish. That stress is compounded by high expectations – that vision of what Christmas is supposed to be like. All the decorations to put up, finding those perfect gifts for everyone, planning the family gatherings, and so on. You can be so busy and stressed that you forget what it is we’re celebrating.

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A woman was doing her last minute Christmas shopping at a crowded store. She was tired of fighting the crowds. She was tired of pushing her way down long aisles looking for a gift that had sold out yesterday. She had a cart full of bulky packages when she got to the long, long checkout line

She sighed as she took her place in line, and without thinking blurted out, “Whoever is responsible for this whole Christmas thing ought to be arrested, and strung up.”

A few others on line nodded in agreement.

Then from somewhere behind her, came a single verse that said, “Don’t worry. They already crucified him.”

It’s easy to forget what we’re celebrating – the birth of the Savior, who came to live among us, and gave His life for us.

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Our gospel lesson interprets the significance of the birth of the Messiah by turning the pages to the end of the Book - the final chapter in the history of salvation. Apparently, Jesus had been talking about the end of the world - and he had listed calamities of all kinds -then he paradoxically told the disciples:

“Now when these things begin to take place,

look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is near... So also when you see

these things taking place, you know that

the kingdom of heaven is near.” Luke 21:26,31

In other words, he told that the disciples that when things look bad - when the situation is grim - don’t worry, lift up your heads, for your Redeemer is near. Wait with hope.

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In 1995 in Bosnia the U.S. was enforcing a ‘no fly zone”. At the beginning of June one of our planes was shot down over hostile territory. The pilot, Captain O’Grady, found himself behind enemy lines. Tearing off his chute on the ground, he hid in the bushes while hostile Serbs shot at anything that moved. Over the next five days, O’Grady survived on ants, plants, and rain water, daring to move only at night so he would not be detected. In the middle of the night, he would signal with his hand held radio which had a range of only forty miles.

Why didn’t Captain O’Grady give up

and surrender?

Because he had hope. He knew that those who sent him on that mission would not desert him. For five days he had no radio contact - no evidence that they were searching for him - and yet he believed that the Navy and the Air Force would do everything possible to find him. He was sustained by that hope.

Not hope based on what he could see or hear, but rather on his faith in the promise of those who sent him - they wouldn’t let him down.

On the sixth day, things looked grim for O’Grady. By then he was suffering from hypothermia. Even worse, his radio was losing power from its batteries - time was running out.

The situation looked desperate at midnight on that sixth night, as he huddled in a rocky pasture, shivering from the cold and damp, and turned on his radio one more time. Then O’Grady faintly heard the voice of another American pilot on his radio - he made contact.

As Jesus said,

Now when these things begin to take place, - when your situation looks desperate - look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is near...

When things were at their worst point for O’Grady, his redemption was near. Within hours he was being pulled into a U.S. helicopter and flown to safety. His hope sustained him in a hopeless situation - Hope based not on what he could see and hear as he was hiding from those who were hunting him - but rather hope based on a promise - his comrades would not let him down.

- And his hope was not disappointed.

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The point of the story is that we respond differently to our problems if we have hope.

The source of our hope is believing the promise:

that Christ is near at hand, so look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is near... So also when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of heaven is near.”

His salvation is already taking effect in our lives, His kingdom is coming in our lives - God is in charge.

The message of the First Sunday in Advent is hope.

- Hope because the One born in Bethlehem is Emmanuel, the God who is with us.

- Hope because He is the One who holds our future in His hand.

- Hope which enlivens faith in a better life, so that the present has meaning and purpose.

Advent reminds us to always

Hope in the Lord, Wait on the Lord,

Trust in the Lord.

God is faithful, and He will not disappoint you