Preparing for His Coming

Second Sunday of Advent, C

December 9, 2012

Luke 3:1-6

Greek Orthodox Icon of St. John the Baptist in Thessalonikki, Macedonia, Greece.

Introduction

Today is the Second Sunday of Advent, and we continue to prepare for the “coming” of Christ. We are preparing to celebrate his first coming on Christmas; at the same time, we are preparing for his coming again in final victory. How do we prepare to celebrate his coming?

Today’s Gospel reading begins with Luke listing down historical figures to place the story in context: When Jesus was born, Augustus Caesar was emperor of Rome (Luke 2:1); while Herod the Great was King of Judea (Matthew 2:1). Now, thirty years after, Tiberius Caesar is now emperor of Rome. Herod the Great is now dead; now, his kingdom was divided into four (“tetrarchies”) and ruled by his sons. When Jesus was born, Quirinius was governor of Syria, under which Judea was governed. Now, Pontius Pilate is procurator of Judea. In addition,, Annas (Hananayah) was high priest (kohein gadol) (John Wesley notes that there can only be one high priest; Caiaphas probably served as Annas’ associate high priest.)

Over this backdrop, “the word of the Lord came” (an expression often used of the prophets) to John the Baptist (Yochanan ben Zacharyahu). The mission of John the Baptist is to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah (Mashiach), just as his father, Zachariah the priest, prophesied at his birth:

“And you, child, shall be the prophet of the Most High, for you shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare his way; to give knowledge of salvation to his people, through the forgiveness of their sins…” (Luke 1:76-77).

I. We prepare for Christ’s coming by receiving the Word of God.

John the Baptist stayed in the desert, waiting, until the Christ was to be revealed. When the time has come, “the word of the Lord came” unto him (3:3). This Advent season, let us return to the Word of God, both by attending to public preaching and to private reading. We should not only depend on the reading and proclamation of the Word during public worship. We should also go back to daily Bible reading both in our families and in our personal lives. We prepare for Christ’s coming by receiving the Word of God.

II. We prepare for Christ’s coming by repentance.

The next way of prepare for Christ’s coming is by repentance. When the Word of the Lord came to John the Baptist, he went into all the country around Jordan “preaching the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin” (3:4). When we encounter the Word of God, we may become aware of our own sinfulness. The appropriate response is repentance. Some of us may think that repentance is a more appropriate theme for Lent instead of Christmas. But Advent is a season of preparation. And we prepare for Christ’s coming by repentance.

Our first reading (Malachi 3:1-4) gives us an image of repentance. The preaching of God’s “messenger” (fulfilled by John the Baptist in Mark 1:1-2) is about repentance, which is like “a refiner’s fire” and “fuller’s soap” that purifies us. As our second reading (Philippians 1:3-11) says, “that you may be sincere and without offence until the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God” (v. 11). We prepare for Christ’s coming through repentance.

III. We prepare for Christ’s coming by preparing the way of the Lord.

The ministry of John the Baptist is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah the prophet.

The voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”  (Luke 3:4-6; cf. Isaiah 40:3-5)

The imagery is of that of preparing the road for the coming of a king or dignitary: the crooked is made straight; the rough ways are made smooth. This Advent season, we are prepare the way to our heart: What are the things that need to be straightened and made smooth in our lives?

The Warning and Comfort in Christ’s Coming

First Sunday of Advent, B

December 2, 2012

Introduction

Today is the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the Christmas Cycle and of the Liturgical Year. The theme of Advent is preparation for the ‘coming’ of Christ: we prepare to celebrate his ‘first’ coming on Christmas by preparing for his ‘second’ coming as we say in the Mystery of Faith: “Christ has died; Christ has risen; Christ shall come again!”

In the Gospel reading two Sundays ago, the Sunday before Christ the King, we read in the Gospel of Mark the ‘signs’ of  the coming of Christ that will happen on earth:

“And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled: for such things must happen; but this is not yet the end. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be earthquakes in diverse places, and there shall be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.” (Mark 13:7-8)

Some of these signs shall be caused by people: “wars and rumors of wars” and nation rising up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. But some of these signs are not man-made, like “earthquakes in diverse places” and “famines”.

But in today’s Gospel reading, now from the Gospel of Luke, we read of the signs of the coming of Christ that will happen in heaven:

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the roaring of the sea and the waves. Men's shall faint because of fear, and in expectation of the calamities that shall come upon the earth, for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” (Luke 21:25-27)

When these things begin happen, Jesus said, “Look up and lift up your heads; for your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28)

I. The Coming of Christ: A Comfort

The coming of Christ is should bring comfort to the heart of a Christian. After narrating all the signs of his coming, Jesus used the parable of the fig tree:

“Behold the fig tree, and all the trees: When they shoot forth, you see and know for yourselves that summer is close at hand. So likewise, when you see these things come to pass, you know that the kingdom of God is close at hand.” (Luke 21:29-31)

When St. Paul wrote of the coming of Christ in the clouds to gather the believers in Christ, “both the living and the dead” (Apostles’ Creed),

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (I Thessalonians 4:16-17)

--then he writes, “Comfort each other with these with these words” (v. 18). The coming of Christ is not a message of doom; it is Good News!

II. The Coming of Christ: A Warning

The coming of Christ is not only a comfort, it is also a warning. Because Jesus is coming, no matter what tribulations may come, we have comfort: our troubles will come to an end. But at the same time, the coming of Jesus is a warning. He said,

“Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be weighed down with gluttony and drunkenness, and with cares of this life, and so that day would come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Keep watch, therefore, and pray always, that you may be deemed worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36)

Some people live as if Christ is never coming, so their lives are “weighed down with gluttony and drunkenness, and with cares of this life”. That is why when Christ comes—no matter what signs may be—that day will catch them “unaware”. Therefore, Jesus told us to “keep watch and pray always” that we “may be deemed worthy… and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Conclusion

How are we preparing for the coming for Christ? How are we preparing to celebrate Christmas? Are we looking forward to “gluttony and drunkenness”? Are we “weighed down” by all of the things we want this Christmas? Or, shall we heed the message of Advent? “Keep watch and pray”. Who knows, Christ might come back this Christmas?

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Graphic courtesy of www.pray4zion.org.