Today is the third Sunday of Advent. On the Church Liturgical calendar, the Season of Advent began two weeks ago and the last Sunday of Advent is the Sunday before Christmas day. What is Advent about? What is special about this time of year? Why do we do what we do? What does it all mean anyway? Instead of bombarding you with questions, I’ll begin by exploring the background to some Advent traditions.
It is a custom amongst our people to commemorate the season through the use of an Advent wreath, and the lighting of the Advent candles. Have you ever wondered like me if there was any meaning or significance in this arrangement? Well, I’m glad you asked. As the story goes, like many Christian traditions today the Advent Wreath has it origins in the pagan traditions of the tribes of Northern Europe. During the dark months of the northern winter, candles were lit and fires burnt as a way of seeking the return of the sun to the earth. During the Middle Ages, Christians used fire and light to symbolise Christ’s coming into the world. And this practice was systemised by the Germans, resourceful people that they are, into the Advent wreath, to symbolise the wait and hopeful expectation of the glory of Christ’s return.
The advent wreath has three components: The wreath itself, formed as a circle, came to represent the eternal victory over death through Jesus Christ. The use of evergreens to make the wreath were a sign of the faithfulness of God to God’s people. And the lighted candles were a reminder of the light of Christ brought into the world. These are the symbols of Advent, and symbols are most helpful when they point beyond themselves to a larger meaning.
A look at the origin of our English word “Advent” can also help reveal what this time of year is all about. The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming”. This obviously begs the question, who or what is coming? The answer is of course, Jesus. Advent is the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus. But wait, there’s more. Advent also points to two additional things beyond a celebration of the nativity of Jesus. The first is as a reminder of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of the Messiah. This waiting was done throughout the history of Ancient Israel. The chosen one would come from the line of David, throw off the yoke of oppression and restore Israel to greatness. As Christians, we are no longer waiting in hesitant expectation for a Messiah to be revealed who will redeem us. We know who he is! His name is Jesus! The very name Jesus means “The Lord is Salvation”, and Jesus has already come to save! At this time of year we remember again the promises of God to the people of Israel, and acknowledge that in the person of Jesus these promises have been fulfilled. This is a cause for celebration. But, like the ancient Israelites, we also look forward.
This is the second sense of Advent. Remember how the English word “Advent” came from the Latin word adventus? Knowing that the Latin term is itself a translation of the Greek word parousia will help us understand the second meaning. So what does this Greek word mean? This word, parousia, is used throughout the New Testament nearly always in reference to the second coming of Christ – in other words, the return of Christ in glory as Judge of the world. When Jesus came to earth 2000 years ago it was as a baby, and his glory was veiled. But on his return he shall judge the living and the dead. If you think about it, this has the potential for radically reframing our perspective on Christmas. It’s not just about a baby in a manger but about a crucified saviour who will one day at the close of the age call everyone to account at the judgement seat.
Jesus as Saviour, Jesus as Judge. These are the twin purposes of Advent. To remind us that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and that he will come again to judge. We live in the time between the first advent and the second, in the time of grace where Christ has come to save before he returns to judge. What should we do about it?
In the reading from 1 Thessalonians, we hear the apostle Paul reminding his readers, also living like us in what could be called “the time between the times”, about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He tells his audience in 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 about how God will prepare them in anticipation of Christ’s return:
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.”
Paul prays that God, who brings peace in the community now, and promises eternal peace in his kingdom to come, may bring them into union with him by sanctifying them. In other words, making them holy and fit for the presence of God. Also, Paul prays that every aspect of each one of them – their relationship to God (the “spirit”), their personal vitality (or “soul”), and their physical bodies – be found godly, and worthy of the kingdom, when Christ comes again. God, who has called them to the Christian way, is trustworthy to sanctify them and make them worthy of the kingdom.
It is the work of God to make us prepared for the coming of the Son, through the power of the Holy Spirit. But are we to wait passively for Christ’s return? Paul already has the answer for us. He advises the Thessalonians – and us - earlier in verses 19 to 22:
“Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.”
While our preparation for Christ’s return is ultimately the work of God alone, Paul also commands that we actively participate in this process. Do not, he says in v. 19, suppress manifestations of the Holy Spirit as he works through members of the community; do not despise “the words of prophets” (v. 20), in other words, preaching inspired by God, words of consolation and warning spoken by members who receive messages from God, and predictions of future events. He warns that we must be aware that there are true and false prophets; there are those who authentically speak God’s word, but others who do not, who are false, “evil” (v. 22). Paul urges us to discern, in the context of the community, all supposed manifestations of the Spirit when he exhorts us to “test everything”, v. 21.
So where is the Spirit’s fire to be found this Advent? What prophecies are there for us to take note of? What should we be expecting? What are we waiting for?
Turning to Isaiah 61, we see an example of an expectation for a restoration to wholeness that only God can provide. Originally this part of Isaiah was written during and after the Exile in Babylon. At this time, about 700 years before the birth of Christ, the Ancient Israelites had been conquered by their neighbours, the Babylonians, and many were taken prisoner and relocated to Babylon. This part of Isaiah speaks of the hope that God will soon restore Jerusalem to its former glory and make a new home for all peoples. This is a message of rescue for God’s people, in all ways. It is “the year of the Lord’s favour”. This harks back to the idea of the “jubilee”, mentioned in the book of Leviticus (25:10). A jubilee year is a year that is dedicated to God. It is a year of liberty, where all shall return home to their families. Slaves are released from bondage. It is a year of rest in which the land produces without being sown. And this very promise is appropriated by Jesus when he preaches the good news in the synagogue in Nazareth, found in Luke 4:18-19.
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour. (NIV)
These are the promises of God, fulfilled in the person of Jesus. Jesus is the one through whom God is restoring all things to himself. Jesus is the one through whom the whole of creation will be renewed, and through whose death and resurrection we have access to God the Father in the power of the Spirit. This is what is meant by the year of the Lord’s favour. It is a time of amnesty, the age of grace, when we are given the opportunity to repent. It’s like our lives, and all humanity’s, have been plunged deep into a spiritual crisis of such magnitude that makes today’s financial crisis pale into insignificance. And God is offering us a bailout package – and his name is Jesus. He is the Saviour.
Jesus’ original audience did not like what they heard. They were too familiar with him, and this familiarity bred contempt. To them he was just Joseph’s son, a local boy who was trying to rise above his station. Their response was rejection.
And what about us? I want to be very careful about what I say next, because I am too an offender in this, but I think there are two ways of responding to this message of amnesty, with Jesus as the Saviour, proclaiming freedom for prisoners, sight for the blind, release for the oppressed. There is a negative way of responding to the coming, and there is a positive way, which I assure you is much better.
Let’s discuss the negative first. I think all of these negative responses muddle the real meaning of Christmas, which is the coming of Christ, with its signs and symbols.
For the negative, we could join with old Scrooge and say, “Humbug” to Christmas cheer and goodwill. We would be like the people of Jesus’ home town who rejected his message. Familiarity has bred contempt, and contempt is a place often visited at this time of year.
I have been reading a little book called “An Aussie Christmas Carol” by ABC icon Kel Richards. It’s a re-telling of the classic Dickens tale in Aussie vernacular. Listen to how an old Aussie Scrooge describes Christmas:
“What is Christmas after all? It’s a time for buying presents you can’t afford to give to people you don’t like, and sending Christmas cards in bad taste to people you almost never see, and running up credit card bill you’ll struggle to repay, and eating too much and drinking too much, and watching the cricket with a hangover on Boxing day. That’s what Christmas is. And then you’ll spend the next month trying to lose all the weight you put on over Christmas, and remembering how the family argued about politics all through Christmas dinner! Don’t you ‘Merry Christmas me!’”
Alternatively, we could be too enthusiastic about the trappings of Christmas, indulging ourselves in ways that not only a Scrooge would find reason to criticise. Does Christmas suddenly reveal the inner shopper? Do we become selfish, acquisitive materialists, endlessly counting the gifts under the tree and lazily leafing through the latest sales catalogue? Are we greedily eyeing off rich foods and drinks? We have forgotten that Jesus is the reason for the season.
The final negative response, is, I think, perhaps the most insidious of all. Could it be that in some ways, the story of Jesus has become all too familiar to us as well? Has this familiarity bred its own kind of contempt? Perhaps not an outright rejection of the man and his message, but more of a kind of lukewarm acceptance. Does a mild boredom linger around the whole affair of Christmas? It’s an easy trap to fall into. There is the crass commercialisation to be endured for another year, Christmas trees to decorate, cards to write, presents to buy, and relatives to be loved in their coming – and in their going. And all of this static tends to blur out the main enterprise.
If our response falls into these negative categories, we are missing the point I’m sure does not need making. That in Christmas, we celebrate the birth of the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, not just in general but in particular. Christ Jesus has come into the world to save sinners – that’s us. We live in the time of grace where we have the opportunity to accept this wonderful news. And we acknowledge that this is the beginning of the end, because we also look forward to Christ’s return.
Now for the positive. Remember how I said that the positive is much better? Well, to find it we are going to have to consult the opinion of an unwed teenage mother. Her name is Mary, and there’s something about her. She has a song, the Magnificat, also found in the Gospel of Luke that is one of the best models we could have for aligning our responses to what God has done for us. A bit of context will help us understand what is going on. Mary is visiting her cousin Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s husband Zechariah. God’s messenger, Gabriel, has told Mary that she will bear Jesus, “Son of God” (verse. 35), successor to David and founder of an eternal kingdom. Now she thanks God.
Speaking today, she might begin: I, from the depth of my heart, declare the Lord’s greatness and rejoice in God my Saviour. Verses 48-50 extol the greatness, holiness and mercy of God, revealed in what he has done through Mary:
“For he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me - holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.”
Verses 51-53 speak of the great reversals God has, and will, achieve through all ages;
“He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.”
Do you see it? The proud are scattered. Rulers are brought down, and the humble lifted. The hungry are filled but the rich are empty. This is the radical politics of the kingdom of God. Note also how the one who acts in all of these reversals is God. This is not a manifesto for an armed uprising, but an acknowledgement of God’s authority and sovereignty is all things – the spiritual and the temporal, in matters of church and state, in private and in public. Nothing is too hard for God, or outside of his grasp. The amnesty of God for the humble is the judgement of God on the proud.
Verses 54-55 recall that he has fulfilled, and continues to fulfil, his promises to the patriarchs.
“He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."
The promises of God have come to fruition in the womb of Mary. It might be framed like that ad for the credit card. Imagine the tagline: Mary’s response to the news of the first Christmas? Priceless. Her attitude is a model for us to emulate.
During Advent, we remember that God came into the world in the person of Jesus, conceived in mystery and born in poverty, living a human life and dying on our behalf, to save us from the penalty of sin and restore us to a right relationship with himself. How do you think we should we respond to the news – the good news - that God has come to save? I have outlined two main responses. The first is to reject Jesus, actively and passively. We can look the other way and go about our business. We can pretend that the coming of Christ is just humbug, or that Christmas is really all about the tree and how many presents are under it for me, or that it is another tiresome addition to an already burdensome year.
Or - and this is where I think we should be - we can be like Mary. We can respond with joy at the hope that Christmas brings for a restored life, a restored community and a restored world shaped in God’s image. Like Paul commands, we have tested, and held onto the good, and avoided every kind of evil. And while doing so, the God of peace is sanctifying us through and through, and is keeping our whole spirit, soul and body blameless, ready for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The symbol of Advent – the wreath – helps to remind us of the truths of Christ’s coming:
• The wreath itself, formed as a circle, represents the eternal victory over death through Jesus Christ.
• The use of evergreens to make the wreath is a sign of the faithfulness of God to God’s people.
• And the lighted candles are a reminder of the light of Christ brought into the world.
This Advent, join with me in thankfulness for the first Advent, when Christ came as Saviour, and join with me also as together we wait with hopeful expectation for the second Advent, the glory of Christ’s return.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, at your first coming you sent your messengers to prepare your way before you; Allow us, your servants, to likewise prepare and make ready your way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, so that at your second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in your sight. Lord Jesus Christ, you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, eternally. Amen
References:
Anglican Diocese of Montreal, Canada, 2008. Revised Common Lectionary Commentary: Third Sunday of Advent – December 14, 2008
Available at:
http://www.montreal.anglican.org/comments/badv3m.shtmlThe Church of England, 1968. The Book of Common Prayer. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 2008. What is an Advent Wreath? Available at:
http://www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Worship/Learning-Center/FAQs/Advent-Wreath.aspxRichards, Kel, 2007. An Aussie Christmas Carol. Sydney: Strand Publishing.
Wikipedia, 2008. Advent. Available at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AdventWilcock. Michael, 1979. The Message of Luke. Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press.
