Isaiah 40-1-11, Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13, 2Peter 3:8-15a, Mark 1:1-8
Why do we need to prepare for Christmas with Advent?
Advent means "to come"; it implies waiting for the arrival of someone or something. It can also be an impetus for preparation; much like the work we do around the house to decorate and clean for Christmas Day festivities.
But Christians know that Christmas means much more then family and food, it is also about the bedrock of our faith. But what, exactly, does Christmas and Advent have to reveal to us about our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?
It helps to retell the story of Christmas - not just the one that starts in the Gospel according to Matthew or Luke, but the one that we discover in the sermons of the prophet Isaiah, or the stories of King David in books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles. And even further back to Joshua and Moses, Abraham and even Adam.
Matthew and Luke give all sorts of obvious cues that we need to know the OT stories to make sense of the Christmas story - the genealogies kind of give it away! But each gospel-writer also makes it clear that Jesus is to rule over Israel as a descendant of King David, that he will sit on the throne of the twelve tribes of Jacob and his reign will never end. If this identity of Jesus as King is central to our understanding the Christmas story, then how did Jesus become King at Christmas?
Delving into the story of Jesus will help us discern how Jesus can be the king of our Christmas.
There is a very interesting story in 1 Samuel 8, where the elders of Israel reject God as their king and demand for the Lord to provide for them a human king, like all the other nations, to lead their people into battle when attacked by their enemies. God's kingship hadn't been overt over Israel, like having a human king would be. God was the king they couldn't see, but he was the most powerful king in all the universe. And they would rather have a limited human king they could see then an almighty king they can't see.
How long had God been the king of Israel? When did it happen? Why did they rejected him?
For a few hundred years God had been appointing judges to rule over the tribes of Israel. These judges were his representatives, servants of the king, so to speak, to dispense justice and deliver the tribes from the surrounding enemy nations. Over the centuries the judges became more corrupt and the people often did what was right in their own eyes.
At the end of the story comes Samson, the worst of the judges, and then Samuel, the best. But Samuel's sons were completely unfit for judging, they took bribes and abused their priestly duties in the tabernacle. It was Samuel's sons that the elders were rejecting, but they were also rejecting God's judges, and thus rejecting God as their king.
God was the one that had delivered the twelve tribes from slavery in Egypt. There God had a showdown with the king of Pharaoh, who considered himself a god. God won the duel with Pharaoh, establishing himself as a more powerful god and king. His people were released to go worship God in the wilderness, and there God made a covenant with his people, much like a king covenants with the subjects of his kingdom.
Prior to God's people becoming enslaved in Egypt, they had been the descendants of the powerfully wealthy and blessed patriarch Abraham. God had appeared to the Abraham, calling him out of Ur and promising to bless him with land and descendants, a nation and kingdom through whom God would bless the world.
Abraham believed God, and he followed the call and did become a blessing. Though Abraham reigned as a king in his portion of the promised land, it was clearly God who was the one with the authority and power, making him the ultimate king over Abraham.
But Abraham wasn't the first man whom God called to serve as a king on the earth on his behalf. We read in the book of beginnings, Genesis, of God calling Adam and Eve to serve together as his kings and priests in the world, ruling with goodness and blessing in God's name, for the flourishing of all creation. From the beginning, God's relation to humanity was like that of a king and citizens of his kingdom.
But we know how the story still goes, the citizens rebel and reject their God and king, again, and again, and again. Sometimes because of envy or jealousy, other times because of pride and ambition. But it also happens because we are incited to sin, we become deceived with half-truths and are led to doubt and mistrust God as king. That's what happened with Adam. And it's what happened with the people of Israel towards God and Moses. It's what happened with the twelve tribes and the God-appointed judges.
When the elders of Israel rejected Samuel's sons as judges and God as their king, the Lord was used to this pattern of rejection. But, because of God's covenant with Israel, he was going to stay faithful to them no matter how unfaithful they became. But the covenant relationship bound Israel to their God, thus faithfulness resulted in blessings and unfaithfulness resulted in curses. God warned the elders of Israel that if they rejected God as king and followed a human king, they would still come to the same fate: their covenant unfaithfulness will destroy them.
The elders went with a human king, and God worked with the kings to ensure that they still kept the covenant. The first king was a flop, but the second king, David, and his son Solomon, were two of the best kings Israel ever had. During their reign, Israel seemed to be fulfilling the promise to Abraham: the nations were being blessed by the justice and wisdom of the kings.
But then David and Solomon were enticed to sin, to commit adultery, to murder, to enslave, and for Solomon to fall into idolatry. Injustice descended upon the royal families, and the human kings of Israel were no better then the judges who had ruled earlier. Go sent prophets to the royal and priestly families, warning them to turn away from their idols and return to serving and worshipping only God.
God warned them that their injustice, immorality and idolatry would result in them becoming defenseless against the Assyrians and Babylonian empires. The kings and priests of Israel were sent into exile for 70 years for their sins. Eventually some of the ruling and priestly families were able to return and rebuild the Temple and Jerusalem. Thought they came home, they had no king, there was no one on the throne, and they were not able to rule their own land as they saw fit.
And so the laments and groans continued, the cries increased in intensity: O Lord, turn your face to us, come and save us! Send us a king, like you promised, that our land and people may flourish! Restore us and the land!
The lectionary readings of last week focused on these cries for deliverance while they waited in continued exile. The legionary readings for this week, though, point to God's call to his people to prepare for his coming! Good news! Behold, your God shall come to you! Prepare the way with righteous justice!
You can hear the hopefulness in the words of Isaiah 40:1-11.
Notice the power of the words of the poem: "Behold the Lord God shall come with a strong hand!"
This is the gospel announcement of Christmas! The prophet proclaims: you who bring good tidings!
This is what the shepherds heard from the angels. Good tidings, good news, the Gospel of the coming king to reign upon his throne, to end the exile and establish righteous justice and peace. Believe the good news that the king is coming, that God himself will take up the throne of Israel again and rule in a new way!
This is what Jesus himself announces as he begins his ministry! What had been announced to exile Israel at his birth was now being fulfilled, following his baptism by John the Baptist! Today's Gospel reading complements today's first Scripture reading - Mark refers to this whole passage when he quotes it in the beginning of his gospel of Jesus the King of Israel.
What is Christmas? It is the good news of the arrival of the king of the kingdom of Israel who are the people of God, set apart to be royal priests to bless the world through their righteous justice.
Isaiah was calling Israel to prepare for the coming of their God and king. The angels did the same thing on the night of our dear Saviors birth, John announced it on the dusty hills of the flowing Jordan. Jesus did it as he crossed over the hills of Galilee and the mountain of Jerusalem. And it was the early Christians believed in as they looked for the ascended king of kings to return from the heavens and establish his kingdom on earth.
So how can we let Jesus be the king of our Christmas?
When we let the first Christmas prepare us for the last Christmas. We are part of the same people of God, just as Israel was preparing for the Lord and King to come in power (which Jesus did, but not in the way they expected...), so we also as the people of God prepare for King Jesus to return and fully establish his kingdom on earth.
Like Israel, the Church looks for a day when righteousness will rain from the sky and truth shall spring up from the earth; when righteousness and peace kiss. That is what the first and last Christmas are all about.
Don't let this Christmas be only about nostalgia, or religious piety about that first Christmas. Let the first Christmas, which was for Israel, reveal to you what the last Christmas will be about, which is for Israel.
The church is the people of God in-between the rejection of their Lord in the past, and their embrace of their Lord in the future. The Lord is the God of Israel, and we Gentiles are adopted into the family of God through their rejection of their king and our allegiance to him. Jesus is the crucified king of Israel who was resurrected by the God of Israel, and he know reigns over the people of God at the right hand of the Lord Almighty. That is the season in which we are celebrating Christmas.
So how can you prepare for the last Christmas through letting Jesus be king of this Christmas?
Pay attention. It's not hard to notice the injustice that swirls around us. The temptation is to notice but not pay it attention. It's over there, it's not my problem, I already have enough on my plate, I don't want to get involved, etc.
But it's paying attention to the wickedness in our world that makes us groan for deliverance, it's what prompts our prayers for Hosanna and Maranatha. But paying attention isn't about fueling despair. It's about fueling faith: we believe that this wickedness will one day end, justice shall triumph over injustice some day - and we will prepare for that day by participating this day.
We believe that the good news which Isaiah preached and Jesus fulfilled is still at work today in our generation: the gospel of the kingdom of God is continually breaking into the world through the people of God, the church, the body of Christ, the students of King Jesus who imitate his ways and obey his commands.
The Psalm that will be read for Communion ends with these words: Righteousness will go before him, And shall make his footsteps our pathway. Our righteousness prepares us for the return of the Lord.
The epistle that Karen will read by 2Peter builds on this theme: the apostle writes that our holiness and godliness can actually speed the day of the return of the Lord. Why would't we want a kingdom of righteous justice to flourish in our world? The wickedness is so prevalent and blatant, whether oversees or in our own cities, injustice and immorality reveal that there is massive idolatry.
Peter goes on to write that the Lord is putting off his return so that more people have time to repent, to turn way from their sins and turn towards his salvation. It's ironic: the more unrighteous the church is, the longer the Lord tarries; the more righteous and just and holy the church becomes, the sooner he will return.
It might sound a bit odd to put it that way, but think about it: if you don't really want justice to prevail on our earth, you don't really want God to return, for when he does he will judge everyone according to their deeds. If you really do want justice to prevail on our earth, then you are preparing yourself and our world for his return, and you are eager for his return.
How would you know that you are ready for God to return and establish justice upon the earth? By doing your part to establish righteous justice in your world, in your church, in your workplace, in your home, in your heart.
You want Jesus to be king of your Christmas? Then pay attention to the wickedness in our world. Let the overwhelming evil that infects everything and everyone prompt you to get on your knees and thank God that he is rescuing you from it.
Hear the gospel and believe it: Jesus is King and he has come to establish the kingdom of God through the church, through all those who will be loyal to him and do as he instructs for the flourishing of humanity, blessing the world with righteous justice and enduring peace.
The wickedness of the world now can cause despair, but it can also prompt us to cry out for salvation. Just like Israel in exile, so we, the church, today, hear the word of the Lord: Behold the Lord your God shall come with strength to rule! Turn away from your folly and turn towards the Lord! Commit to holiness and godliness, mercy and truth, faithfulness and justice.
Idolatry is when you turn away from God and turn towards anything else besides God to give you guidance or protection, strength or help, blessing or deliverance.
Immorality is when you turn against God and do with yourself whatever you want, doing right in your own eyes; unrighteousness always leads to valuing self above others, which leads to using and abusing others for your own gain and preservation. Your immorality is connected to your idolatry; whatever you worship you become, whatever you serve becomes your master, whatever you desire will demand your life.
Injustice is when you turn against your neighbor, it is the outcome of our immorality and idolatry.
Injustice takes on systemic forms, becoming embedded in our governments and institutions of education, health, law, public works, science, art, and all else political and cultural. It becomes a kingdom of darkness with a power all it's own that transcends and yet it immanent throughout humanity.
But God has been at work to destroy the works of darkness through this kingdom of priests. Though it may seem that the darkness of sin and death are prevailing, we believe the gospel of the kingdom of God, that the light of the son is shining through, that his goodness is overcoming evil, and that he is preparing the church, his people, for his return to the world, where he will restore all things.
We prepare for what only he can finish.
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