The Season of Advent

It is that time of year again. It is the season of Advent. It is the season of Christmas. It is the time of year that we get to look forward to the coming of Jesus.

Yet, for some it is a time of year of…Fear

The Phobia’s of Christmas

Did you know that there are fears of Christmas?

Let’s look at a Couple.

The Phobia’s of Christmas

Tarandophobia—The Fear of Reindeer. It isn’t for all deer but specifically reindeer. Don’t start singing Rudolph the Red nose Reindeer around these people.

The Phobia’s of Christmas

Chionophobia—The Fear of Snow

Better move to a tropical environment. You won’t catch them singing “Let it Snow” this holiday season.

The Phobia’s of Christmas

Doronophobia—The Fear of Gifts.

The pressure that surrounds the room when opening a gift from a relative. Its the pressure of Do they like it or not?

The Phobia’s of Christmas

Christougenniatiko Dentrophobia—The Fear of Christmas trees.

I don’t know if they would feel welcome in our church or singing O Christmas tree O Christmas tree for them.

Fears are tough. Fears bring hardship and that is the place that God’s People found themselves.

They were in a state of fear and uncertainty in the book of Jeremiah because they lived in a time that the King was corrupt and they Babylonians were attacking. What is happening?

This was where they found themselves.

I was thinking about this idea of sitting in Uncertainty and fear and I was wondering about how...

Uncertainty today

We sit in a state of uncertainty today that we wonder what is happening. Where is God right now?

We look around and wonder what is happening and how we are moving forward as Christians.

Where is the Hope? Yet, God gave the people a promise in their time that we can look to and be reminded of what it means for us today.

Jeremiah 33:14–16 NIV

14 “ ‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. 15 “ ‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’

The Days are Coming

The days are coming. This is a promise that looks to the future for the world.

For the people in Jeremiah’s time it points to the immediate uncertainty that they face with the corrupt King Zedekiah and his replacement.

King Zedekiah was corrupt and was leading the people to the Exile.

The people were looking to an answer to their problem of a King that wasn’t serving God.

There was a longing for the reemergence of the Davidic Kingship in the land.

Yet, the people had to face the exile and the hardship that was going to come.

God was pointing them instead to the future and to the promise that he had a plan.

Yes, they were going to face hardship and struggle but there was a promise made by God that the days are coming.

The point to the future is a promise of the eschatological expectations we have in the church.

Eschatological. Pastor Andy that is a really fancy word. What are you talking about.

Eschatology is the doctrine of last things or the final outworking of God’s promise and activity.

Example Book of Revelation deals with a lot of Eschatology.

When you hear this word don’t get to focused on End times but on Promise fulfillment. This is the real meat of the doctrine.

The readers of Jeremiah are pointed to this very idea.

“When I fulfill the Good Promise”

They can rely on the fact that God is trustworthy and faithful in his promises.

Like the original readers we can have the same knowledge that God is faithful and trustworthy in his promises. We must never forget that.

So what did he promise...

Jeremiah 33:15 NIV

15 “ ‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.

The Righteous Branch

The Righteous Branch from David’s Line. This line is a point to the promise of a coming Messiah.

This Branch was to fulfill the promise made to David and what would rise out of his line.

This wouldn’t be just another normal King though this would be in stark contrast to the King Zedekiah. He would be a Righteous King.

He would be a King that practices Justice and right living and would change the world.

He would be the savior of all of Judah and the people would return to a place of God’s Rule through the line of David.

This is the ideal King sitting on the eternal throne.

While many might have thought this would just be another King to replace King Zedekiah it is a bigger promise than that.

For us as Christians it is easy to see that. We see that the coming of the Righteous Branch would be a reference to something greater.

We Benefit from Hind sight.

We see what God’s plan is in Jesus because we have the story.

Yet, the people of the day did not fully understand it.

They were absorbed in their current predicament and couldn’t see past their impending exile.

Do we do the same today?

Do we think that we know exactly how it is going to play out?

God is going to send Jesus to save us all again. Yes that is a true statement but is it going to look exactly like we think. We have the word of God to go off of and we have ideas but we must be reminded that we are to be always watching and looking because we don’t have a full proof understanding of how he will return. We are called to

Matthew 25:13 NIV

13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

We know he is coming but we don’t know when or exactly how and we must be on the ready but we do know that he is coming.

This is the promise that God gives us. He is sending us..

Jeremiah 33:16 NIV

16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’

Our Savior

This time of year we get to celebrate the truth that we have a savior and he is coming.

We look to the season of Advent as a marked time where we celebrate the Birth of Jesus.

Just like the Jewish people were looking for the promised Messiah we sit in anticipation of his return.

Yet, Jesus came in an unexpected way. He came as a Child born in a Manger. Not as a King or in great splendor but in a simple manger to people the world would least expect.

He came though and he changed the world around him.

This promise made in Jeremiah is a reminder that the people needed to be saved. That they faced a grave peril.

While they faced a physical one in their coming exile it was not the only danger that they faced at the time.

We all faced the same challenge and danger of not recognizing the need for our savior.

It is only through his righteousness as King that we are able to be saved from the destruction of sin.

Not only does he save us from the wages of sin and the eternal consequences of being separated from God.

He gives us the hope that one day we will live in safety. WE can have the hope in the coming of the second of Jesus because he came the first time as a baby.

We celebrate this time of year to remind us not of what has been but what is to come.

This gives us hope.

It is also good for us to be reminded of why we have that hope.

Communion

You who are walking in fellowship with God, and are in love and harmony with your neighbors; and you who do truly and earnestly repent of your sin and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from this time in His holy ways, draw near with faith, and take this holy sacrament to your comfort; and meekly make your humble confession to Almighty God.

O God of grace and mercy, we thank You that You ever loved us and provided for our redemption. We thank You for Your Son who died to save us, and for Your Spirit who invites us to draw near. Guide us now as we commemorate the suffering of our Lord. Help us to remember the cost of our salvation. Help us to commune with You and with each other. And so consecrate the bread and the cup which are here prepared, that as we partake of them we may receive the spiritual benefits of Christ’s broken body and shed blood. In His name we pray. Amen.

The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for you, preserve your soul and body unto everlasting life. Take and eat this remembering that Christ died for you, and feed on Him in your heart, by faith, with thanksgiving.

The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for you, preserve your soul and body unto everlasting life. Drink this remembering that Christ’s blood was shed for you, and be thankful.

May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord; and the blessings of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be among you and remain with you always. Amen.