Waiting with Hope

Well, good morning again, everyone. I think it is totally safe to say that we have now entered my favorite time of the year. I love Christmas time. I love the carols, I love family gatherings, I love the fact that we get to eat sausage balls and, for some reason, that’s only acceptable this time of the year.

As you know, Kristy and I have three young kids - 8, 6 & 3. This time of year is really fun with kids. Every morning, though, one of the first things out of their mouths is “Is it Christmas yet?” I mean, it’s guaranteed someone will ask that within the first 10 minutes of being awake. They’re waiting - not so patiently - on Christmas. Why? What is it that kids are most excited about? The presents.

Waiting is hard, isn’t it? We like to talk about kids having a hard time waiting to open gifts but we adults have a hard time with waiting, too…don’t we? Waiting implies that we aren’t in control. For us to have to “wait” on something means that someone or something other than ourselves dictates when what we’re waiting on will happen.

What makes waiting hard? Circumstances (explain). Anticipation (explain).

Now, my kids - as young as they are - know that they’re not allowed to open the presents unless it’s Christmas. They know that they can’t open them any sooner and they definitely know they won’t be waiting a second longer. They know there is an exact - or appropriate - time they can tear open the presents.

For centuries, God’s people, Israel, waited on the Messiah God had promised to send them. You see, God’s promise to send the Messiah didn’t originate with the formation of Israel as a people - it goes even further back.

Genesis 3:16 ESV

To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

Genesis 3:15 ESV

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Israel’s history is very “up and down” in terms of their relationship with God. They would live in obedience and blessing and then they would rebel and experience God’s discipline. They had good kings who led them in obedience to God and then they had really bad and corrupt kings who led them to rebel against God. They would be faithful in worship of God and then the next thing you know, they’re turning their backs on him, worshiping idols and doing really horrendous things. Israel’s story in the OT is one of obedience/blessing - disobedience/discipline.

The worst came in 605 BC when King Nebuchadnezzar invaded the southern kingdom of Judah and, then, in 597 when he destroyed Jerusalem and took many of the Jews as slaves. After 70 years of Babylonian rule, Persia conquered Babylon and took over. It was King Cyrus of Persia who allowed the Jews to begin returning home to rebuild their city and temple.

It’s during this time period - after God’s people had been totally wrecked, exiled, after God had allowed them to be handed over to their enemies - that a group of prophets - called Minor Prophets - were used by God to call the people of Israel to repentance and restoration.

It’s in the writings of these Minor Prophets that we really see - more than really any other scriptures - the longing of God’s people for the promised Messiah…the one who would restore Israel, heal the land, destroy their enemies and lead Israel as the eternal king.

One of these prophets - Zechariah - really gives us a look at the deep longing of God’s people for the coming of the Messiah. We’re going to spend the next 4 weeks going through this book because, it may seem unlikely to you, but we’ve got a lot in common with them.

Zechariah lived and prophesied during the rule of the Persian King Cyrus - you know, the one who was kind to the Jews and allowed them to return home and rebuild. God’s promises of restoring His people were beginning to be fulfilled - BUT ONLY IN PART. Yes, they were more free than they had been but they were still under foreign rule! They still had the burden of Persia on them. They were on a leash! They were longing for the coming of the Messiah to fully deliver and restore them.

Zechariah 14:1–20 ESV

Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one. The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security. And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. And on that day a great panic from the Lord shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps. Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the Lord.” And the pots in the house of the Lord shall be as the bowls before the altar.

Zechariah

We’re caught in that same tension…some call it “the already but the not yet.” You see, Zechariah’s people were longing for the FIRST coming of the Messiah. But, as we know, that’s already happened. Christianity is about 2 ARRIVALS, though.

Jesus’s first coming was to REDEEM. His second coming will be to REIGN.

We look back at his first coming with remembrance. We look forward to his second coming with longing.

BUT! Listen to me - we long WITH HOPE for...

The DEATH of DEATH

(vs. 3-5; 12-15)

The PERMANENT DWELLING of God’s PRESENCE.

(vs. 6-7)

The REBIRTH OF CREATION.

(vs. 8)

The UNIVERSAL REIGN of Jesus.

(vs. 9 - )

Revelation 21:1–8 ESV

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Let me remind you of something I said at the beginning - something I want to urge us on toward this Christmas - we look BACK with remembrance and we look FORWARD with longing.

Our HOPE in the future is anchored in the past.

Our hope that Jesus will return, rule in power, destroy all sin and death, dwell with us for all of eternity, make all things new…this isn’t just wishful thinking. This is a HOPE rooted in the finished work of Jesus and the character of God Himself - who is TRUTH and in him there is no falsehood.

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Romans 8:18–21 ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Romans 8:18–25 ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

No matter what I am facing right now…now matter what

Romans 8:22–25 ESV

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

No matter what I am facing right now…now matter what the enemy is throwing my way…etc…We long with hope…we patiently await the return of Christ.