Christ will come again.

First Preached at Church of the Resurrection, Cranberry Township, PA. on the First Sunday of Advent, Dec. 2, 1989.

First Sunday of Advent, YEAR A, Nov. 29, 1992

St. James' Episcopal Church, Fairhope, AL

The Rev. Timothy J. Howe

"Christ will come again."

The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas has always been one of my favorite times of year.  As a boy growing up, I used to love the smell of wood burning in fireplaces and the crisp, cold air.  And as the time for Christmas approached, the excitement and enthusiasm began to build and grow- big things were in store!!  Mom and Dad would lock us out of their room as sounds of wrapping paper would emanate from behind their door.  The house would get decorated, cards would pour in from friends and family, and Mom would cook and bake all sorts of treats.

          And then it would be Christmas Eve.  I remember one year in particular.  I must have been about 5 or 6 and I had finally figured out the deepest mystery of Christmas.  I had finally figured out that Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer was the headlight for Santa's sleigh and if I wanted to see Santa coming, I just had to stand at the window and watch for that red nose!  So, I figured that if I wanted to meet this Santa Claus fellow, I needed to stay by the window and watch.  So, all through that Christmas Eve, I kept going to the front window, straining to see Rudolph's red nose.  I was eager and full of anticipation because I knew that when Santa stopped at the house, there were always marvelous things to play with the next day! 

          Since becoming a Christian, I have learned the true meaning of Christmas, the great Gift from God sent to His sinful Creation to redeem it and save it.  And I have come to realize that that same sense of eager expectation with which I waited for Rudolph ought to mark our lives as we wait and look for the Return of our Lord. 

          As we enter the Advent season, we in the Church are doing two things;

I.       We are both looking back at that incredible moment in history when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem and,

II.      we are looking forward to Christ's second Coming in power to manifest the triumph of His Kingdom in the world. 

Our gospel lesson today emphasizes this second point, that Christ will come again.  This morning, I would like to share with you some thoughts concerning this great shining truth, that Christ will come again.

          To examine this, we will look at THE FACT OF CHRIST'S RETURN.;

And then HOW WE OUGHT TO WATCH AND BE READY FOR CHRIST'S RETURN.

First, the Fact of Christ's return:

          The Fact that Jesus Christ will come again has been a doctrine that has not received much attention in the Episcopal Church, it seems to me.  My impression is that we Episcopalians get so caught up in the here and now that we forget about the hereafter.  Then, of course, there are other branches of Christendom which have had splits and schisms over fine points of interpretation regarding the timing of Christ's return.  Further, we live in an age when it seems incredible that some figure from the ancient past is supposed to step back into history, and not only that, but in such a way as to command the loyalty and attention of the entire human race. 

          Despite these extremes, it is essential that we remember that Jesus said He is going to come back to earth one day and that He warned His followers to be ready and waiting for Him.

          The Scriptures are quite explicit on the fact that Jesus will come again.  In each of the four gospels, we have recorded that Jesus taught He would return to earth one day.

          Second, in Acts 1, at His ascension, The disciples were staring into the sky where Jesus had just gone, when two angels suddenly appear and tell them that Jesus will come back in the same way they saw Him leave.    Third, it is the uniform testimony of the Scriptures that Jesus will come again.  Nearly every book in the New Testament touches in some way on the fact that He will come back.  It is an integral part of the faith, handed down from the very beginning of Christianity, that we can expect Jesus to come again.

          Most of the writers of the NT spend quite some time discussing how we ought to live our lives as the result of this expectation that Jesus will return. 

          Now, the question becomes for us, what are we to do with this fact?  Can we dismiss it as old fashioned or meaningless?  Can we just ignore it and get on with life?  Or perhaps, we can get so wrapped up in it that it becomes an obsession for us and keeps us from fulfilling our duties and responsibilities to those around us. 

          Jesus gives us the key to handling this wonderful truth.  Being prepared for His return does not involve dropping out of life or ignoring His return as meaningless.  No, it involves an attitude of expectant watchfulness and preparedness.

          This reminds me of the Minutemen.  During the American Revolutionary War, these men would carry their muskets with them wherever they went- whether it was to work, or to the Tavern, or just around town.  Why?  They needed to be ready when the alarm sounded out that the British were coming.  When they heard the drum roll, they would drop everything, run to the assembly point and prepare to fight a battle.  They were called Minutemen because it only took them a minute to get ready- they were already prepared and had their equipment with them at all times. 

          There is a famous statue in Concord, Massachusetts of a minuteman.  He has his musket in one hand and is gripping his ammunition in the other.  Behind him is a plow, that he has just stepped away from because he heard the call to arms.  He was prepared.

          This is a useful picture of what it means to be ready when our Lord comes.  It will be those who are ready and able to drop everything and step away from this world who will be gathered to Christ by the angels.

          So, what things ought to mark our lives as people who are ready and watchful for our Lord's return?  Jesus tells us in the passage just after our reading. 

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master , when he comes, will find so doing."

          This servant was busily engaged in the task his master had set him to do.  It is the same with us.  We need to be busy about the tasks that God has given us to do, seeking to faithfully fulfill them.  It will be while we are in the midst of them that God will come to us.

          Our reading from Romans 13 gives us an additional answer.

          Owe no one anything- the idea here is to not be tied into the things of this world, whether wealth or power or things.  Be ready at a moment's notice to leave this world, free from the encumbrances of its things.            But, this also implies having right relationships.  As Paul goes on, Owe no one anything, except the continuing debt to love one another.  Our relationships need to be right and up to date.

          Understand that this great event is closer now than when we first believed.  Paul urges us to WAKE UP, keep our sense about us and keep watch because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

          Are there things in your life you would be embarrassed to have come out into the open?  Renounce them, give them up, let them go.  Have done with the deeds of darkness.  We all know what areas we still need to grow in and where we have not surrendered to Christ.  Let Him come in and clean those things out of you today.  Live as a child of God, out in the open, in the daytime, having renounced the evil deeds of darkness. 

          As we order our lives after God's pattern, we will find that we are slowly but surely becoming ready for that great day when Christ will return. 

 Conclusion

          We do not know the time or hour of Christ's return.  Remember pop quizzes?  You never knew when they might occur, but when they did, you had no chance to prepare for them.  If you didn't know the material, you were stuck. 

          In a very real sense, Christ's return will be like that- those who are ready will find nothing to fear, but those who aren't will find terror and shame. 

          Because He is coming back and because we do not know the time or day of His appearing, we need to be faithful to the task He has called us to. 

We, like the Minutemen, need to be ready to go at a moment's notice, awake and aware to the signs of the times, and living our lives expectantly that He will come again. 

          So this Christmas time, as we celebrate Christ's first Advent, remember that we are still in the middle of the drama and the curtain has not yet come down.  And remember that it will come down one day.  For those who are ready, it will be a day of delight, but for those who aren't, it will be a day of distress and anguish.  So, are you ready? AMEN.