Advent Sunday
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The meaning of Advent
The meaning of Advent
Adventus - Coming or arriving.
Advent Calendar, most of which start on December 1st.
We think of it as a counting down to Christmas and think of it as a time to prepare to celebrate the Birth of Christ.
But that’s only half the story.
Church tradition is that Advent starts on the forth Sunday before Christmas.
But instead of looking only backward to the Cross, it also looks forward to the second coming of Christ. There is a dual purpose to the celebration of Advent.
Four Candles: two looking forward and two looking back.
Historically, the first two Sundays are a time to look forward to Christ’s return and the second two are to look back to the Birth of Christ.
And so, even though we are a very non-traditional Church, as a tip of the helmet to the early Church for the next two weeks we will look at the second coming of Christ.
This morning we will be in Luke 21.
In this chapter of Luke, Jesus is making some prophetic statements. In them, He is referencing kind of a dual prophecy. A partial fulfilment then a permanent fulfilment.
The destruction of Jerusalem and His second coming.
The destruction of Jerusalem took place in 70 AD, and of course we don’t know when the second one will come. But you have to understand, at the time He spoke, He was prophesying about both events.
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
Child was born, Son was given, but the rest is still to come.
The recognition of Advent dictates that the birth of Christ and the second coming of Christ cannot be separated.
6 “As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down.”
First warning is about false prophets.
8 And He said, “See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not go after them.
2nd warning: Calm down.....
9 “When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.”
Managing expectations.....
Ice storms: Milk and bread.
9/11. As we watched the 2nd Plane hit the WTC, then the one his the Pentagon, I remember thinking, this is it.....
10 Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom,
11 and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
Before that....
12 “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.
Look what He says about that....
13 “It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony.
What we think of testimony.....
What testimony really means.
14 “So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves;
15 for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.
Again, He says, “Chill out, I got this.”
16 “But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death,
17 and you will be hated by all because of My name.
Look back at what Jesus said in Luke 14
26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
Promise:
18 “Yet not a hair of your head will perish.
19 “By your endurance you will gain your lives.
Then He talks specifically about the destruction of Jerusalem.
Then we see the signs of His coming:
Then we see the signs of His coming:
Why didn’t you start with that? The good news of the Gospel is only good news when you understand the bad news.
25 “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,
26 men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
The fig tree with leaves, summer is near.
31 “So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.
Difficult passage:
32 “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.
Generation: race....generic and meaningless, why say anything.
A normal understanding of Generation: But that it was the generation that sees these signs ...
Means something to the generation that sees this, but not for the people he was talking to.....
He was talking about that generation and that the destruction of Jerusalem was the beginning of the end.
33 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
Our Instruction:
He has warned us: Not follow false christs
He has assured us: He will give you the words and the wisdom
He has instilled hope: straighten up and lift your head.
Now he Instructs us:
34 “Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap;
35 for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth.
36 “But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Don’t be weighted down: Partying all the the time, or worrying all the time.
Keep on alert at all times.
Praying.....
Christ is coming again......
35 “Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—
36 in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep.
37 “What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’ ”