1 Advent 2024
Luke 21:25-36
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars and on the earth
distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is 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 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:25-28
These words of Jesus are meant as a clear reference a famous messianic prophecy in Daniel 7:13-14. Significantly, the text in Daniel is associated with and often read at Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday of the church year, which was last week. It is a text about the enthronement of the Messiah. This is what the text in Daniel says:
“I saw one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.”
Jesus can talk of his return with great power and glory on the clouds on the basis of his enthronement as king. Jesus’ words in the Gospel reading for this first Sunday in Advent, and the text from Daniel chapter 7, tie the church year together. We finished with a reminder and celebration of Jesus as King. Now, we begin the new church year with a reminder that this king, the Son of Man, will return to earth, just as he has ascended into his heavenly throne.
And that is what Advent is about. It is about expectation and preparation for the coming of Jesus. And it is about expectation and preparation for both of his comings to earth. It is about preparation for Christmas, for his coming to us in flesh. And it is about his coming again in power and kingly glory. Both themes run through our Advent season, and so we find what seems to us this strange mix of Bible readings, songs and prayers that both anticipate Christmas and the end times.
But that is Advent. It is a preparation for celebrating God’s first sojourn among us, beginning with the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. And it is equally a preparation for his coming again in power and glory.
As a text focusing on the second coming (or coming again) of Jesus, the text in today’s Gospel reading carries the usual aura of apprehension and even fear at what is to come. We have signs in the heavens (appropriate for one returning from the heavens) as well as the seas. The heavens and earth will be shaken and there will be much anxiety and even panic about what is coming. We are told to be alert for these signs. To be prepared. Because Jesus coming will catch many off guard and unaware. And we are told that when these signs begin to appear, the generation of people who see them will not pass before Jesus returns in power and glory to earth.
Many throughout the history of the church have become focused on just what these signs mean. And also the meaning of ‘this generation will not pass away.’ Is it the generation Jesus was speaking to? Some who first heard these words would have thought that. But it seems in context much more likely to mean the generation that sees the signs he is speaking about. And just how long is a generation? Is it 20 years? 40? 60? 100? For those who become obsessed with biblical prophecy and trying to predict the time of Jesus’ return this becomes a big question.
And so also the question about reading the signs in the heavens and the earth. Every time there are special occurrences in the skies, such and comets, eclipses of moon and sun, solar flares, alignment of planets, etc there is another wave of those claiming that these must be the signs Jesus spoke of. And the same with massive storms in the ocean, and especially tsunamis. But the thing is, it has always been this way. Since the time of Jesus (and long before as well) these celestial occurrences have been observed, and there have been massive storms in the seas and tsunamis.
The one thing we know for certain is that everyone in the last two thousand years who has boldly predicted that the signs in the heaven that they observed, for the storms or tsunamis they experienced, are the signs that Jesus was talking about, has been wrong. But that does not stop or give pause to our modern day readers of prophecy who write books and flood the internet with their predictions.
Their ability to so clearly read the signs and to cause great anxiety is a bit like some of the more extreme climate catastrophists among us. There is no doubt that the impact human activity has on climate is a serious issue. But it seems that we cannot have a single hot or cold day, or heat waver or storm without it being a sign of the end. When I was young a heat wave was a heat wave and a storm was a storm. Cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes struct certain parts of the world every year, and there were always massive tornadoes in the American mid-west. But now it seems every weather event is a sign of the end. It is proof positive that climate change is about to bring an end to life as we know it. Some talk as if these things have not occurred before, or are somehow more extreme or common that they were 20, 40, 60 or 100 years ago. Even though both our memories and the records suggest this is not the case. But the reporting of such events has become more alarmist and sensational.
They are always certain that recent and current events are the portent of the end. But then the rains come again, as they always have, the seas calm again, as they always have, the floods subside, as they always have. Life goes until the next dramatic weather event somewhere in the world.
It is the same with the self-appointed readers of biblical prophecy. And the same with the heavenly signs, the roaring of the seas, and also the ‘wars and rumours of wars’ the Bible speaks of. They come and go as they always have. We get back to our routines until the next event or series of events fires up the readers of prophecy and those who read their books and follow their websites become anxious once more.
It is a predictable and sad cycle. But it is not what Jesus intended for his people when he said these words. He wanted us to be watchful, not panicked. He warned that those around us who did not know him and his love would be anxious and frightened about what was coming. Jesus did not mean for us to feel this way.
In fact, quite the opposite. Jesus told us these things that we might have hope, that we might rejoice that he is coming again.
Notice again the words of verse 28, the words so often overlooked by the prophecy readers and the predicters of the end times. Jesus says, ‘when these things begin to occur, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’
Notice, Jesus doesn’t say, ‘run and hide.’ He doesn’t say, ‘be very afraid.’ He doesn’t say, ‘be anxious.’ In fact, he says quite the opposite. He tells us that when times are difficult, when we think this must surely be the end, to stand up and lift our heads in anticipation and celebration, because our redemption is near.
To say the least, it is not the reaction one would expect when everyone around us is anxious or in absolute panic. It is not the reaction one would expect if the world as we know it really was coming to an end.
But it is precisely the reaction to be expected from those who know and love Jesus. It the reaction of knowing that the king who is returned in great power and spectacular glory is also coming and the just and loving and forgiving king. The return of Jesus is, first and foremost, the return of our king, and saviour and friend.
When Jesus calls us to stand and lift up our heads instead of being anxious and fearful, he is calling us to hope.
And hope, as it happens, is the traditional theme of this first Sunday in Advent.
Preparing the way for the coming of the Lord. Expecting his return. These things are not about fear and anxiety. They are about hope.
And it is hope not despite of all the signs and turmoil we experience around us. It is hope precisely because of these things.
If all is going well in the world and in my life, then it would be odd for me to be anything other than optimistic about the future. We see this in the regular consumer optimism surveys. When the economy is going well, people are optimistic and have plans for buying, holidaying or staring a new business. When the economy is not going so well, or is forecast to have troubles, then we see the opposite. People are worried and put off any many commitments.
Imagine if we did just the opposite. If we started a new business venture or plans a big holiday when all the economic indicators were bad. Some would say this was simply foolish. Others would call it overly optimistic. Or perhaps we might simply call it hope.
This is similar to what Jesus describes in today’s text. The whole world is anxious and fearful. And not without reason. Yet his followers are to stand and lift their hands in celebration and excitement. That is true hope. It is hope built on the confidence we have in Jesus. That the king who is coming is the king we know to be just and loving and kind. The king we know as our friend, the one who gave his life for us.
Christian hope is about expectation and preparing. But not the kind of fearful expectation and preparing we see in so-called ‘preppers’ getting ready for the end of the world or some impending disaster by barricading themselves in.
Genuine Christian hope is one of joy and peace. It is one that is confident in the coming king when everyone around us is anxious and fearful. And this is true in our individual life journeys just as much as in the journey of world history leading toward the physical return of Jesus as king.
We might feel anxious at reports of wars and cyclones and fires and droughts, but these, unless we are in the midst of them, often seem a safe distance away. But when crisis and trouble strikes close to home, things are very different. When the bad news from the doctor is delivered to us, or someone close to us, it seems like the end of our world. When it is our job that is lost, or our relationship that breaks up, it really does seem like signs that the end is near.
But the message of Advent, the message of the coming kings, calls us to keep our eyes focused on Jesus even at these times. That is true hope. To rejoice and trust in Jesus even when all around us is fear and anxiety. When we can hope and trust in the coming king, not just in the face of far aways signs and portents and troubles, but also in the face of the challenges and troubles we will surely face in life, then we have understood the real meaning not just of Advent, but of hope in our coming king.
Amen.
Pastor Mark Worthing.
Port Macquarie.