The Advent Story

The Rev. Dr. Skip Ferguson

Manassas Presbyterian Church

Manassas, Virginia

November 27, 2016: First Sunday in Advent

The Advent Story

Selected Texts

“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,

and God himself will be with them;

he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

for the first things have passed away.”

And the one who was seated on the throne said,

“See, I am making all things new.”

(Revelation 21:3-5)

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We know the story, don’t we:

it is a story we love,

a story we love to hear,

every year,

every Christmas:

the story of a baby,

a baby born to a carpenter and his young wife;

a baby born in a stable;

a baby whose bed was hay in a feeding trough,

with donkey and oxen and lamb

all looking on with sleepy detachment

in dim candlelight.

It is a story we hear;

a story we sing;

a story we watch in pageants;

and of course,

it’s a story we re-create in nativities,

some of us by the dozens (and dozens)!

It is a story we celebrate each year

as we decorate, wrap gifts,

bake cookies, hang ornaments on trees.

But our focus on that story

and all the joyful celebration that goes with it,

can distract us from another story,

THE other story: the Advent story.

The Advent story tells us that the Christ who came,

the Christ who was born in a stable;

the Christ who died on the Cross,

is the Christ who will come again,

come in glory,

come to make all things new.

Were you aware that we tell the Advent story

throughout the year,

every month?

We tell it in its most condensed form

every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper,

when together we say in our Eucharistic prayer,

“Christ has died;….     

Christ is risen;…  

Christ will come again!”

Christ will come again!

Christ WILL come again—

emphasis on the word, “will”:

Christ WILL come again.

Say it that way next Sunday:

Christ WILL come again.

That is the Advent story.

Our Lord himself told us that he would come again,

come again, “like a thief in the night”,

come at a time known only to God:

As he said,

“But about that day or hour no one knows,

neither the angels in heaven,

nor the Son,

but only the Father.”

(Mark 13:32)

Jesus is about as clear as can be on this,

emphasizing the point even after his resurrection:

that he would come again, but that,

“It is not for you to know the times or periods

that the Father has set by his own authority.

(Acts 1:6)

Trying to figure out the day, the time,

as so many have done over the centuries,

not only ignores our Lord’s teaching,

it is a waste of time;

it distracts us from

what our Lord teaches us

we are supposed to do,

which is to make ourselves ready:

“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit,”

Jesus tells us,

“Be like those who are waiting for their master

to return from the wedding banquet,

so that they may open the door for him

as soon as he comes and knocks.

Blessed are those

whom the master finds alert when he comes…

You must be ready,

for the Son of Man is coming

at an unexpected hour.”

(Luke 12:35ff)

Do you hear that: we must be ready!

Are you ready?

Are you ready,

not for Christmas,

but for Advent?

                          

We all have our lists of things we need to do

to get ourselves ready for Christmas:

shop, cook,

decorate, clean,

send cards,

avoid politics.

But what do we need to do

to get ourselves ready for Advent,

what should be on that list?

Speaking through the prophet Isaiah

God helps us get started:
“…cease to do evil,

learn to do good;

seek justice,

rescue the oppressed,

defend the orphan,

plead for the widow….

Everyone loves a bribe

and runs after gifts.

They do not defend the orphan,

and the widow’s cause does not come before them.”

(Isaiah 1:16ff)

So, there’s a start right there:

an emphasis on doing good,

not just on Sunday, but at all times,

in all places.

Living compassionately,

showing concern without judgment

for those who struggle in life.

Mary, the mother of our Lord,

emphasized theses points as she anticipated

God’s Advent Kingdom in her prayer of gratitude:

“The Lord has scattered the proud

in the thoughts of their hearts.

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

and lifted up the lowly;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

and sent the rich away empty.”

(Luke 1:52ff)

Do justice,

love kindness,

walk humbly with God.

That’s what the Lord requires of us;

that’s what needs to be on our list.

(Micah 6:8)

A familiar Christmas text also guides us:

“For a child has been born for us,

a son given to us;

authority rests upon his shoulders;

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

…He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

or decide by what his ears hear;

but with righteousness

he shall judge the poor,

and decide with equity

for the meek of the earth;…

Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,

and faithfulness the belt around his loins.”

(Isaiah 9 & 11)

Live with compassion,

kindness,

humility, goodness,

righteousness,

as we work for justice,

following the Prince of Peace –

that’s how we prepare

for the Advent of our Lord.

We hear and read of the birth of our Lord

as spectators;

we are far removed from the story

by time and distance.

But you and I are part of the Advent story;

we are woven in its pages,

chapter and verse,

as much as the shepherds and the Wise Men

were part of the Christmas story.

Biblical scholar Alan Culpepper has observed,

“We have seen in the ministry of Jesus

the beginning of a new community,

one that redeems and reconciles.

Sin is forgiven and defeated.

The broken are made whole.

Oppression of the deprived is forbidden,

and the powers of this age

are challenged by the power at work in Jesus.”

The Advent story is the culmination

of the Christmas story.    

It is what we heard from the final book of the Bible,

the book of Revelation,

God with us, our Immanuel:

“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,

and God himself will be with them;

he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.”

And the one who was seated on the throne said,

“See, I am making all things new.”

This is the Advent kingdom,

the kingdom of righteousness and justice,

the kingdom in which God’s people
“shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war any more…”

It is Advent

and we are called to “become light”,

each of us,

for our role in the Advent story,

each of us becoming light

as we sing our song of eager anticipation,
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel”.

“Be like those who are waiting for their master,”

Jesus tells us,

“so that they may open the door for him

as soon as he comes and knocks.”

As though if we were not there,

not ready,

the door would remain closed,

and Jesus could not enter,

our lack of preparation,

our failure to be alert and ready,

blocking,

stalling

stopping our Lord’s advent.

          

So wrap gifts,

sing carols,

send cards,

decorate homes,

celebrate the birth with joy!

                                                              

But also: make yourself ready

for our Lord’s advent.

For the promise is sure,

God is “about to create new heavens

and a new earth”.
(Isaiah 65)

To God be the glory!

AMEN