The Great Expectation of Jesus

December 1, 2013

Port Gardner Church

Chuck Hickman

 

The Great Expectation of Jesus

Week 1 of Advent

The Prophecy Candle

 

For the next 4 weeks until Christmas, we will be doing a sermon series on Advent. 

 

The Meaning of "Advent"

·         The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival."

·         The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent,

·         and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent.

 

Advent is the beginning of the Church Year for most churches in the Western tradition. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is the Sunday nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec 24).

 

Advent is more than just acknowledging  a 2,000 year old event in history.

·          It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ so that all of creation could be reconciled to God.

·         As believers we participate in this process, and we anticipate the conclusion of this as well.

·         Scripture puts emphasis on the Second Advent, including themes of accountability for faithfulness at His coming, judgment on sin, and the hope of eternal life.

 

In this double focus on past and future,

·         Advent also symbolizes the spiritual journey of individuals and a congregation,

o   as they affirm that Christ has come,

o   that He is present in the world today,

o   and that He will come again in power.

 

That acknowledgment gives us a basis for Kingdom ethics,

·         for holy living that comes from an understanding  that we live "between the times"

·         and are called to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us as God’s people.

 

The Spirit of Advent

·         Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing.

·         There is a yearning for deliverance from the evils of the world,

o   first expressed by Israelite slaves in Egypt as they cried out from their bitter oppression.

·         It is the cry of those who have experienced the tyranny of injustice in a world under the curse of sin,

·         and yet who have hope of deliverance by a God who has heard the cries of oppressed slaves and brought deliverance!

 

It is that hope which brings to the world the anticipation of a King

·         who will rule with truth and justice and righteousness over His people and in His creation.

·         It is that hope that once anticipated, and now anticipates anew, the reign of an Anointed One,

·         a Messiah, who will bring peace and justice and righteousness to the world.

 

Part of the expectation also anticipates a judgment on sin and a calling of the world to accountability before God.

·         We long for God to come and set the world right!

 

Old Testament Israelites expected a Messiah that would deliver them from oppression and injustice.

They did not necessarily think of themselves and needing deliverance from personal guilt and sin but from the systematic evil of the world expressed through evil empires and tyrants.

Romans 8:18-25                [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. [19] For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. [20] For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope [21] 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. [22] For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. [23] 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. [24] For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? [25] But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

 

But  there is the problem of longing for vindication from an evil world when we are contributors to that evil.

 

The prophet Amos warns people that the day of the Lord will also be a day of darkness…

Amos 5:18-20     [18] Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD!

                                Why would you have the day of the LORD?

                                It is darkness, and not light,

                                [19] as if a man fled from a lion,

                                and a bear met him,

                                or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,

                                and a serpent bit him.

                                [20] Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light,

                                and gloom with no brightness in it?

 

Still, even with Amos’ warning the time of Advent is one of expectation and anticipation, a longing for God's actions to restore all things and vindicate the righteous.

 

This is why during Advent we as Christians also anticipate the Second Coming as a twin theme of the season. So, while some church traditions focus on penitence during Advent, and there remains a place for that, the spirit of that expectation from the Old Testament is better captured with a joyous sense of expectancy. Rather than a time of mourning and fasting, Advent is celebrated as a time of joy and happiness as we await the coming of the King.

 

So, we celebrate with gladness the great promise in the Advent,

·         knowing also a somber tone as the theme of threat is added to the theme of promise. This is reflected in some of the Scripture readings for Advent, in which there is a strong prophetic tone of accountability and judgment on sin. But this is also faithful to the role of the Coming King who comes to rule, save, and judge the world.

 

Because of the dual themes of threat and promise,

·         Advent is a time of preparation that is marked by prayer.

·         While Lent is characterized by fasting and a spirit of penitence, Advent’s prayers are prayers of humble devotion and commitment, prayers of submission, prayers for deliverance, prayers from those walking in darkness who are awaiting and anticipating a great light (Isa 9)!

·         The gospel must always be preached with threat and promise.  Many of us don’t like to hear the threat part.  We don’t want to think that a God of love would ever hurt anyone.  But by doing so we dismiss the Holiness of God.

·         When we dismiss God’s Holiness, we dismiss the real need for a savior because if God is not Holy then there is no reason for us to be disconnected from Him.  There is no problem with sin.

·         We want God to think like we think and be like we are.  We can’t imagine that God could be different than us.  After all I could never serve a God that would do…. X.

 

This is why the first and most important of the 5 doctrines of grace is that of Total Depravity.

·         Understanding Total Depravity is the beginning of knowing that there is a gigantic difference between you and God.

·         “If you believe what you like in the gospel and reject what you don’t like… It is not the gospel that you believe, but yourself.”  St. Augustine

·         The Israelites, in waiting and hoping for a savior, did so thinking that God would deliver them from something oustside themselves.  They believed they would be delivered from their oppressors and be given a land where they could live in prosperity and peace. 

·         When Jesus came, He was not what they were looking for.  Jesus came to deliver them from sin and death.  He came to deliver them… from themselves.

·         This is a common misnomer in Christianity.  We think we need a savior to save us from Satan, and while Satan was defeated on the cross, so was our own depravity.  Not that it magically goes away, but that we have been given the power to overcome Satan as well as our depraved self. 

·         And Israel was lost in this kind of thought.  The same kind of thought we battle today.  That our problems lie outside of ourselves.  We pray for God to change our circumstances… instead of praying that God would change us.

 

We need to truly know our own condition (the threat) before we can truly expect the redemption from our sin (the promise).

 

The spirit of Advent is expressed well in the parable of the bridesmaids who are anxiously awaiting the coming of the Bridegroom.

Matt 25:1-13      [25:1] “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. [2] Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. [3] For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, [4] but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. [5] As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. [6] But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ [7] Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. [8] And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ [9] But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ [10] And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. [11] Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ [12] But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ [13] Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

               

·         There is profound joy at the Bridegroom’s expected coming.

·          And also a warning of the need for preparation.

·         We must prepare our hearts for the coming of our savior.

·         The Bible gives us many prophesies to help us prepare.   These prophesies are important because they demonstrate God’s power.  His Holiness, Righteousness and that He keeps His promises.  God can never go against himself.

 

 

Here are ten prophecies that help encourage us from the Old Testament, fulfilled in the coming of Jesus:

 

1. Jesus will come from the line of Abraham. Prophecy: Genesis 12:3. Fulfilled: Matthew 1:1.

2. Jesus’ mother will be a virgin. Prophecy: Isaiah 7:14. Fulfilled: Matthew 1:18–23.

3. Jesus will be a descendent of Isaac and Jacob. Prophecy: Genesis 17:19 and Numbers 24:17. Fulfilled: Matthew 1:2.

4. Jesus will be born in the town Bethlehem. Prophecy: Micah 5:2. Fulfilled: Luke 2:1–7.

5. Jesus will be called out of Egypt. Prophecy: Hosea 11:1. Fulfilled: Matthew 2:13–15.

6. Jesus will be a member of the tribe of Judah. Prophecy: Genesis 49:10. Fulfilled: Luke 3:33. 

7. Jesus will enter the temple. This is important because the temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 and was never rebuilt. Prophecy: Malachi 3:1. Fulfilled: Luke 2:25–27.

8. Jesus will be from the lineage of King David. Prophecy: Jeremiah 23:5. Fulfilled: Matthew 1:6.

9. Jesus’ birth will be accompanied with great suffering and sorrow. Prophecy: Jeremiah 31:15. Fulfilled: Matthew 2:16.

10. Jesus will live a perfect life, die by crucifixion, resurrect from death, ascend into heaven, and sit at the right hand of God. Prophecies: Psalm 22:16; Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 53:10–11; Psalm 68:18; Psalm 110:1. Fulfilled: 1 Peter 2:21–22; Luke 23:33; Acts 2:25–32; Acts 1:9; Hebrews 1:3.

As we begin this Advent season, take time to think about the threat and the promise.

 

Try to look at yourself and make and assessment.  Not of deeds of rights and wrongs.  But of your own human condition. 

 

We had a lot of extended family around for Thanksgiving.  Good Kid story.

 

Seek to know your own depravity.  Pray and ask God to show you your sin.  We are programmed to ignore sin in our lives. 

 

Know your sin so you can know your need for a savior.  So you can truly hope for and expect the promise of the Messiah.

 

There is mercy for the sinner, but there is no mercy for the one who does not own themselves a sinner.

Charles Spurgeon

 

Romans 5:1 For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.

 

Romans 5:6-11  [6] For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—[8] but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. [10] For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. [11] More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.