What are We Waiting For? –or– Advent of What?

Ezra 1:1-4 New International Version (NIV)
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:
“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. 4 And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”
Ezra 3:1-4 New International Version (NIV)
3 When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled together as one in Jerusalem. 2 Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. 3 Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. 4 Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day.
Ezra 3:10-13 New International Version (NIV)
10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel. 11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:
“He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.”
And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. 13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away. New International Version (NIV)
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This is the season of Advent. Advent of what? Advent of Christmas? If the advent of something marks the arrival of something, Advent started way before Halloween. Did you see Christmas decorations in the stores before Halloween?
A friend and I were discussing Christmas hymns and the annual Advent conflict between pastors and the congregations about singing Christmas hymns during Advent. My friend calls me an Advent purist, because I think Advent is quite separate from Christmas. He, on the other hand, wants to experience that feeling of Christmas excitement sooner, rather than later.
My argument is that 1) there are plenty of great Advent hymns and 2) Advent is not Christmas. When I checked Wikipedia to learn more about Advent I was reminded that we’re not only awaiting the Coming of Jesus’ birthday party; we’re also awaiting the SECOND COMING!!! That is something I kind of blow off, is it not? Other than the promises we repeat at funerals. So, I’m going to be more intentional about the Second Coming in my remaining two Advent sermons.
The Greek word for advent is parousia. It occurs 24 times in the New Testament. Seven times it is used to indicate the arrival of someone, to indicate that a visitor will be there in person. The remaining 15 times it is used to indicate the arrival of Jesus, physically and wholly present on earth.
I never preach about the parousia or Second Coming. Why not? Is it obsolete, because, lo, these many years. nothing has happened? Have we given up on Jesus coming back to earth visibly and physically?
The advent of Jesus was very real to first century Christians. They had heard that promise second hand from the people who had heard it first hand from Jesus. It wasn’t just gossip or exaggeration or wishful thinking.
Matthew 24:3 New International Version (NIV)
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
The idea of Jesus returning was not something his followers made up or misunderstood. They were quoting Jesus. And Jesus made it clear that his return would not be just a theological metaphor.
27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus describes in some detail his arrival:
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Matthew 24
There was some concern among the early Christians that those who had died would not be a part of the Second Coming; Paul reassures them:
15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.1 Thessalonians 4:15 New International Version (NIV)
The promise of Jesus’ return brings some comfort to the early Christians in the midst of the persecution they experience at the hand of the Roman government.
From 2 Thessalonians 1:
6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.
It seems to me that we overlook the advent of the Second Coming and bury all those promises in the promise of eternal life. Why?
When I was a kid, I dreaded the Second Coming. I just knew Jesus would arrive, astride a giant white horse, and accompanied by a bunch of bright angels with very stern looks on their faces, just as I was hitting my sister or sassing my mother. Straight to hell for little Dianne.
Dread and advent should not go together. We should look forward to the Second Coming. But perhaps we know too much about our own sinful nature to be eager to appear before the One who taught us to live in goodness. Perhaps we have not followed Jesus’ commandments to love God and love our neighbors. Perhaps we have harbored in our hearts unkind thoughts about those around us.
Let me give you one recent example. I worked at the North Scott Food Pantry on Friday. We put together 91 Christmas baskets in fifteen minutes! Naturally, we hung around, talking to each other afterwards. Two of my fellow volunteers and I were talking about how smoothly the food pantry operates and I mentioned how the clients were treated with dignity. But the other two then went on to say how it irritated them that “those people” smoked and drank and had cell phones while they (the volunteers) were giving them food. I would guess that most of us harbor a grudge against those we are so nobly helping. Our charitable deeds are not always accompanied by charitable thoughts. Luther’s explanation of the Eighth Commandment comes to mind: “Put the most charitable construction on all that your neighbor does.”
Here’s the thing. When Jesus said, “Love your neighbor,” he didn’t add “unless they have bad habits.” Did Jesus say, “Love your neighbor as long as he is as lucky and blessed as you are?” Did Jesus say, “Love your neighbor unless he is unemployed?” Did Jesus say, “Love your neighbor unless she can’t get a job that pays enough to cover rent and babysitting and food?” Did Jesus say, “Love your neighbor unless he is an alcoholic?” Did Jesus say, “Love your neighbor unless she has tattoos?”
Maybe somebody forgot to write that down in the Sermon on the Mount.
Here’s what we know from Scripture. Jesus said, “Love God. Love your neighbor.” That’s it. So simple. So hard. Love your neighbor—as you love yourself. How do you love yourself? You take care of yourself. How do you love your neighbor? You take care of your neighbor.
Those are the instructions Jesus gave us as we wait for him to return.
In these times, I often find myself referring obliquely to the Second Coming. When I discuss current events or when I see evidence of unending conflict I mutter under my breath, “Come, Lord Jesus.” I’m not the only one.
I want Jesus to come and put an end to all the pain and sorrow and anger in the world. That’s the only time I really think about the Second Coming.
But you know what? I don’t expect that prayer to be answered. When I say, “Come, Lord Jesus,” I don’t look up at the sky expecting a light show like none other. I don’t look up, waiting for the sky to rip open and a thousand angels to come charging through.
I say it in resignation. “Come, Lord Jesus.”I say it as if it were a careless cuss word. I might as well say, “Darn it.”
What if Jesus Second Coming is not just wishful thinking? What if Jesus’ Second Coming is looming ahead of us, something that we can anticipate?
What if we use Advent as more than a list of tasks to be performed before Christmas Day?
What does this have to do with our passage from Ezra? Not as much as I’d hoped. But I look at those people who had been set free from captivity, who had left Babylon to return to the land God gave them. They were encouraged by King Cyrus to rebuild their temple. So they did. The old people cried because they remembered the temple in its original glory. They yearned for the old days, for the glory of the old kingdom of Israel. But the younger ones cheered, because they saw a new day coming.
So, let Advent be a time of yearning, of anticipation, not for the return of the good ol’ days, but of a yearning for things to be made right but the coming of Jesus.
Revelation 21 says it beautifully:
21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
In the meantime, we are not invited to sit on our hands and wait for the amazing entrance of the real live Jesus into the current events of this world. We are invited to Love God and Love Our Neighbor. The temple in Jerusalem did not build itself. The Kingdom on Earth doesn’t build itself. And furthermore, Jesus is not history. Jesus is present, present in us. Who are the builders of the Kingdom on Earth? We are!
We can be like the returning exiles and weep about how the church used to be. Or we can rejoice in the church that we are building, one loving deed at a time, knowing with certainty that we will meet Jesus face to face, whether it be on our deathbeds or at the parousia! Amen.