Advent's Prepositions Part I

Advent’s Prepositions

Part One

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            The season of Advent focuses on the Christian’s relationship to the first and second of Christ’s coming to earth. We look back and remember how as men and women who had fallen under the power of sin we waited for a promised redeemer, who among other things would be the son of a woman, who would crush the Serpent’s head. During Advent we think back on how after the many promises of the Redeemer and Messiah, Jesus was born in Bethlehem with angels announcing his birth saying “Fear not … I bring you good tidings of great joy … For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ Jesus the Lord.” (St. Luke 2:10-11) Advent has a second focus as well. We continue to struggle with sin and the world remains deeply impacted by it. The Christian has been given reason to hope. Christ will complete the work He began in us. (Philippians 1:6). (St. John describes how when we see Jesus again we shall see him and be like Him and everyone who has this hope purifies himself as Jesus is pure. (I John 3:1-3)

            While thinking about how as Christians we are reminded that we are people waiting, it occurred to me that thinking about our waiting using different prepositions brought out different elements of what it means to wait. Hopefully these thoughts will encourage and strengthen you.

            1. We wait for Christ.

            When I think about waiting for Christ, my thinking often revolves around how we are bound to the times in which we live. We wait as people caught up in a time when the struggle with sin is real, is tiring, and takes its toll upon us. We struggle with relationships, our politics become contentious, our abilities to do what we would like to do seem so often to fall short, or if we succeed in accomplishing our goals we often have goals that one day we will look at and think, “is this what I thought was important?” We wait for Christ, for a time when the dysfunctionality of the world in which we live will have been completely cured. The Gospel of Jesus Christ gives to us such a hope. Have you ever thought about how Jesus often used the element of touch to heal the lepers, the blind, the deaf, and the lame in the miracles of the Gospel? In the Book of Revelation we are offered a glimpse of the great day when we once more see Christ with our eyes. We will stand before him weeping. I picture a scene where we one last time feel the horribleness of our sins. But then standing before us will be the Great High Priest, our Redeemer. He will wipe away our tears and the former things will be no more. Every absolution or forgiveness of sins will seem to have been pointing to this day when the work of redemption which Christ began in us will be perfected in us. That dear believer is a hope given to us as we wait for Christ.

            2. We wait on Christ.

            In addition to waiting for Christ, we are also called to serve Christ actively in the present time and place which we occupy in life. We wait on Christ and not only for Christ. When we come to understand who Christ is as well as what he has done for us, our respect and love for him should lead us to worship Him and to actively serve Him. In the New Testament the disciples referred to Jesus by titles of teacher, Rabbi, and Master. This doesn’t need to diminish Christ’s intimacy as He calls us friends and beloved. His kind mercies toward us further energize our determination to serve Him. Whatever our station, vocation, and place in life we have an opportunity to fill our time and space with service towards. We have the privilege of waiting on Him, and of being as his servant an extension of His redemptive presence in life. Whatever we do in word or deed, let it be our goal to do all in His Name. A statement I saw quoted from the Talmud in reference to our Biblical duties perhaps well sums up how we Christians are to wait on Jesus while we wait for him to one day complete what he has long ago begun.

            We wait for Christ. We wait on Christ. O’ what a privilege it is for us to participate in the work of redemption which He has begun and which He will complete.

            In our next blog on waiting, we will consider how we are to wait in Christ and with Christ and those who are in Christ.