1st Sunday of Advent (3 December, 2017)

The King Approaches

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.  In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.'  "Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they shall no longer say, 'As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' but 'As the LORD lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.' Then they shall dwell in their own land."  Jeremiah 23:5-8

(A Psalm of David) The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.  Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.  He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation.  Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah  Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.  Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle!  Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.  Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah  Psalm 24:1-10

(Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.  For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.)  Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.  The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.  Romans 13:(8-10) 11-14

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once."  This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'"  The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.  They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them.  Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"  Matthew 21:1-9

It may seem odd to start the new Church year at the "end" of the story.  So why do it?

Focus.

The season of Advent is one of preparation.  But what, exactly is it we are preparing for?  That depends on your point of view.

From the Garden of Eden through the census of Augustus, the people of God were preparing for the Messiah.  They were promised He would come and redeem them.  Regardless of any symbol used to get the image across, the idea that He would deliver them from enslavement was common.  The Children of Israel had known such burden, numerous times.  It was such experiences that led them to hope for a messiah who would literally restore David's throne and kingdom.  They wanted to be a world power, with Jerusalem usurping Rome as the primary city of the civilized world.

What they did not understand was that the throne David was promised his descendant would sit on was not in Jerusalem.  Or any other city.  Nor was the kingdom going to control the parcel of land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  At no point were the people of Israel told that God would restore the kingdom of David.  No, David was merely a steward, a shepherd, of the kingdom until the King arrived.

And that King arrived in the City of David swaddled and laid to rest by His virgin mother.  The season of Advent is, in part, our remembering of that promise God made in the Garden, and all the history that led to that silent night.

He arrived in peace.

But that is not what we wait for this season.

After the ascension, the people of God are preparing for the Messiah's return.  His coronation, and the final and climactic clash of good and evil followed another coming.  This time, the Messiah entered the royal city to claim His throne.  What they gave Him was a cross and a borrowed tomb.  A tomb which could not contain Him, and death which could not hold Him.

The Son of God entered Jerusalem riding a beast of burden, proclaiming peace and an end to the enslavement, though bearing no weapons and without leading an army.  The season of Advent starts with the looking back to the triumphant entry of the King of Glory.

He arrived in conquest.

And now, the people of God wait again.  This time, though, we wait for our King to return.  Not in peace, or conquest.  For, you see, the victory has been won.  Death was conquered in death.  Christ bound the strong man and entered his domain, taking what belonged to Him.  No power of hell or scheme of mankind could stop Him.  And, against all efforts to resist, He will come again.  Until then, we, His people, keep watch and proclaim His impending return.

He will arrive in victory.

Hosanna!