First Sunday of Advent: Hope in Christ in Anxious Times

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The name of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy. Amen. So it would not be a great shock to you to say that we're living in very anxious times right now. If you haven't noticed, we've just experienced another painful election cycle. Which, particularly if your Camp lost left?

You feeling pretty anxious. But even if you're team, You still have reason to be anxious because one that your team's gonna be on the chopping block in a couple years where it can definitely lose. But there's lots of issues that could give us anxiety right now. We have wars in the Ukraine and Middle East, that could very well blow up and drag other countries into it.

Um, We also have serious issues with the economy. With the environment. And but at least with those issues, our leaders are talking about one issue. That's really dear to. My heart is our national debt and that's one that all parties are like, let's just not talk about. I hope it goes away as a strategy which I think is very maddening.

Um and to face all these issues, we have to face the fact that we have a very divided country right now as evidenced in the election, it's divided politically culturally And it's growing in hatred for the other side. And this undermines Our Hope, as we have to face these big challenges.

So, bottom of line, we have a lot of concerns that can make us very anxious right now. But believe it or not, there have been worse times in history than right now, even just a basic grasp of history from the last century could make that clear. Just think of both world wars and the Great Depression that we have, some members of this church that have memories of some of that.

But even if you don't, you are probably one generation away or two generations away from people who do have memories of that, you might have talked to them. When you were a little kid, they all dwarf, what we're going through right now. Trust me things don't really get much better as you go further back in history.

Wars disease, economic collapse and social Strife. These have all been part of our human experience, in our times are no different. So how do we find Hope in anxious times? If we try to find Hope only in ourselves or fellow human beings, we are placing our ultimate hope in the very source of much of the anxiety.

We face. Now. We're all creating God's image so there is good in other humans so there is some trust that's that's involved and that's a good thing. But grounding, Our Hope. In broken and sinful people. Is a very valid reason to be anxious. We should definitely be anxious because wholly trusting and salvation only from fellow human beings has been proven false time and time again.

So, is there another way out of this anxiety? Because if not ourselves, who can we trust uh, for for Hope. As we'll see from today's passion in Luke in a very anxious. Embrace, the hope Christ offers that will be fulfilled upon his return. So before we dig into today's text, I wanted to examine it in light of its greater, this passage is greater context than Luke.

The discourse Jesus having with disciples actually starts way back in verse five and Father, James actually preached on the parallel passage in Mark a couple weeks ago. But in the previous passage after his disciples uh expressed a lot of praise for how awesome the temple was. Jesus tells them there would be not one stone left upon another So disciples are like well when is this going to happen?

And what's the sign that this going to take place? So Jesus, then spends verses 8 to 24, describing a violent and terrible time of persecution and suffering that would end up with Jerusalem being surrounded and destroyed by Gentiles. Well, what do you know, that's very familiar to what happened in Jerusalem in eight from 80, 66 to 70.

And if you want to read more about what happened, there's a guy named Josephus who wrote about it but it's a tvma kind of reading material it's pretty dark and grisly but it's what really happened. Um, Jesus discussing what will happen in the future when he said this, the historical Siege of Jerusalem by the Romans and their destruction of the temple.

The Romans smashed a rebellious Jewish party that had taken control of the region for three to four years. And I can't stress enough how consequential that Siege and destruction Temple was in history. It left the Jews without a way to sacrifice in the manner. God commanded them to in the Old Testament.

It also forced a clear distinction in the early church, which at that point was mostly Jewish. Uh, the speaks between them and non-chris following Jews. Made picking a side, much darker. And the description of everything leading up to and including this horrific event seems to be the key key focus of Jesus saying prior to our present, passage But with our present, passage many readers, see what might be a shift from a focus on the destruction of the temple in the first century to Christ's Second Coming.

Um, in the second return in the in the final day of judgment And one possible clue. Uh, is a conclusion of the previous passage, which is verse 24. Jesus said that Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by Gentiles until the time of Gentiles is fulfilled. So that might indicate a shift because between what he had been talking about the destruction of the temple, was something happening much later in the future because we're arguably still living in a post-temporal time of the Gentiles.

Then we get to our present passage Jesus describes signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And on the earth, the distress of Nations because of the Roaring of the season waves, Now that seems a little weird to us and that's because Jesus is talking metaphorically. This is how people talked at the time.

His readers would have heard this as Language about great Nations and Kingdom going through serious convulsions. And as I reflect about that, we actually have recent memory of something like that. Remember covet. We know how quickly and unexpectedly. Great changes can occur with huge and unpredictable consequences. And that's the sense that that metaphor Jesus metaphor is trying to convey.

Jesus describes them causing people to be faint with fear as to what's coming in the world. That was kind of true with covet at least for the first few weeks. And I think it's safe to say that events. We see in the news right now are causing us to be faint to be anxious.

Think about if you're living in the Ukraine right now, or the Middle East, Jesus saying that such events are signs to be expected in our times. But their signs pointing to an ultimate event that the son of man is coming in a cloud with power and glory. Now, later in Acts.

Luke describes Jesus after the resurrection ascending in a cloud using very similar language that uses here in verse 27 and the disciples in Acts are then told that Jesus will return in the same manner. And that's another reason. Why many readers see Jesus shifting in this passage from the destruction of Temple to his own second coming?

This is when he will finally come to judge the world and make all things, right. When we will be bodily resurrected and inhabit, a new Earth that's joined with There'll be no more sin, no more suffering, no more death. No more cause for anxiety. This is the Eternal future promise to those faithful to Christ.

This not anything on Earth. Is our only source of Hope. That we can fully trust that won't fail us. This is why Jesus then says that, when we see these anxiety inducing events take place, Jesus tells us straighten up and raise your heads. Because your Redemption is Drawing Near.

Jesus is telling us that instead of being anxious during all the serious worldly events and problems we Face. We ought to instead to see them as signs. Science. Not to despair in the plight of humanity. But instead of Hope of its ultimate, uh, Redemption Christ's return will bring about not only judgment to the wicked but deliverance for the faithful.

This is why he then says that when you see these things taking place, you know, that the kingdom of God is near the Saints are pointing To our future salvation. In a very anxious World Embrace, the hope Christ offers that will be fulfilled upon his return. Now, verse 32 is interesting.

Jesus says that this generation will not pass until all has taken place. And this is what some scars point at to say that maybe all Jesus has been talking about up to, this passage was only about the destruction of Jerusalem. And that's because the events of 8070 would have been taking place during a lifetime of many of his years.

And to be fair, they may be right? This interpretation is definitely contested by faithful readers of scripture. But I maintain that Jesus does seem to shift from the previous pastor to a focus of the second coming. In today's reading, I think this verse particularly with the break in verse 29 and 30 it discusses the parable of fig tree might mean that he could be referring back to be discussed.

In the previous passage the destruction of the temple. Which is a sign like many other signs. We've seen a history of judgment. And all these signs point to a future final judgment. A final Redemption for all those faithful to him. And this is why fortunately, for us. No matter how we interpret this passage and it varies.

Whether it's only about Jerusalem's destruction of the first century. Or only about Jesus second coming or a mix. It doesn't detract for how we respond to it. Jesus was telling us here is then who are about to face some serious anxiety, on the end of the Romans, but also to readers today.

Straighten up, raise your heads because your Redemption is coming near. All the dangers you're facing all the sources of your anxiety will pass away. But Jesus words, his promise of Hope will not pass away. When facing these times instead of trusting in the sinking sand of worldly Powers, we have a solid rock to place our trust One who defeated death and rose from the grave, whose Incarnation were now anticipated as a start of Advent today.

In a very anxious World embrace, the hope Christ offers will be fulfilled upon his return. Now, this truth has led many Christians to Go in two different directions. One is to disengage from events in the world and become Escapists this. The idea of let's just because we know this is going to happen, this final judgment, let's just hunker down and wait for Christ's return.

Problem is it's not what Christ calls us to do. Faithfulness involves faithfulness to Christ involves loving all creating God's image which means getting out there and pursuing Justice and witnessing for Christ. Well, it's true. Only Christ will execute perfect judgment. That's true. He still commands us to model that Justice right now on Earth.

Now, unfortunately, that truth has caused some Christians to go too far in another Direction. Because of the issue is to enact Justice, you have to gain some kind of power on Earth. And unfortunately, some Christians have been complacent with letting those that end justify. Some ungodly means to get that power.

And then once they get power, They often allow them to become shaped more by worldly Powers than Christ. So we have the tough job of resisting being pulled in either direction, resisting the pull of escapism. And resisting the Quest for obtaining power at the cost of our witness. And this is really hard.

Christians have and will continue to make less than faithful decisions here. We will get it wrong sometimes, but when God shows us this, we repent. We have a loving God. Who knows? We're sinful. He just seeks our faithfulness by regularly confessing our sins. And allowing him to shape us more and more into the human.

He designed us to be It's not a process he'll complete until we finally do. See the son of man coming in a cloud with power and Glory. So today is the first Sunday of Advent, the four weeks before Christmas they anticipate and prepare us for God, entering the world in human form which initiated his plan to save the world.

It's interesting how our reading today. Jumped straight from anticipating Christ's birth to the final culmination with Advent anticipates. God's restoration of all. That's wrong in the world. Perfect Justice. So, the key message of today's passage is Hope. Christ is telling us in this passage that serious anxiety inducing events.

Like for some the recent election, but all other serious issues facing our nation right now. These are to be expected. But instead of allowing them to cause us to be anxious, he's asking us he's telling us bum his signs. Signs. That ultimate Rescue is coming. That Christ, not man will achieve.

So, as you reflect on events, going on in worrying Direction and no, some concern is definitely warranted with stuff going on in the world right now. We need to stay aware of those issues and prayerfully discern how best to engage. But, Our primary hope needs to say squarely on Christ, not on man-made rescue.

Now, in light of political news, one of the worst things I've done is scroll social media. I'm sure I'm the only one that's done this. And within a few minutes, you can see it's dehumanizing effect on you. It's shaping you more and more into someone who's prone to hate others.

That's what it does. Someone who feels more, you feel more and more like you're very whelping and identity is at stake. Know that these are simply lies. Powerful lies and their their lives are designed to divide God's people to pit us against each other. To entice us to pull our loyalty from God to deeply flawed political ideologies of the world.

That honestly are all ultimately opposed to Christ. Please please. Resist this temptation. Because that's what it is. Instead spend time in prayer. Pray, especially for those, you think putting our nation World in a bad Direction. I truly love the fact that we pray for our present and Governor every Sunday, no matter who it is, which state you're in?

And we're not doing it because we're just putting our head in the sand about the state of the world. We know it's bad, we know we've had bad leaders, we currently have bad leaders and we will have bad leaders. We pray for them regardless. Christ is encouraging all of us today to have hope in the face of an ancient anxious.

He is encouraging us, despite the pressures of the world to collude with it. Stay the course. To remain faithful to him to continue caring for others and pursuing Justice, while also refusing to compromise on our means for doing so. Instead of placing our ultimate trust Incorruptible. Earthly Powers, God is inviting us to place our trust in him.

He is a rock solid source of Hope. A hope that promises to make the world, right? That will raise us to New Life, where sin suffering and death, all sources of our anxiety will be abolished forever. So please cling on to this hope as we enter into Advent. Amen.