Advent and the Coming of Jesus

(taken from Andrew's section in nthe December 2009 magazine)

29 November is Advent Sunday.  ‘Advent’ is a Latin (old Italian) word which means ‘the coming’, shorthand for ‘the coming of Jesus, the Son of God.’  This is a time when we are invited to reflect about how much we have taken seriously the implications of our belief that God has come alongside us as a human being.  This is one way we prepare ourselves to receive the good news of Christmas.

But we are also to recall that Jesus said that he would return to our universe in visible form once again. Not much is said about this by preachers nowadays.  Perhaps this is because the words of Jesus are reported in a way which seems to make the promise unlikely – for example: Luke reports Jesus as saying ‘Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all has taken place’ (Luke 21, vs 32) which seems to mean both the tribulations about which we are warned before Jesus returns and his Return itself.  It seems to us that not many of these events did take place in the time of those who physically heard Jesus speaking.

Luke may well have been slightly confused at this point.  It seems that all the Gospel-writers expected Jesus to return very soon after his Ascension.  One reason for this was their report of these words of Jesus, ‘When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near’ (Luke 21, vs 20).  For Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70, only 40 years after many had heard Jesus speaking and were still alive. However, the other events which Jesus spoke of (Luke 21, vv 25 – 26) still have not taken place even today. (If you want to know what they are, look up the Gospel reference!) 

The strongest theme in all the accounts of Jesus speaking of his visible return is that no-one knows when it would happen – Mark 13, vs 32. A careful reading of Paul’s letters also shows that while he began by expecting the return of Jesus very shortly after his Ascension later on he taught people to be ready at any time without calculating precisely when it would be.

Why should we doubt the promise of Jesus that he will return in visible form, any more than we doubt his claim to be the unique Son of God?  If we doubt the latter claim, we make Jesus a dupe or a liar?  But if we find the former promise reliable, that is good news!  There will be an end to suffering.  And it makes worthwhile making the best of difficult situations, even when sometimes they feel as though they are getting worse rather than better.  For when we meet Jesus face to face he will complete his creation and restoration of us.  And through our relationship with him, and with  everyone and everything else in heaven, we will be given unselfish fulfilment!

This does not mean that we can afford as Christians to twiddle our thumbs until Jesus returns in visible, as some people do think.  We are to do aswell as to pray ‘Your kingdom come earth as it is in heaven.’   And we do have the confidence of a future, positive, conclusion to the universe – this gives us the stamina to go on living and working and praying.

Emmanuel – God is already with each of us, in Jesus!

Yours sincerely,