A sermon delivered by Rev. Graham Dale on 8th December, the second Sunday of Advent.
Advent is a period of waiting - of anticipation. Good things are worth waiting for and during Advent we
prepare for and reflect on the Christ-child at Christmas – just like Lent at Easter, when we reflect on the Christman and his journey to the cross.
Anticipating something makes its arrival more special. I always say the best soup is the soup you eat at the end of a long cold and wet walk, or at Spire’s New Year cafe. At St Mary’s, we do things that help us anticipate God. When we process the Gospel to the middle of Church; we all turn and look, we hear the acclamation (that we do not live by bread alone) and all this helps us to anticipate the words and truth of the Gospel. Likewise, our advent readings and worship – including our nativity next week and the 9 lessons and carols, help to heighten our anticipation of Christmas.
In today’s readings we learn that Christmas is not only an event - but a promise fulfilled – of a Lord who will appear to bring salvation and judgement. Today’s Gospel ends: ‘all flesh will see the salvation of God’. So I want to highlight 3 things from today’s readings:
To prepare for the promised Lord
Jesus is the promised Lord
Jesus will come again
Prepare for the promised Lord
Malachi, the last book of our Old Testament, written 400 years before Christ, and read so well by xxx, tells us of a messenger who promises a coming Lord. See I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. ‘The Lord whom you seek will come’. This advent is an opportunity to seek the Lord – to remember the promised birth of Jesus - but also to take time in our own lives to seek and receive Christ by his Spirit.
I love the beginning of our Gospel when Luke says In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, when Herod was ruler of Galilee, his brother Philip ruler of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and various other ruler and leaders.. the word of God came to John in the wilderness.
While all these important people were doing important things – the word of God came to John. There is a truth here – that the word of God comes to ordinary people like you and I – whoever and wherever we are. Advent is a spiritual opportunity – A time to think, to pray and to hear the word of God for ourselves. So despite the busyness of this month, the preparations, the gifts, the gatherings - do take time to wait, watch and listen for a word from God and to prepare for the promised Lord.
Jesus is the promised Lord
I get a bit irritated when holiday greetings are sent, and Christmas is talked about without reference to Jesus. The clue is in the name – Christ’s-mass, a celebration of the birth of Jesus. Clever friends tell me that past generations just adopted an existing festival – well yes, they did – Western Christians chose December 25 to celebrate a very important person. This was because Jesus had transformed their lives, he had fulfilled God’s promise to the ancient Jews and had brought a message of love and hope to everyone, which they received with joy. It was only logical to celebrate this and to want to make Jesus known to others.
As our Gospel said, “make paths straight, fill every valley, make every mountain and hill low, make straight every crooked way - so that all flesh can see the salvation of God.” Advent is not only a time for us to prepare for the Lord – but an opportunity to make paths straight – for others to discover Christ. What might that mean? It could be as simple as using this card to invite a friend to Church or supporting someone at what is a difficult time for many. Because Jesus is the promised Lord who brought God’s salvation at Christmas - Christians want to communicate this so that ‘all flesh shall see the salvation of God’. So my 2nd point is Jesus is the promised Lord.
Jesus will come again
The word Advent is from the Latin adventus, meaning coming or arrival of Jesus on that 1st Christmas - but also the future arrival of Jesus - when he will return to judge the living and the dead. When Malachi prophesied the coming of the Lord, he asked ‘who can endure the day of his coming, who can stand when he appears - the Lord is like a refining fire and will purify as silver or gold’. The messenger John the Baptist proclaims a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Repentance and purification seem odd things to talk about in our modern self-indulgent Christmas culture. But that says more about how our culture has changed. Advent is as much about Jesus’ 2nd coming, as his first. Jesus’ life started at Bethlehem but ended at Calvary. John declared him ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ (Jn1:29) This salvation involves a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins - followed by our purification and refining by God’s Spirit.
In our 3rd reading today, St Paul says to the Philippians: I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. This day of Jesus Christ is about Christ’s return. A day in the future we should also reflect upon during Advent. So my 3rd point is Jesus will come again
In conclusion
From our readings today we have been encouraged to Prepare for the promised Lord – which may be as simply as quiet reflection and prayer at this busy time. We learned that Jesus was the promised Lord - on a mission to bring salvation to all flesh. That Jesus’ mission started at Bethlehem but finished at Calvary – and that after going back to the Father – he would return again in judgement. That salvation is good news – and we want to celebrate it – perhaps by inviting others - a friend or a neighbour to St Mary’s this Christmas. Or we might express it by looking out for someone for whom this time of year is especially difficult. So this Advent let us reflect on and enjoy the salvation that Malachi’s messenger announced. Prepare the way for the Lord, make paths straight, fill up valleys and make mountains low, so that all flesh might see the salvation of our God.