THE COMING KINGDOM OF HOPE: FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT 2021

 

Hope in a Prison of Despair by Evelyn De Morgan

 

Was it a meme? Or was it just a post by someone or even a comment? Regardless, what it read was "It's beginning to look a lot like Advent."

As I've probably mentioned before in this blog, I've grown up in Anabaptistic churches. Christmas and Easter are remembered, as well as the other essential holidays of our Christian faith: Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Independence Day. No mention of Lent. Pentecost may get mentioned, though that's not the norm. If there's anything around the end of October, it's more likely a Halloween alternative and less likely Reformation Day or All Saints Day. Advent is an exception, though I was old enough to run for Senate when I first observed Advent candles being lit at church. 

I  was fairly young when I noticed a division in the hymnal (knowing what a hymnal is dates me, doesn't it?) between Advent and Christmas songs. Eventually, I learned the difference: Christmas songs focus on Christ's birth, while Advent songs deal with Christ's coming to earth. "Joy To The World," "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" and "Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne" are the better known Advent songs.

In reality, though, the concept mirrors the radical request in the heart of the Lord's prayer: "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Think about it. Christ is a King. Not a President. Not an Anchorman. Not a Moderator. But a Monarch who will reign. A Ruler who will one day have His enemies under His feet, who will break the nations with a rod of iron. 

The first Sunday of Advent focuses on the Advent of Hope. Is hope a common commodity in this world? "Change/Hope" was used as a slogan for President Obama's 2008 campaign. How much hope was there during that period of time?

Our hope is not in this world. Rather, we need to rest our hope in Christ alone. We need to hope for His sovereignty in our lives, in our families, in our churches, in our cities, and in the world. As it says in Psalm 60:11, the help of man is useless. We need to put our trust in God.