Advent: A Time for Anticipation and Repentance

By Trevin Wax on Dec 1, 2008 in Christianity | Print This Post Print This Post | Share (Twitter, Email, Facebook)

adventIn those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”
Matthew 3:1-3

One of my favorite moments in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is when the beavers tell the Pevensie children that Aslan (the great Lion – and Christ figure of the book) is “on the move.” In other words…

Something is up.

The prophecies are coming true.

The moment we’ve been waiting for is here.

John the Baptizer’s role is much like that of the beavers in the Narnia book. He is telling Israel to get ready. God is up to something! The promises are coming true. The Messiah – God’s anointed King – is coming!

Advent is a time of preparation for the Messiah’s coming. We put ourselves in the place of the faithful Jews of the first century, awaiting with eager expectation for God to act decisively to forgive sins, to end their exile, to restore the world. And yet, we also await the Messiah’s return – Jesus’ Second Coming.

How do we prepare for Jesus’ coming? We would do well to follow John the Baptizer’s command: Repent!

Prayer: Almighty God, give all of us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which you Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

© Copyright by Trevin Wax | Print This Post Print This Post | Share (Twitter, Email, Facebook)

1 Comment(s)

  1. “We put ourselves in the place of the faithful Jews of the first century, awaiting with eager expectation for God to act decisively to forgive sins, to end their exile, to restore the world. And yet, we also await the Messiah’s return – Jesus’ Second Coming.”

    Such is the dynamic ‘already-not yet’ of the Christian life, no?. May we not fail to remember both chapters of the Advent story as we enter the holiday season.
    Without the grounding of placing ourselves in the shoes of a 1st century Jew we lose the depth, meaning, and power of the story of the birth of the Messiah.
    Without the hope of the Messiah’s second Advent, how easy it could be at times to look around this world and despair that things will never be set right. Praise and glory to God for the hope he has given us.

    Mason | Dec 1, 2008 | Reply

Post a Comment