Living Between Two Advents… Hello weekend readers, I’m continuing my musings on interesting Advent topics. This weekend I’m using some thoughts from Max Lucado’s book, Because of Bethlehem, along with other scholars on this topic.

This interesting topic of two Advents is one few talk about. Since many don’t observe Advent, they may never even think about two Advents! To me, the two Advents are powerful and they point to Christmas as well as Jesus’ final return to earth. I know that seems far away and probably not on your Christmas ‘radar’ but let’s probe a bit because I believe looking at this is a reminder of God’s hope, joy, love and peace we have now and for our future. Isn’t that what we really want?

The First Advent…No one saw it coming, it was quiet, and only a handful of shepherds witnessed the newborn Christ child. God’s plan to redeem his people started off in the quiet hills of Bethlehem until the angels awakened the sleepy shepherds and the message was out. Unlike the “instant news” we are bombarded with daily, this message took years to spread, but spread it did. The baby Jesus grew up and walked into the lives of people, healing, helping, teaching and sowing the seeds of grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Jesus’ teaching was new—laced with a grace never taught before. His teachings were not always accepted but after his death and resurrection things changed. The “instant news” was ramped up and the world began to embrace the Messiah. Isn’t this kind of like our Christmas celebrations where we sing our carols, decorate our homes and lawns with nativities, send out cards wishing others well, share gifts and so much more? We are spreading that news!

Yet, in these times we live in-between two Advents. Read these words from Charles Spurgeon, written in 1858, “Every man will have two advents — the advent which he now enjoys or which he now misuses upon earth; and the advent which lies beyond the present course of probation.”  Notice how we can enjoy or misuse this “advent time” until—what? When Jesus returns, our second Advent.

This may not sound very “Christmas-like” but the shadow of Jesus’ return is always there because we have no idea when He will show up! Advent has us longing and waiting, not just to celebrate the Christ child each year but also to anticipate with joy when He returns. So just what do we do between these two Advents? The Apostle Peter has a great answer:

“What will happen next, and what we
hope for is what God promised:
a new heaven and a new earth where justice reigns.”
2 Peter 3:13 (The Voice)

Here’s an interesting perspective from Max Lucado on this subject:

“History is not an endless succession of meaningless circles
but a directed movement toward a great event.
God has a timeline. And because of Bethlehem,
we have an idea where we stand on it.”

The apostle John said, “My dear children, these are the last days” (1 John 2:18 NCV). John wrote this over two thousand years ago!—and we’re still waiting as we live in the 1st Advent and anticipate the 2nd Advent. But we don’t lose hope in the waiting. Instead, think about this Christmas 2021. Could this be the time Jesus returns? A pastor from my early days always reminded our congregation when it was the Advent season, by saying “Remember—this time Jesus may return for good.” He wanted us to not be weary in waiting. He didn’t want us to do what so many do, ‘thinking it’s a couple thousand years now so why should I get ready for anything’? Definitely we do NOT want to adopt that perspective! Again, Max writes:

’Tis the season to be looking not for a jolly man in a red suit
but for a grand King on a white horse.
At His command the sea will give up the dead,
the Devil will give up his quest,
kings and queens will give up their crowns,
broken hearts will give up their despair,
and God’s children will lift up their worship.
Wise is the saint who searches like Simeon.”

In closing, Max urges us to be wise and ready when he says: “If we knew Jesus as coming tomorrow, what would we do today?” The answer is obvious: Live in such a way that you would not have to change your plans! Enjoy the fruit of the first coming but anticipate the glory of the second. Refuse to believe that this present world is the sum total of human existence. We celebrate the First Advent to whet our appetites for the Second.”

We may be in our “umpteenth time” in the 1st Advent but don’t despair. Instead let’s live our lives knowing we will hear these words soon or way into the future: “Welcome home, good and faithful child!”  Let those words be your peace this Advent season, and your hope for the future. AMEN.