Sermon, Advent 1, Matthew 24:36-44

Happy New Year!
Advent is here and the end is near.

Two weeks ago we heard Jesus' apocalyptic discourse over in Luke. today we get part of Matthew's version of Jesus' apocalyptic sayings. You may be wondering why these two passages are so close together. The short answer is that, first, as we came to the close of the season after Pentecost, we were being reminded that everything around us would change with the coming of the kingdom. I said it was up to us to reveal and unveil that kingdom. And now, second, as we begin a new year, we are looking forward to all the possibilities that brings; including the responsibility we have to be prepared.

Chapters 24 and 25 of Matthew are all about the coming of the end of the age and being prepared. These two chapters are an apocalyptic Advent; Chapter 24 is apocalyptic in nature and Chapter 25 gives us several Advent parables. Jesus gives us signs and sayings for these difficult times ahead, and he wants us to be prepared. But prepared for what?

The short answer is, "For the coming of the Son of Man and the kingdom of God." The actual answer is much more detailed than that.

"You must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."

This is Advent, the season of hopeful expectation. It is the season of being still and actively waiting on the Lord. It is the season of preparation.

We see that preparation all around us. Stores are preparing (or have been preparing) for the Christmas rush. Over Thanksgiving Day weekend, I read about people preparing to shop by waiting outside the mall at 3:15 a.m. The Post Office, UPS, and other carriers are preparing for the influx of packages by hiring seasonal employees. And people everywhere are starting to put up Christmas trees and Nativity scenes, complete with the Wisemen and Baby Jesus, in preparation for the holiday.

Amidst all the preparation, hype and Christmas rush, I want you to notice something this year. Notice the first few days after Christmas. Notice how many trees are taken down. Notice how many decoration are put away. Notice the lack of Christmas music on the radio. Notice the big Nativity sets that are removed from yards. All of that preparation, all of that work, all of that . . . joy . . is gone in 72 hours or less. It's almost like someone close to you has suddenly died.

But while the world prepares for a day of over-hyped gift giving, we are called to prepare for something a little more lasting. We are actively waiting in hopeful expectation for the coming of the Lord. And, unlike the world whose celebration ends on December 26, ours is just beginning.

I've said this before -- Advent is a time of looking forward to the past. We look forward to the coming of the Son of Man while also looking back to his birth. And both times no one knew the day or the hour. Jesus was going to be born, like every other living thing, when he was ready; and neither Mary nor Joseph knew when that would be. How many babies or foals or calves are born on our schedule? And he will come again -- when he is ready. Be alert. Be awake. Be watchful. Be actively waiting.

So what are we waiting for? Again, the short answer is, "the birth of Christ," or, "the coming of the Son of Man." And again, the actual answer is much more detailed than that.

Let's for a moment, think about this thing called "the birth of Christ." You hear it all over. Christmas is about the birth of Christ. The so-called "war on Christmas" has certain people decrying societies that ignore the birth of Christ. But if that's all you are preparing for, you're missing the point.

Imagine the birth of your own children, or, if you don't have kids, the expected birth of someone you knew. If we treated that birth like we treat the birth of Christ, that child of ours would be be boxed up on December 27 and forgotten about.

Advent is asking us to prepare for the coming of the Messiah, both times. But Advent is also asking us to prepare for life. A birth changes our lives. A birth is a life begun. Just like we don't really know when a child or foal or calf will be born, neither do we know when Jesus will come again. What we do know, though, is that that coming will mean life.

As the world counts down the days until Christmas, and as certain groups read these apocalyptic passages and count down the days until the end of the world, remember that that world view and that theological view is focused on death. Christmas is hear and gone. God's creation will be catastrophically destroyed and replaced with something else. But know this: Advent isn't counting down the days to Christmas; Advent is counting up the days to life.

Christmas isn't the goal or the destination. Christmas is the starting point.

This Advent, rather than spend time preparing for one day, rather than counting down days to the end, rather than preparing for the end of days and death, let's focus on life. Let's use this time to actively wait upon the Lord and the life that brings. Let's use Advent to prepare for the unknown day of the Messiah's coming and the life that brings. Let's use Advent to look for signs of life. And we can start in a few minutes with the Nicene Creed -- notice its reference to life.

Happy New Year!
Advent is here and the beginning is near.