Advent: Hope: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (December 2, 2018)

This week is the first week of advent. The word advent means coming. As we celebrate advent today, we will be looking at the long hoped for coming of the Messiah. Each week we will light a different candle on the advent wreath. Each candle has a different meaning. Today we will be starting with the “hope” candle.

________________________________________________________________

According to Oxford Dictionary hope is “a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.” We all have things that we hope for. For example, you might hope that you will get good grades in school or you may hope that you will get a certain present for Christmas. It is not wrong to have such hopes, but this type of hope is much different than the Biblical hope we will be studying today. Think about something that you hope for. Are you sure that it will happen, or do you just wish that it will happen?

Often when we use the word hope we are uncertain of the outcome. Biblical hope, however, is not simply wishful thinking. Biblical hope is a confident expectation that what we are waiting for will come about. There is no doubt that it will happen.  
In the Old Testament we find many examples of people who had biblical hope.

Take for example, Abraham. In Genesis 12, God promises Abraham that He will make Abraham a great nation, that He will bless him and make his name great so that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed. Abraham hoped that this promise would be fulfilled.

Read Romans 4:18-22 to find out about Abraham’s hope.

It says in hope he believed against hope. What do you think this means?

Abraham was very old, and Sarah was well past the age that women normally have children. According to human wisdom and reasoning the promise that God made to Abraham would not be able to be fulfilled. Despite this, Abraham still believed.

Why do you think Abraham still had hope?

He believed God’s words spoken to him. God made him a promise and Abraham knew without a doubt that God desired and had the power to keep that promise.

From this we can see that biblical hope is more than just a feeling. It is hope based on the sure foundation of God’s word. Romans 15:4 says “Whatever was written in former times was written for our instruction that by the endurance and encouragement of the scripture we might have hope.”

We see this same biblical hope in David. David was also made promises by God and he believed that they would be fulfilled. In 2 Samuel 7, God promises David that from his offspring, He would establish an everlasting kingdom.

Read 2 Samuel 7:28-29 to see David’s response to this promise.

David believed God’s words were true which is why he could write in Psalm 25:5 “you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”

As we read through the Old Testament, however, we can see that this promise to David would not be fulfilled by the earthly line of kings that descended from him. The kings of Israel repeatedly failed to follow God, and this always brought ruin and destruction. Those who believed God would fulfill his promise to establish David’s kingdom forever, were forced to continue to look forward in the hope that God would raise an obedient son of David who would take the throne as the prophet Jeremiah told them would happen. Jeremiah 23:5-6 states, “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The Lord is our righteousness.'"

We learn in the New Testament who this branch would be. 

Read Acts 13: 13-41.

Who was the seed of David who fulfilled the Old Testament hope of a king and savior for Israel? Jesus

So, in the Old Testament we see that Israel was hoping for the first advent or coming of Christ. Now that this has come to pass, Christians have a new hope.

Read Titus 2:12-13.

What do Christians expectantly wait for now? The second advent or coming of Christ.

Why should the second coming of Christ be something that we are looking forward to?

As much as there are good things in the life that God has blessed us with to enjoy, there is still suffering and death here. When Christ returns this will no longer be the case.

When Christ returns, he will make everything new (Revelation 21:5) and Revelation 21:4 says “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

When will this second coming occur?

Read Matthew 24:26-51.

We do not know exactly when Jesus is coming back but Jesus himself says “behold, I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:7) and we are told that it will happen in the “twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52). 

So, as we wait with great anticipation for Christ’s glorious return what should Christian’s be doing?

Read 1 John 3: 2-6.

All those who hope in Jesus’ return need to be seeking to live a life of purity, through the power of the Holy Spirit. This means repenting of sin in our lives and working toward greater obedience to God’s commands.

As we look for Christ’s return, which could happen at any time, this also should create an urgency for us to share the gospel news with others. When you do this there will be some who will accept the good news gladly but there will be others who hate you for it. When this happens remember God’s promise in 1 Peter 3:14-17 which says, but even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.” Every trial we face we can count it all joy (James 1:2) because of the hope we have within us.

As we celebrate advent today, we look back and rejoice in Christ’s first coming, but we also look forward eagerly awaiting our King’s return. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Going Deeper: 

Think about what you are looking forward to about Christ’s return, then say the Lord’s Prayer. Notice verse 10. When we pray “your kingdom come” we are praying for Christ’s return.

Matthew 6:9-13 English Standard Version (ESV)

9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

10 Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

    on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread,

12 and forgive us our debts,

    as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

    but deliver us from evil.

Praise God in Song: