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Is, Was and Is to Come: The Contours of Advent
“Advent” means coming, and that is exactly what the season of Advent is about, the coming of the Lord Jesus. The Revelation describes Jesus as the One who is, was, and is to come [Revelation 1:8] This three-fold coming is what we celebrate in the season of Advent: Jesus has come, still comes, and will come again.
Jesus Comes Even Now
On the first Sunday in Advent we hear of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. [St Matthew 21:1-9] As He rides to His death the crowds cry, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD.” What a wonderful thing to hear on the first day of the church year, for here we know that the Lord Jesus continues to come into our midst through His Word and Sacraments. Jesus is not far away from us. In the preaching of the Gospel and the distribution of baptism and the Lord's Supper Jesus comes into our midst to give us His gifts of life and salvation by the forgiveness of all of our sins.
Jesus is Yet to Come Again
On the second Sunday in Advent we hear Jesus speaking of His Second Coming in glory [St Luke 21:25-36]. He promises to come soon to judge men and angels, and therefore urges us to be ready for this glorious day. Indeed we wait with patience and hope for that day of our deliverance.
Jesus has Come
On the third and forth Sundays of Advent we hear texts that speak of the Lord's first coming which was promised by the prophets and announced by John the Baptist. On the third Sunday of Advent the Gospel text recounts John the Baptist's sending his disciples to Jesus to ask if He is the One to come. Jesus comforts John and His disciples that He is, indeed, the One who has come as long promised by the prophets.
On the fourth Sunday of Advent we hear the preaching of John, the greatest and last of the Old Testament prophets. John proclaimed the coming of Jesus and made His way straight. So Jesus is the One who has come as proclaimed by John.
The One who Comes
We rejoice that our Lord Jesus is the One who comes, for His coming always brings to His people gifts beyond our imagining. In His first Advent He came for the cross, to die in our place and win for us salvation and forgiveness. As He continues to come to us He brings to us the gifts He won on the cross. He distributes these gifts through His means of grace. And Jesus will come again to bring all of His saints into the blessedness He has prepared for them.
May the Lord Jesus who has come for us continues to keep us in the true faith until He comes at last to bring us to our heavenly home. Amen.
The Lord's Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Wolfmueller