The Bethany Bullet-Tuesday, December 2, 2008

This past Sunday, November 30th, marked the beginning of the season of Advent. It is a season of hopeful expectation of the return of Jesus Christ.

As a kid, I enjoyed the season of Advent. However, as a kid, it seemed to last forever. One year the season of Advent was particularly long. My older sister and I wanted an Atari game system for Christmas. For those who are younger, it was like the Wii or X-box 360 or PS3. A few weeks before Christmas, while snooping around my father’s desk we found a receipt for the Atari. The hope during Advent turned into Hiding Our Perpetual Excitement (HOPE). We knew that what we had hoped for was going to take place but in the mean time we waited, and we waited, and we waited. Finally, Christmas Eve came and after church I remember talking with one of my friends and he asked me what I was getting for Christmas. I almost burst when I told him about the Atari. He just rolled his eyes at me and said, “Oh yeah, well my dad is getting me Intellivision; Atari is just for children.” I was crushed. My hopes and dreams were dashed in a moment as the harsh and judging words of a peer penetrated my heart. The hope that I was feeling turned into Harboring One Painful Emotion (HOPE). As I look back on that Christmas it reminds me of the judgment we all seem to face in this world.

In the Old Testament lesson from Sunday (Isaiah 64:1-9), we have a story of judgment.

The prophet Isaiah has been trying to tell the people of the coming judgment that was at hand because of the willful disobedience of the people. The people of Judah were about to experience hurt, occupation, pain and exile (HOPE). Not quite the hope they wanted to hear. Isaiah cries out to God in the midst of judgment, for the mountains were soon to quake under the legions of a foreign army advancing to take the people into exile.

“Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence.”

In hope, Isaiah turns to the Lord in prayer. Even when God appears barricaded in heaven, ignoring the suffering of his people - hope prays. In ominous times God’s believers always turn to the Lord in prayer. All appeared hopeless, God remained silent, yet in hope Isaiah prays:

“Lord, make your name known to your adversaries; that the nations might tremble at your presence!”

But judgment is coming. The people have sinned. Nothing they have done is worthy of God. The people were unclean, all their acts were filthy, and sin had separated the people. Hope faded. No one called out to God, no one hoped in the promises of God. But still Isaiah holds out hope.

“But now O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all your people.”

Isaiah cries out to the Lord - remembering His mercy, His compassion, and His gracious acts of the past. Also, remembering the abounding love and faithfulness that formed a nation from one man - which led His people out of slavery in Egypt, and redeemed them through sacrifice. For Isaiah, hope came in Having Observed Past Events (HOPE).

Jesus also knew about judgment. The Pharisees and others were always looking for ways to trap Jesus. After Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath the Pharisees judgment became even harsher, yet even in the midst of this, Jesus did not turn from his mission. Matthew 12 records the following:

But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, warning them not to tell who he was. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

"Here is my servant whom I have chosen… In his name the nations will put their hope."

We too know all about judgment. From the moment we get up the world judges us. From what you wear, to where you work… people judge you and it doesn’t feel good. We judge ourselves as well, for the mountains quake under our own guilty consciences. Our sin is always before us. Like the people of Isaiah’s day we are unclean. Sin makes us lifeless and dead, we do not call upon the Lord, we are helpless and God’s anger burns against us. We waste away in our sins which bring us closer to judgment. One day, God will rend the heavens and come down to judge us. And left to us, there is not much hope. We are doomed to our own exile the sin brings, cut off from the promised land of heaven.

In spite of our sins and in spite of our best efforts, our Father provides provision. Because the heavens were torn open, the earth did quake, rocks were broken; a curtain was torn in two as our HOPE rose from the grave on Easter. Jesus Christ is our hope! He is the expression of the Father’s love made flesh. We have hope because His Offering Provides Exchange (HOPE). Our hope is in the LORD and in this Advent season in the midst of the judgment of the world we can put our hope in the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ knowing that he will return as judge but he has exchanged his life for ours so that hope for us is as Heirs Of Peace Eternally (HOPE).

This week we light the candle of hope to remind us of what is to come and the glory that awaits those who have been formed in the hands of The Potter. This Advent we do not need to “Hold Our Perpetual Excitement”. Our heavenly Father will provide for all our needs. For we are certain that the gift of salvation is ours today! We can live in the hope of eternal joy and expectation for Jesus’ return to take us to be with our loving father forever.