The First Advent Assures Us of the Second Advent

December 11th, 2020

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Matthew 1: 22-25, NIV

Throughout his Gospel, Matthew tells us all this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophets. The early church was convinced God left hints and clues concerning the coming of Christ throughout the scriptures. This is why Christ fulfills, rather than erases, the Law and the Prophets. 

The Jews had been waiting for the fulfillment of their messianic expectations for generations. In the advent of God in Christ, the hopes and dreams of God’s people were exceeded beyond their expectations. Christ appeared as the new Prophet, Priest, and King. As Christians, we await the advent of the kingdom of God in full. We do our best to live into the reality of God’s beloved community, but we know that this new life and new community will not be fully consummated until Christ returns in glory and transforms us and all creation in resurrection.

In the fullness of time, at God’s appointed time, our Redeemer was revealed. All the promises made to God’s covenant people found their fulfillment in Christ. The Church now waits for the fulfillment of God’s promise of resurrection, the revealing of the New Jerusalem, and a world in which God is All in All. God fulfilled his promise to put his Word and Spirit in our hearts, to make the seed of Abraham a blessing to all nations, and so we can be confident in the promise of Christ’s return. Indeed, the God who began this new work in us will surely bring it to completion.

May this ancient carol be your hymn of praise and hope.

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;

From depths of hell Thy people save,

And give them victory o’er the grave.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night

And death’s dark shadows put to flight

O come, Thou Key of David, come

And open wide our heavenly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

Peter Smith