Gordon McPhee

                                                Mark 13: 24-37

“WAITING FOR WHAT?”

Sermon:

In the 11th chapter of Mark, we’re told of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Continuing through the 12th chapter, Jesus relates many parables and teachings and criticisms of the Jewish leadership. And chapter 13 opens with the famous prediction of the destruction of the temple followed by Him speaking to his disciples on the Mount of Olives about the last days, “Watch out that no one deceives you” “be on your guard,” “Brother will betray brother to death.” “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive,” and finally warning of false messiahs and false prophets who would be coming.

In our Gospel reading this morning we pick up Jesus’ eschatological teaching to his disciples with the words, “Following those hard times,” and immediately Jesus paraphrases Isaiah 13:10 and 34:4 saying, “Sun will fade out, moon cloud over, stars fall out of the sky, cosmic powers tremble.” — Well, isn’t that a pleasant way to begin our first Advent Sunday season of Hope?

I suppose I could have selected a more positive passage from our readings this morning like 1 Corinthians 1:7, “All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale.” But I was curious about why the lectionary was having us read scriptures leading up to Jesus’ passion and crucifixion as we begin Advent. Why aren’t we focusing on prophecies of the incarnation of God in Jesus, the salvation of the world as a baby in a manger? We will be starting next week and going through Christmas Day, but not yet.

And I think I found an answer for us in Jesus’ next words. Mark 13:26-27, “And then they’ll see the Son of Man enter in grand style, his Arrival filling the sky—no one will miss it! He’ll dispatch the angels; they will pull in the chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole.” The answer is the reply to the question, “Waiting for what?”

Yes, Advent means waiting for the arrival of someone. Even more, it is anticipation, that expectant hopefulness for what is certainly coming. But are we waiting for a baby? Assuredly yes, but is that all? If what we celebrate as Christians is only Christmas, that joyful moment when our Lord became flesh, then we could say with Isaiah, “a virgin will get pregnant. She’ll bear a son and name him Immanuel (God-With-Us).” but that is all we could say, “God with us”. And as wonderful and incredible as that is, to know God became a man and dwelt among us, understands us and all our frailties, and difficulties, and pains, it fulfills and accomplishes nothing. Along with Paul in his letter to the Corinthians, we are obliged to say, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

Our reading this morning reminds us we are waiting for far, far more than Christmas. That time filled with miracles beyond description, the celebration of which is only a few short weeks away, is only the beginning. “Take a lesson from the fig tree” Jesus says. “From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer’s just around the corner.” That’s Christmas, “the merest hint of green”. It’s a time to rejoice, but not for its own sake, but because “summer is just around the corner. … When you see all these things, you know he is at the door.” We have seen these things. Jesus lived and taught and died and rose again. He sent the promised Holy Spirit, who is with us today, and He established and built His church, “[d]on’t take this lightly.”

Jesus then adjures us to “keep a sharp lookout” because “the exact day and hour? No one knows that” but he takes us there by first saying, “I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too—these things will happen.” If I can emphasize that this means it is for us, a future generation, as much as for the audience he was speaking to. Everything Jesus was talking to them about will happen. Just as his birth as a child, predicted by Isaiah, had come about, and just as the cataclysms he had spoken of to his disciples, that they only looked for, only vaguely understanding what was to come about, came to pass in their time, so we can look at a rich history of God at work fulfilling all that he promised through his Son in this world.

And here we are, at the advent of Advent being told of “those hard times” and eschatological, end of the world events; of sky and earth wearing out. But, Jesus says, “my words won’t wear out” and his word to us is, “You have no idea when the homeowner is returning, whether evening, midnight, cockcrow, or morning.” Which I think makes all of this so appropriate for the first Sunday in Advent. It reminds us we are not stuck in the past. Although through the rest of Advent we look with joy to celebrating the Word, who created all things, come to us as a baby in a manger, that is only the beginning, “the merest hint of green.”

The reminders of what has come about and what is to come are there to help us keep watch. It’s so easy to focus the church year on what has happened, Christmas and Easter and Pentecost, but then, where is hope? The real and expectant “evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1).” That we are here this morning, preparing to celebrate another joyful Christmas season, speaks volumes for God’s faithful accomplishment of all He promised. It would be so easy to rest, to take our ease saying we’ve run the race, fought the good fight, done our part, and simply settle in to wait for the Master’s return. But Jesus warns, “You don’t want him showing up unannounced, with you asleep on the job,” and we would sleep.

Advent means waiting for the arrival of a notable person or event. So what are we waiting for? Certainly not the arrival of the baby Jesus, or the Holy Spirit; these are things we do not need to hope for as the prophets hoped for the Messiah or the disciples waited for the promised Comforter. We’re waiting for Jesus’ “arrival filling the sky,” such that “no one will miss it!” “He’ll dispatch the angels; they will pull in the chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole.” Do you believe this? Is this your advent? Do you have a hope that is certain that “whether evening, midnight, cockcrow, or morning,” Jesus is returning to gather you “from the four winds, from pole to pole?” As we read in 1 Corinthians 1 this morning, “He will never give up on you. Never forget that.” “Stay at your post. Keep watch.” Advent and Hope are upon us.

Amen