Advent - Preparation and Watchfulness
The Second Sunday of Advent
So, it’s Tuesday, not Sunday, and in a week where the theme is often preparation, I was most definitely not prepared.
All of my brain capacity seems to be currently bound up in work. Just a few more days and I will be able to enjoy a long-needed break, but I have to make it until then. All of my energy has focused on finishing grades, getting kids to get their work done, managing behaviors, actually teaching, and preparing my lessons for the weeks after break. All of the effort and energy that I expend now, even though I ran dry ages ago, means that I can actually take a break once it arrives. I will be able to rest, participate in holiday celebrations, and enjoy family – hopefully, all without wanting to burst into tears at the drop of a hat because my mental barriers are currently a tattered mess.
I have eagerly anticipated Christmas break since early November, and when we finally hit December 1, my countdown was in full swing. While each day drains me a little (or a lot) more, I am actively waiting for 3:45 on Friday afternoon when I can finally be done for a couple of weeks and have a chance to rejuvenate.
My waiting, though, pales in comparison to the waiting the Jews underwent until the coming of the Messiah. We have to travel back to the garden of Eden to encounter the first promise from God regarding the Messiah. God has confronted Adam and Eve with consequences of their sin, and while speaking to the deceptive serpent says, “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” (Gen. 3:15). Known as the protevangelium, or “first gospel,” this is the moment when God promises a Savior. Years pass and the people fail in obeying God over and over again. Yet, God remains faithful and continues to call His people back to Himself after they have disobeyed God and chased after other gods.
Throughout the history of Israel, God demonstrates His faithfulness by declaring His covenants with Abraham and David, by sending prophets who encourage the people to return to God, and by establishing the Law which describes the relationship God wants with His people. The Messiah has not yet come for Israel, but God continues to remind them the Messiah was coming; they must watch and prepare so that they are ready when the Messiah comes. Psalm 130 speaks to this waiting when it says:
“I wait for the Lord; I wait
and put my hope in his word.I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning—
more than watchmen for the morning.” (Psalm 130:5-6)
The watchmen guarded the cities, or even the fields and vineyards, day and night. During the night watches, they would peer carefully into the surrounding darkness, straining their eyes for any sign of danger. The morning light would herald their relief. They could not slack off as they anticipated whatever came next.
In the fullness of time, the Messiah did come into the world. He came at just the right time and in just the right place. Some of the first people who were made aware of the birth of the Messiah were another group of watchers:
“In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock.” (Luke 2:8)
These watchers were guarding their sheep, many of which would be used for sacrifices in the temple, when they were told of the Lamb of God who came to save the world. The watchers who guarded the atonement sacrifices would be the first witnesses of the final Lamb’s arrival.
After the angels declared the Savior had been born in Bethlehem, the first thing the watchers do is go into Bethlehem to see the Savior for themselves. These watchers then become some of the first evangelists as they share the good news:
“After seeing [Mary, Joseph, and Jesus], they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” (Luke 2:17-18)
They do not keep the birth of the Messiah to themselves. The people had been waiting thousands of years, and finally the wait was over. How could they not share?
We, too, are waiting, and we, too, must be watching. Christ will come again, and this time when He comes, He will not come as a babe in a manager, but He will come as a conquering king. The time will be ripe for the fullness of salvation. While we are waiting and watching, we must be preparing our hearts – we must make room for Christ to invade our lives. Will we be ready when Christ comes again?
