Advent - Rejoice
The Third Sunday of Advent
This third week of Advent traditionally focuses on the theme of rejoicing. In a season that restrains celebration in favor of preparation, we pause to open the doors for joy. During this darkest time of year (in the Northern Hemisphere at least), Advent encourages us to remember the long wait the world endured before Christ’s first coming and reflect on the wait we currently experience for His second coming. If we are not careful, though, the waiting may increase feelings of bitterness and resentment. We do, after all, live in a world that is so very broken. Romans 8:20-25 states:
“For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.”
Paul does not shy away from the pain in this world. He recognizes that not only are we broken people but that our world is broken as well. Yet, he also offers the hope that this season embodies – hope for the coming of Christ and the final restoration of all things.
I am ashamed to say that I can be easily discouraged by living in this world. My grief comes from things as personal as broken relationships and lost loved ones to compassion fatigue I experience with my students to global heartache over wars, destruction, and terror. It can be very hard to see the light, and I am reminded of the lyrics from the song “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”:
“And in despair I bowed my head
‘There is no peace on Earth’ I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on Earth, good will to men.”
Originally written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863 during the Civil War, following the death of his wife in 1861 and his son’s wounding in the war, the lyrics speak of the despair and heartbreak we can experience in this world. Life seems to be utter hopelessness.
However, by the grace of God, we are given a light in the darkness. There is more to expect than the heartbreak of hate. Longfellow’s poem continues with this message of hope:
“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead nor does He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on Earth, good will to men.”
Like the sound of the bells that I can imagine ringing out, this message of hope swells the heart with the realization that God changes everything.
He does not leave us to despair and death, but rather He enters into the story with us to be our Light and bring us hope. C.S. Lewis says it more eloquently (of course) in his book Miracles:
“In the Christian story God descends to reascend. He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity…But He goes down to come up again and bring the whole ruined world up with Him. One has the picture of a strong man stooping lower and lower to get himself underneath some great complicated burden. He must stoop in order to lift, he must almost disappear under the load before he incredibly straightens his back and marches off with the whole mass swaying on his shoulders.” (179)
The Incarnation of God is the moment of joy when God takes on human flesh, entering the world He created as created man that He might take on the consequences of our sin. Christ limits Himself to humanity while in no way limiting His divinity because nothing less could ever save us. He “stoops” down to our level to “lift” the burden of sin from us. When He is crucified, it seems like he “disappears under the load,” but He “straightens his back” and resurrects to life bringing us a previously unimaginable joy.
During Advent, we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, and this week we let ourselves remember the joy of the Incarnation and anticipate the joy that awaits us when Christ returns. When Christ was born, another angel broke 400 years of silence to tell a group of lowly shepherds, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). God proved His faithfulness and gave us His Son the Savior; we rejoice because our God has proved Himself true and will return again. And this time, He comes to not just save but to restore. This is indeed good news of great joy for all people.
