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ADVENT SEASON – FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT  

  SCRIPTURE READINGS

JEREMIAH 33: 14-16 

1 THESSALONIANS 3:9-13 

LUKE 21:25-36 

The theme for our reflection is “look, your Saviour comes”. We are in the season of Advent. There are two important reasons for observing the Advent season. The first reason is to commemorate the birth of Jesus(first coming) and the second is to anticipate and prepare for the second coming of Jesus. The period of Advent this year starts from Sunday, 28th November 2021 to Thursday, 24th December 2021. Advent season is a period of fasting, prayers and Bible study. All believers must continue to love one another, give to the poor and less privileged and serve God wholeheartedly even as we wait for the Lord’s return. The theme Look, your Saviour comes, suggest that we find ourselves in an unsafe world filled with evil and injustice therefore it is soothing news for believers to be told that “look, your saviour comes! The theme presents to us three vital points for our reflection:  

1. God is gracious to His faithful children therefore He promised them a Saviour.  

2. Jesus is the promised Saviour who has promised to return for our final and eternal salvation.  

3. Jesus must return to meet us watchful and blameless on the day of our salvation.  

First, God’s graciousness is yet again seen when He promised Israel a Saviour during the time of Jeremiah. The promise is two dimensional. It is an immediate and futuristic promise. It could also be classified as existential (now) and eschatological (Messianic). It is important to note that Israel due to their disobedience and idol worship were handed over to their enemies by God. The Babylonians destroyed their Kingdom and held them captives. It was their prayer of deliverance and plea for mercy that led to Jeremiah assuring them that ‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfil the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.  “‘In those days and at that time  I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.  In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Savior.” (Jeremiah 33:14-16). Their restoration will not only be immediate and temporary but it will also be futuristic and eternal by virtue of the coming of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. God will establish a permanent covenant with them with the Righteous Saviour. My dear friend in the Lord, the sin of the world may bring calamity and hardship unto all of us but look, your Saviour comes! 

Secondly, Jesus is the promised Saviour who came to first establish God’s everlasting covenant with His priceless blood and is to come again as the King of the Universe. It is, for this reason, He said in Luke 12:25-28 that “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads because your redemption is drawing near.” My dear friend in Christ, do not lose hope, keep persevering in faith and be faithful to the end, look, your Saviour comes for Jesus assures us that “Truly I tell you; this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Luke 21:32-33). In other words, the human race will not be extinct before the second coming takes place, some people will be sleeping in their graves waiting for Judgment day and others will be alive, going about their daily activities and will see it happen as promised and described by Jesus Christ, therefore, my dear friend, look, your saviour comes!

Third, beloved in the Lord, whether we are sleeping in our graves or physically alive before the Savour comes, we must always be watchful, prayerful and be found blameless when the Saviour comes. Jesus cautions us to be watchful and prayerful when He admonishes us that “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth.  Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36).  Beloved in the Lord, your Saviour comes therefore remain prepared by not allowing yourself to be lured by the sinful desires of the world. Watch the people you associate yourself with and take seriously your spiritual life, always dedicating your resources and entire life to the service of God.  We are greatly encouraged and strengthened by Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians that  “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.  “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13) 

In conclusion my dear friend, we have learnt that God is gracious to His faithful children therefore He promised them a Saviour, Jesus is the promised Saviour who has promised to return for our final and eternal salvation, and last but not the least, is that Jesus must return to meet us watchful prayerful and blameless. May the grace of Lord Jesus Christ sustain us to remain prepared even as our Saviour comes. Amen  

Jean-Paul Agidi (Rev)