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SCRIPTURE READINGS

ISAIAH 35:1-10

JAMES 5:7-10

MATTHEW 11:2-11

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT REFLECTION

The theme for reflection is “behold your promised redeemer” A redeemer is one who saves another from harm, burden, oppression or enslavement. We are in the Advent season and today marks the third Sunday of Advent. Advent is observed by Christians before the celebration of Christmas. Advent is a season of expectation and hope for believers all over the world. We commemorate the first Advent or the first coming of Jesus Christ as God incarnate who was born to the virgin Mary in a manger. Again during the season of Advent, we remind ourselves of the second coming of Christ and it’s upon this expectation that we shall reflect on the theme “Behold your promised redeemer”. In relation to the theme, we shall discuss two facts or points discovered after a critical study of the three Scripture readings. These facts are:

1. Jesus is the promised redeemer.
2. Those who endure or persevere on account of the promised redeemer shall be saved.

Firstly, Jesus, the promised redeemer came to redeem us from captivity. During the time of Prophet Isaiah, some of the Israelites were taken into captivity by the Babylonian empire hence the message of hope was given to the oppressed and depressed Israelites through the Prophet Isaiah by God that ” Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” … the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35:3-4, 10) This message of hope was not only existential to the people of the era but also prophetic to our dispensation because God sent the Redeemer of the Israelites to liberate the world spiritually and physically. It was for this purpose “When John, who was in prison and he heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. (Matthew 11:2-5). My dear friends in the Lord, Jesus is the promised Messiah and Redeemer. Jesus further declared to the world that He is the promised Redeemer when “the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:17-21). Beloved in the Lord, we can have all the fun or entertainment we wish to have on this earth, we can amass all the wealth we wish to have on this earth, we can acquire all the academic degrees and professional certificates with their associated titles and positions but Jesus, our Redeemer admonishes us that “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:36-38). Dear friends, I want you to look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself “after I a have lived my life on this earth what will be the fate of my soul?” This is the most important question many people run away from until they are fast approaching their departure from earth. This is the simple fact of life, life is ephemeral and incredibly fleeting, you meet someone today and tomorrow they are no more, someone sees you today and tomorrow you are gone. Job after observing life, came to the conclusion that “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. (Job 1:21). Similarly, Paul reminds us through his letter to Timothy that “… godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. (1 Timothy 6:6-7) The good news is that, if you are still alive and you have no relationship with the promised Redeemer then grace has found you today “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16-18). Dear friend, behold, Jesus your promised redeemer, He can only save you if you take the personal decision to make Him your Lord and Saviour and to dedicate and surrender your life into His hands. Remember, you can bribe the police to release you from their custody, and you can bribe the judge to declare you not guilty for and offence you have committed but you cannot bribe our promised Redeemer on the judgement day, salvation is non-negotiable, it is, for this reason, we must all treat our redemption from sin as a matter of urgency. Our date of birth we know but our date of death we do not know but is certainly imminent. No matter who are, no matter what have achieved without the promised Redeemer as your Lord and Saviour have no business with eternal life.

Secondly, the promised redeemer will also come to reward those who have persevered or endured suffering on account of His name. This is the encouragement we receive in James’ epistle when he wrote that “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” (James 5:7-11) Beloved in the Lord, being a Christian can sometimes bring you untold hardship. You are most likely to face persecution because you desire to follow the perfect examples of Christ our Lord and Savior, there are many Christians whose promotions have been delayed or withheld because of their uprightness in the Lord. They have refused to be corrupt and will not take bribes and for this reason, they continue to be maltreated, intimidated and sometimes even have their lives and livelihoods threatened. Many faithful Christians are going through hard times because they are bent on living a life of honesty and integrity in the Lord. They are living a purpose-driven and heaven-conscious life. If you find yourselves in the category of being persecuted on account of your belief or faith in Jesus Christ then behold, your promised redeemer. “You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” (James 5:11). Indeed, after Job had gone through a series of calamities, he said with hope and perseverance “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes —I, and not another.” (Job 19:25-27) Jesus again assures us that “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12). I am here to announce to you, my dear friend in Christ, don’t give up, continually draw strength from prayer and Scripture and receive the consolation and assurance that Jesus gave to His disciples before He ascended into heaven, “…surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20). You are not alone in this struggle, Jesus the promised Redeemer is with you through the power of the Holy Spirit for He has promised us that “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. (John 14:16-19) This is the assurance we have, be strong in faith and persevere to the end like Paul who wrote that “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day —and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

In summary beloved in the Lord, the theme for our reflection is “Behold, your promised Redeemer. Our study of the three Scripture readings led us to two important facts or points and these are: Jesus is the promised redeemer and those who endure or persevere on account of the promised redeemer shall be saved. May the Holy Spirit continually strengthen us to overcome sin and temptations and persevere to the end even as we await the second and final coming of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.