Preparing to Meet Jesus ~ Luke 21:25-36 ~ First Sunday in Advent

A couple of years ago, my grandfather received a phone call.

The male voice on the other end identified himself as “your grandson,” but it wasn’t me.  And I’m his only grandson...

The “grandson” proceeds to tell him that he was in Canada.  He had just crashed a rental car and killed two people.  He was in jail—and he needed Grandpa to wire him $2,000 for bail.

Without hesitation, he goes down to the bank to take out the money. 

Fortunately for him, he had known the teller for years—and when she noticed that he wasn’t himself, he wasn’t afraid to tell her what was going on.  She then suggested that he call me back first before wiring the money.

That is when he learns that I wasn’t in Canada.  I’ve never even been to Canada... I was in my seminary dorm room studying...

This had all the makings of the perfect crime—the scammer creates the shock and horror of his grandson’s distress, throwing him so off guard that he gladly sends away a small fortune without question...

That’s how some thieves operate.  They strike when you’re most vulnerable.  You don’t see them coming—and they’re gone even before you know what happened.  Our only defense is to learn their tricks, and beware their traps.  Our best defense is being ready.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his return—and for the chaos and calamity that would precede it.  He says that people will literally “faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world.”  So Jesus speaks of these things ahead of time so they can be prepared.  When people panic in confusion over what is coming to pass, they must remember that these are signs that God’s redemption of all things is drawing near.  Jesus’ promises will give them the faith to stand firm and wait for their redeemer to come.

Now I don’t know about you, but I can’t help being afraid when I hear Jesus words.  Our world really feels like it is spinning out of control. The fact that a person can be robbed over the phone shows you just how crazy it has become.  And fear is the most natural human response—because we seldom have to look very hard for reasons to be afraid. 

Yet President Roosevelt was definitely spot-on when he said “we have nothing to fear but fear itself.”  Fear is the most irrational of all human emotions—because it drives us towards irrational behaviors.  Fear may drive us into hiding like a turtle hides itself in its shell, so that we think and act only for ourselves.  Fear may drive us into a fierce and hateful blaming towards people we believe are responsible for the world’s problems.  This is what we saw during the election season, and the awful things that people continue to say about those who embrace one political ideology over another.  Fear may even drive us to reckless and careless living.  Why not eat, drink, and be merry, if tomorrow brings doom and gloom? 

All told, when fear rules our lives, we lose our senses.  We lose our heads.  And we lose hope—because we lose sight of our redeemer.

That is precisely why Jesus commands us to be alert—because we can be so easily caught in the changes and challenges of life that we lose sight of Jesus.  It’s not that he’s absent; we just aren’t seeing him.  We get caught up in the traps of doubt and despair; and we lose our faith. 

But that won’t stop Jesus.  He loves us so much that he’s not about to allow this chaotic world to swallow us whole.  Whether we believe him or not; whether we see him or not; Jesus is with us.  Our redemption is drawing near.

As we hear these words, we mustn’t limit our understanding of “his coming” strictly to a defined point at the end of days—which may not happen in any of our lifetimes.  Jesus’ redemption is happening right now.  We are gathered here today because Christ is truly present in his words of promise and in the meal where he gives us his flesh and blood.  We are here today to meet Jesus in the presence of our fellow believers. And we are here today so that we can prepare to meet Jesus outside of these walls, in the neighbors who need our love and our good works and our testimony of Christ’s love. 

The Advent season is all about preparing for the living Christ to be born into our lives.  Jesus is coming into your life—and he is coming today.

So prepare to meet your Savior.  And as you go from this place today, think about all the ways that Jesus has come to you in the past week.  If that’s hard to do, think of the people who showed care and concern.  Remember the tough days when you wondered how you would ever make it through, and yet somehow you did.  Remember the things you worried about which all turned out alright.  It was Jesus, every time.

And Jesus will be even more of a presence in the coming week.  So make sure you pray, because prayer is God’s way of keeping you alert for his presence.  Be sure to meditate on his word of promise, so that you will know God’s grace and mercy when it comes your way.  And don’t be afraid to venture out of your comfort zone to share God’s love with another, because Jesus will be there in every person you bless in his name.

Sometimes Jesus comes in awesome displays of power and might, and other times he comes as but a whisper of grace.  But he will come.  So keep watch—and prepare to meet your Lord.