Between Two Advents

Advent is a season of anticipation. The word, Advent, means “coming,” and traditionally this has been a season of not only remembering our Lord’s first coming leading up to Christmas Day, but also a looking forward to His second coming on that Last Day. 

In fact, in the traditional lectionaries many of the biblical texts featured for this season are not simply from the Nativity accounts, but are eschatological passages about Christ’s future return and judgment day. And here in this sacrament, we see this dual-focus as well. For in the words of the Apostle Paul, here we remember and proclaim our Lord’s death—looking back—until He comes—looking forward(1 Cor. 11:26). 

In this age, the Church is always experiencing Advent, a time of waiting. Our Lord has come in great power, He has overcome sin and death. The sun has begun to rise, the darkness is fleeing –but we know and experience that all things have not fully been made right yet. 

So what are we to do while we wait? How are we to spend our lives in this time between two Advents? 

Titus 2 reads, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ… (Tit. 2:11–13). 

Our salvation has appeared, and as we await its final consummation, we endeavor to live righteously with great hope. We worship God, we honor all men, we love our families, we work hard as unto the Lord, and we start each week with holy rest among the saints at our Lord’s table. 

So with longing and hopeful hearts, Come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.