Why Advent?

“And He will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.” That is the first half of Malachi 4:6, the last verse of the Old Testament. While there is not a postmark on the letter of Malachi’s prophecy, most believe that he wrote in the mid-400s BC. I know, you really wanted to make sure you had that tidbit in case you are ever on final Jeopardy or playing wing night trivia with Pastor Lewis. It is significant to note because of Israel’s history and the promise.

Let’s start with the promise.

The Old Testament ends with a promise of restoration. Israel is left with this direct message from God that HE would come. And when HE came things would be sorted out. You have seen it on the news and you have seen it in your own family…the world around us is broken. It wasn’t this generation or the last generation that began a rebellious revolt against mom and dad. 450 years before Jesus was born, Malachi highlights the dysfunction of the family. He uncovers the heart issue that separates us from truly loving and serving one another. But, when HE came, the process to make this right was begun.

That’s what Advent is about…the coming of the One, the Messiah. Advent is from the Latin for “coming”. God promised through Malachi that He had not forgotten what He set forth and that Messiah was coming. God promised through the Fall in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3 that this One would come. Advent spans all of the Old Testament.

But, then there is the history of Israel. Israel’s history is one of waiting. Recent news of Jerusalem being officially recognized as the capital of Israel is one example of their wait. After all, Israel was reconstituted in 1948. The thread of the Promise runs rich through Israel’s history of waiting. God promises the Restorer in Genesis 3, but it is nearly 2,500 years until Advent. God promises land to Abraham, but it is over 500 years until Exodus. God promises Joseph’s family safety, but Israel cries out in slavery for 400 years. God promises a forever King to David, but is nearly 1,000 years until Christ.

This brings us back to Malachi 4:6. Israel was in the process of being restored again. They had walked away from God. God punished them by allowing the Babylonians to destroy them and exile them from their land. But, just as God ALWAYS does, He came to their rescue at their cry…the same way He does for us! There are two major building projects that take place after 500 BC; one rebuilds the wall, the other rebuilds the temple. This is the situation in which Malachi finds himself proclaiming the Word of God. This is where Malachi reiterates God’s promise of rescue and restoration.

Then there is a deafening silence. 400 years of silence. God promises this One to come. He assures His people that Advent is on the horizon and then the line goes dead. The Greeks and the Romans ransack and desecrate Jerusalem. God’s people question the waiting. They question the promise. They question the silence. They wonder if Advent is actually going to happen.

What does this have to do with you and me? I get it…church answer. We know Advent is what we celebrate at Christmas because Jesus came. Like I said, church answer. Church answers are always easy. This one is not so easy, which makes it a disciple answer.

The book of Matthew opens with exuberance: “Jesus, the Christ, the One for Whom we have been waiting, has come and this is how He got here!” I may have paraphrased that a little. It also closes with a promise from this One: “I’m right here with you, even until the very end” (28:20), right before He ascends. And, if you aren’t looking it may appear that heaven has drawn silent. How else can we make sense of all that is in this world that doesn’t?

You and I are in a period of Advent expectancy. We are sitting with an imbalance in our lives. We are excited because we know Jesus and we know that He came, but we are anxious because He said He was coming back and the clouds of darkness in this present world seem to be growing on the horizon. We believe the promise He made, but we are still waiting. We can readily identify with Israel’s history as we worshipfully carol ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel.’ We are waiting for Him to come AGAIN!

So, why do we, the church, celebrate Advent? Why is it more than just a Christmas day? We celebrate Advent because we know God’s promises are ever true. We celebrate Advent because of the pregnant expectation of the Lord’s arrival. We hail the Savior Who did come and Whose Advent will usher in the final reconciliation of all the God has promised. We light candles and have readings, not to look pretty or to add meaningless tradition, but to draw upon the richness of God’s promise to restore.

He has come. He is restoring hearts. He IS coming again.