Thursday, December 15, 2011

Two Advents of the Son of God

      The word “advent” simply means “coming.” It is from the Latin, “arrival.” The initial coming of the Son of God is vividly described by Luke: “She [Mary] gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger…That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David!’” (Luke 2:7-11 NLT)

     The second advent of the Son of God is also vividly described in Scripture. Paul writes, “When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel…when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 ESV).

     The two advents, or “comings,” of Christ are similar in some respects and yet very different also. When the Son of God came to Earth, born as a human man, there was celebration and rejoicing. Though the circumstances of his arrival were humble, the impact of the Incarnation changed the world forever. Likewise, his Second Coming will be a time when believers celebrate the inauguration of the celestial abode. This world will end and new life in Heaven begins. Both the Incarnation and the Second Coming enact dramatic change. These are moments in time when God employs masterstrokes of divine action resulting in dramatic change for humanity. Just as the birth of a first child dramatically changes a home, or a fire that burns down a house dramatically affects a family, so also these workings of God in the world affect us to the very core, only infinitely more. Certainly, God works continuously in the world, yet, in these two advent moments He moves with fantastic world-altering power.

      Though similar in some respects, these two advent events are also very different. When the Son of God came the first time, he came as our Redeeming Savior. When he comes again, it will be as our Judging Lord. The Incarnation is a meager scene of humble beginnings. The Second Coming is a cataclysmic in-breaking ushering in a dramatic end. For you and me, the time between Jesus’ two advents is extremely important. We must use the time we’ve been allotted to live out the faith implications of the Incarnation and to look with readied gaze toward the inevitable return of Jesus Christ.

-Paul N. Merideth