Anticipation: Jeremiah 33: 14-16; Luke 21: 26-36
A friend of mine said the other day that it seems we are living from one crisis to the next in our lives. He said, that the 60s, the 70s, the 80s, the 90s, all had very distinct styles and personalities for the decade, but beginning in about the year 2000, all we’ve done is account for the next crisis. And to be honest, it does feel a bit that way. I imagine it felt that way a bit for Ancient Israel and Judah as well. If you read through the Old Testament, it becomes one long story of nation after nation conquering or threatening the ancient kingdoms, usually because of Israel’s disobedience. I’ve found that as people grow accustomed to crisis mode and the bright hope for today gets a little dim in their minds, they utter a new prayer filled with hope built on anticipation, saying, “Even so, come Lord, quickly come.”
That’s our text for today. The best way to summarize and explain what is going on is this prayer, “Come, Lord, quickly.” This prayer sustained the people of Ancient Israel and Judah with a hopeful anticipation. Our Old Testament is from the prophet Jeremiah, known as the weeping prophet. In the early parts of the book Jeremiah prophesies against a people in exile in Babylon. They are enslaved, suffering, and far from their homes. They are under punishment for having turned from God to other idols and pagan worship. They had forgotten their deliverer and sustainer, the God of Israel, Yahweh.
But here, Jeremiah offers a new prophecy, one filled with hope and anticipation. In verse 15, Jeremiah looks towards the coming Messiah with God’s promise to “raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.” But the promise goes on to say that Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will find safety. Jeremiah gave the people this hope—this anticipation for a coming Savior of the people.
The New Testament picks up this same line of hopeful anticipation. We are given the instruction, “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life.” This is followed up with in verses 34 and 35 with the warning not to be caught unaware or unready. It’s the same prayer for us: even so, come Lord, quickly. This calls for us to be workers of hope in the meantime.
One of the easiest ways to be caught unaware is to focus on the first part of this scripture instead of the second part. People, for years, have played the silly guessing game of “when it’s going to happen.” If an eclipse is coming, people will rave about strange signs in the skies. If a nation saber rattles, people will whisper about signs on earth. Hurricane happening? Sign…for sure. This is not to be taken as a grand checklist for the exact determination of when Jesus will come back bouncing down the clouds of heaven. It’s an instruction and a reminder both to live in hope, but also in anticipation.
It’s a call for us to be about God’s business here on earth. We are told to keep alert and to work for the kingdom. When the people of Israel finally get back to Jerusalem, it’s not a pretty sight. The city is pure rubble. They were called to work at rebuilding the city and begin living and worshipping as God’s people again. The same is true for us. Between the ascension of Jesus and the return, we are here for a purpose and a mission. Before the hopeful anticipation, there is a meanwhile here on earth.
The past couple of weeks were a bit of a roller coaster as far as hope and prayer. The entire nation watched the trial of Ahmaud Arbery’s killers. His death was brutal and there was no mistaking that the three men who killed him harbored a deep-rooted racism. They were convicted, but a young man is still dead, and his family grieves. Before that was the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse. Now whatever your thoughts on the outcome and the politicization of that trial and whether he was justified or not, let’s step back to a more basic idea. A 17-year-old traveled across state lines with an assault rifle then later that night shot and killed three people. Whatever your personal beliefs are, that’s still a horrific tragedy.
But they’re not isolated—growing murder rates around the country, a looming housing crisis where people will be unable to afford homes or rent, increasing food prices, the continuing undercurrent of animosity and anger based on political beliefs. No wonder we all need antacids and blood pressure medication. Into this world of despair and pain, we have a message of hopeful anticipation and Good News—simple, clear, and hope-filled Good News. It’s two-fold, really. It’s the news of Christ who came to this world teaching love and grace, pushing us to live at peace with one another. Then he showed us exactly what sacrificial love looked like, and he showed us that life and hope overcome sacrifice and suffering.
But there’s also a message of hope in the meanwhile. The message comes as food for the hungry, for Jesus fed 5,000 spiritually and physically. It’s a message of clothing and help for those who need a warm place in the cold of winter, for Jesus was without a home. It’s a message that as we live, in and through our work here on earth, we can get a glimpse of hopeful anticipation even as we still pray earnestly in hope, “Come, Lord, quickly.”
The words come from Revelation 22 where the writer prays for Christ’s quick return. Paul and Ruth Manz wrote a song based upon the text in 1953 when their three-year-old son was critically ill. There was nothing left to do but pray. As they prayed, Ruth wrote the words, and Paul later added music. The lyrics say this: “Peace be to you and grace from him who freed us from our sins, who loved us all and shed his blood that we might sav-ed be. Sing Holy, Holy to our Lord, the Lord, Almighty God, who was, and is, and is to come. Sing Holy, Holy Lord. Rejoice in heaven, all ye that dwell within; rejoice on earth, ye saints below for Christ is coming, is coming soon, for Christ is coming soon. E'en so Lord Jesus, quickly come, and night shall be no more. They need no light nor lamp nor sun, for Christ will be their All!” Their son made a full recovery, which they credited to prayer and hopeful anticipation.
This Advent, may we be ready and watching, for Christ comes soon. But in the meantime, there is the work of hope to be done here on earth. When evils raise their ugly heads, when pain and struggles come to dwell in our homes and communities, may we remember the One who saves us, may we proclaim the Good News, and may we live in this world working as hope to those in need. The night of winter is long and dark, but we wait in hopeful anticipation for Christ, the light of the world. E’en so, Lord, quickly come. Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/600078091305136