The Story of Advent
December 1st, 2022
“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” (Malachi 4:5-6 NIV)
The last two verses of the Old Testament are thought to be the last prophetic words from God for 400 years. Then, the events recorded in the Four Gospels take place. John 1 begins with the introduction of the Word and then the ministry of John the Baptist. This is the heart of Advent. It is the heralding of Jesus by John and it is the earthly arrival of Jesus by Mary. But more than those two events it is the waiting, the first Advent arrives after 400 years of Divine Silence.
I do not wait all that well. When my family goes to a restaurant and we are handed one of those square devices I do not take my eyes off of it. I must admit that sometimes I shake my hand while holding it in my palm just to encourage it to light up sooner than it wants to. I would prefer to be the one to hold it. This way I am the first to know the minute it goes off and we can take our seats, to wait some more.
When God did speak, he spoke the Word. The Word that fulfilled all things, answered all things, and completed all things. The first Word, and the last Word. The Word was made flesh and in Eugene Peterson’s words, “moved into the neighborhood.”
The ones who serve at restaurants are of course the real waiters. As we celebrate Advent and anticipate the work of God, we do well to learn from them. “Waiting upon the Lord” may very well mean serving and loving in the name of Jesus. I need to be a better waiter, how about you?
-Justin Dunn