The Lord is near
Please read Luke 3: 1-18 and Philippians 4: 4-7 and then pray; Lord, draw near to me as I draw near to your Word, and as I marvel at its eternal message of hope, peace, and joy. Amen.
On this 3rd Sunday of advent, we are going to be thinking about the theme: Getting nearer – and drawing near. Something is getting nearer, and there is One to whom we must draw near.
One of things I find impossible to do is to choose a favourite bible reading, and this is because I have so many favourite verses. You may have the same problem as me. Hundreds of verses of Scripture have become special and precious to me over the years of my Christian pilgrimage. But amongst my “favourites” is Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians in which, amongst other things, he encourages consistent and continual joy, the pursuit and practise of gentleness, and the offering of thanksgiving and prayer, which lead to an indescribable and incomprehensible peace.
Read Philippians 4: 4-7
There you have it. A strong encouragement for Christians and Churches to rejoice continually, to constantly put gentleness on display, (a beautiful Christ-like virtue and fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22), and to allow anxiety to dissipate and vanish altogether as we pray – by drawing near to God our Father. Peace is to be found in the heart of His presence. But right in the middle of this short exhortation – there is statement which at first glance might appear to be out of place.
The Lord is near. (5b)
Why is that declaration here, and what does it refer to?
As I seek to answer that question, perhaps I could begin by stating this truth. There is no greater summary of the message of advent than this concise statement: The Lord is near. That is advent in a nutshell! The Lord is near! Sometimes this is translated, the Lord is at hand; or the Lord is coming soon. This is the truth which dominates advent. The Lord is at hand and He will be here soon! Advent draws our attention towards, and prepares us, for either, the first entrance of the Son of God into the world in a cold stable, or the return of the Son of Man in clouds with power and great glory. Advent points us towards the two historic appearances of Christ the Lord in our world – one in the past – one yet to come – but near. The Lord is near.
The reference in Philippians is to the second advent of Christ – an event that Paul keeps on referring to in all his letters. Earlier in Philippians he has written that the God who began a good work in their lives by his grace and goodness “will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.” This “day of Jesus Christ” is the day of his return – and that is the awesome day when salvation will be fully revealed and augmented and completed. This is the day of the arrival of the new heavens and the new earth wherein righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) In Chapter 3: 20, Paul writes;
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
So, when Paul writes about “the Lord being near,” he is referring to the return of Jesus which will be soon – and hence “near.” For as Peter states in his letter when writing about this second advent of Jesus; With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
And the principle reason why Paul keeps on mentioning the reality and the nearness of this second coming of Jesus, is to stimulate and strongly encourage a new and holy way of living – a way of life that is dedicated to God’s glory, service and worship.
This new holy life includes the practise of gentleness in the world and in the Church. Let your gentleness be evident to all. It is a call to end conflict, aggression, and abrasiveness. The holy life is a life of prayer which becomes a life liberated from anxiety. It is a life of peace and joy – two of Paul’s favourite terms in this letter.
Advent, therefore, calls us to be ready and prepared to meet God. Ready and prepared through repentance, through casting away all the works of darkness. (Romans 13: 11-14) Ready by embracing a new life in Christ centred on love, compassion, gentleness, kindness, just living, thoughtful caring, and generous sharing. Are you getting ready to meet Jesus? Are you using the talents he gave you or have they been buried? (Matthew 25:14-30) When He returns, will He find you living a life of repentance, faith, love, active service, and holiness? Or as Jesus himself asked his disciples at the end of a parable about persistent faith and prayer;
However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?
When the Son of Man comes, and He will come for the day of his coming is near – what will he find in your life, in your heart? What will Jesus discover reigning and ruling in your heart and affections? His Kingdom? His love? His justice? His peace that passes all understanding? Why do you think the second coming of Christ is always written about by the apostles with the utmost passion and urgency? It demands swift action. It demands radical change – and personal transformation is what the bible refers to as repentance. We are to live each day as though it were our last – as though tomorrow may be the day that Christ returns in power and glory to claim his own.
When Paul teaches that “the Lord is near,” his teaching is mirroring that of John the Baptist. John, the last prophet who arose before the first advent of Jesus, presented an urgent message to his world: Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. Do you see the similarity? “The Kingdom of God is near,” preached John. The Lord is near. The Messiah will arrive any minute now. Are you ready; are you prepared? Prepare the way for the Lord. The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. (Luke 3:9) And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them. (3:18) John was telling the people to put their lives in order and to do so with urgency and seriousness. Start living according the laws of God’s love and justice. Do it now, was John’s message! Let there be no delay!
You can see why the figure and preaching of John Baptist is always prominent each advent. He was preaching and preparing the people at the point when Jesus was just about to walk through the door. There was to be no more waiting. The Kingdom of God was now finally breaking in, breaking through. You could hear Jesus walking up the pathway. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me? (Revelation 3:20)
Christmas is near. It is just around the corner. This is a time to celebrate with great joy that the Lord came into this world, His world. The God of the bible is not some distant, unknowable, unapproachable God. He came here. He came near in Jesus. He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all. (Cecil Francis Alexander / Once in royal…) Christmas is when we rejoice in Lord for the fact that He became one of us, one with us. The eternal light entered our dark world and lived in our neighbourhood. The eternal Word took on flesh – and He came with the express purpose of dying for us on a cross.
Our task, not just during advent, but every single day, is to prepare for the Lord’s return. Our task at Christmas is to draw near to the new born King and worship him. This is a season of joy-filled prayer and praise. Joy to the world, the Lord is come. The Shepherds came to see Jesus and went on their way praising and glorifying God. (Luke 2:19) The magi came solely to worship and wonder at the new-born King of the nations. We too should aim to come and worship, kneel before the Saviour of the world.
As we draw near to God in worship – so He draws near to us. (James 4:8) As we encounter and enter the presence of the Prince of Peace, so we discover an unrivalled peace which passes all understanding and surpasses all our explanations to describe its powerful reality in our hearts and minds. The peace of the Kingdom of God has come to dwell in men and women. The kingdom of God within us. This is the peace which the angel choir said would come to the earth because of the arrival of the Saviour born on that holy night in David’s town. This is the peace that will be fully established when the babe of Bethlehem returns as all conquering King as this age finally closes, and a new one begins.
“The Lord is near” wrote Paul. Let us make sure that we are ready for his certain return, and let us draw near to Him in wonder and worship this Christmas. This reflective reading written by David Adam invites us all to draw near to the baby who was laid in a manger;
I open the stable door;
I kneel before the infant;
I worship with the shepherds;
I adore the Christ child.
I give my love with Mary and Joseph;
I wonder at the “Word made flesh.”
I am aware of the love of God;
I sing glory with the angels;
I offer my gifts with the wise men.
I receive the living, Lord;
I hold him in my hands;
I go on my way rejoicing,
glorifying and praising God.
Amen.
(Revd Peter J Clarkson 15.12.24)