Advent Week 2: Preparation

“Preparation” : Advent week 2

Isaiah 40:3-5

A voice cries:

“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low;

the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Preparation for Re-Creation in the Image of God

Last week began the Season of Advent. At this time of year, we remember both that the Lord has come to us, and that He is returning again. Christmas exists because 2000 years ago, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords took on flesh and dwelt among us. He lived a sinless life and laid down that life on the cross, so that we can be reconciled to God and have eternal life. He rose from the grave proving His power over sin and death. Then, He ascended to heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father. However, before He ascended He promised that He would return one day. Christmas remembers He came. Easter remembers He died and rose again. Advent is about remembering that He is coming back.

As we look today at the theme of preparation, I thought it would be helpful to see what we are preparing for. You see, there are two ways of taking a trip. You can either hit the road and see where you end up, or you can plan your destination and prepare for the journey. Now, as romantic and carefree as jumping in the car and going sounds, it’s best not to be in shorts and flip flops as you head to Canada in winter. We are all on a journey. The destination for those in Christ is set, but we must prepare ourselves for the trip, or we may find ourselves left out in the cold.

To help us prepare, today we will look at what we are preparing for. Isaiah prophesied that a time of great upheaval is coming. That time began 2000 years ago with the coming Christ. And one day, His return will mark another great upheaval the likes of which this world has never seen. Look again at our verse for today:

“Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low”

There is a great leveling coming. Now, many scholars will say “Don’t take the language too literal, it’s a metaphor”, and rightly so. But, let’s consider what is being said in this metaphor. Whether deep in the valley, high on the mountain, or some hill in between, there is not a single location on earth that won’t be affected.

The return of the Lord will be seen by all and the earth will be upturned.

Likewise, everyone will hear the message of Jesus Christ before He returns.

The gospel will have gone out to the whole world.

Matthew 24:14

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

“And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together”

When Christ returns, we won’t be second guessing it. 1 Corinthians 15 describes the return of Christ as a flash, a twinkling of the eye, and a trumpet blast. We will know that Christ has come, because it will be sudden and loud.

Let us look at the first fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy before we look at its final fulfillment.

The Voice Calling from the Wilderness : Luke 3:1-9

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
    and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
    and the rough places shall become level ways,
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Isaiah prophesied there would come one calling out from the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord”. The first two verses poetically speak of preparing, but what is the Lord going to do? What are we preparing for? “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed.” The glory of the Lord is coming, Israel must make the way ready.

Here, we see the first fulfillment of Isaiah’s words. John the Baptizer, son of Zechariah, comes out of the wilderness to point the people to repentance. Isaiah used the metaphor of geography to tell Israel to get ready for the coming of the Lord. Notice that John tells the people to get ready by repenting of their sins. Jesus is coming to usher in a spiritual kingdom, and those who wish to enter this kingdom must be spiritually ready.

Look at what John says in verse 8: “Bear fruits in keeping with repentance.” The mark of true repentance bears fruit.

True repentance is demonstrated in action.

Notice also, he is not preparing the way of the Lord in that the Lord needs John’s help. He is preparing the people for the Lord’s coming. Jesus was coming and would separate the true people of God from those who merely pretended to follow the Lord. The Jews believed themselves to be safe from the wrath of God, because they were Abraham’s children. God could raise children of Abraham from stones, which means being a child of Abraham was more than just ancestry. Jesus would explain in John 8 that if the Pharisees were actually children of Abraham, they would do as he did. But, instead they acted like children of the devil in trying to kill Jesus. John the Baptist is saying here what Jesus would say later, “If you call yourself a child of God, act like it.”

The children of God act like the children of God.

At Christ’s coming, Israel was split between those who repented of their sins following Christ, and those who rejected Christ continuing in their sin. As we saw last week, the same will happen again for all nations when Christ returns in His glory. Though we do not know when Jesus will return, we know that when He does, we must be ready.

Now, let’s look at just what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15. As you turn there, allow me to give a bit of context for these verses. Paul is refreshing their memory of the gospel he preached, because there are some who have taught against the Resurrection. But, Paul says, he preached of first importance that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. He was buried and raised on the third day. He then appeared to many to demonstrate His power over death. Jesus’ resurrection is the central tenet of Christian faith. Without it, Paul says, we are people to be pitied more than anyone else. And then, in verse 20, he explains how Christ’s Second Coming is in order to re-create us, and the world, as a completion of the work of God that started in the Garden.

The Coming End of This Age: 1 Corinthians 15:20-26

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Christ is Risen! He is the first of those who will be resurrected. Then, we see the contrast. For as by one man came death (Adam), so there is life in one man (Christ). But there is an order. Christ was resurrected some 2000 years ago, and when the sons of God have been revealed (as we read last week), then Christ shall return. And in verse 24, we see that Christ will deliver the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule, authority, and power. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. This is what we mean by “eternal life”. It is not some philosophical pondering, or psychological state of being, it is real, everlasting life that comes to those who trust in the saving work of Jesus Christ.

Christ’s Resurrection is proof of our coming resurrection.

There have been many skeptics, and even many false teachers who claim to be Christian, that deny the resurrection of Christ, but the fact is, He is risen, and because He lives, we too will live.

Now, skip down with me to verse 35. Paul is addressing a common question of the first few centuries, and one that is asked today. “What kind of body does someone have at the resurrection?” After all, those who have been dead for thousands of years don’t have much left to their bodies. Will we walk around as skeletons or zombies, with some missing limbs? Will those who chose to be cremated float as clouds of dust? No, let’s read Paul’s explanation.

The Coming Body of the Resurrected: 1 Corinthians 15:35-49

35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

This life and its physical body is a seed of what is to come. Now, farmers can tell you all the different things you can do with grains and seeds, but there are not too many seeds that are useful in and of themselves as they are. Even the famous sunflower seed has to be flavored and peeled before its eaten. No, seeds are good for one thing: planting. And grains are good for making bread, sugar, fuel, oil...and some other beverages that good baptists don’t talk about. But Paul’s point is simply that the seed must perish in order for the greater form to come. A pumpkin seed is fine when toasted, but if it is buried, it can grow a whole patch of pumpkins. A pumpkin’s true form is not the seed, it is the fruit.

Likewise, as we consider this present life and prepare for Christ’s coming, we must remember that this body is the seed. We are not in our true forms just yet. However our physical bodies are treated at our death’s, it is simply the planting of the seed. Our true form shall be seen in heaven. And what is that form?

Verses 42-44 explain. It will be:

imperishable,

Our heavenly body will be truly eternal and not subject to the corruption of sin.

raised in glory and power,

“Glory” and “Power” are the same adjectives used of God and kings throughout the Bible, though obviously to different degrees. Their use here is with their opposites which describe our current human frailty. As such then,

Our heavenly body will be raised into a fuller image of God than what was created in the Garden.

a spiritual body.

Perhaps the vaguest of the descriptions, we do not fully understand what it means to be a ‘spiritual body’. Popular images of ghosts in bed sheets, or slimy, floating clouds may come to mind with the word ‘spirit’, but the idea is that we are still ourselves, just not bound to our physical bodies. The geographic (and possibly temporal) limitations of our physical bodies do not subject themselves to the spiritual body. However it ends up looking, we should remember the metaphor of seed and fruit. The seed is small and simple, but the fruit is much larger, complex and represents the actual thing.

Our heavenly body will be raised as spirit and will be our true selves.

We do not become something else, we become more true to ourselves than we have ever been. No, we do not know what that body will look like, but we can be sure it will be far greater than anything we can imagine. And, we will find ourselves transformed into the glory and power that God created us to be.

Now, we see this example in nature. Consider the dragonfly. I love these bugs. Of all the bugs in the world, it’s probably my favorite. The life of a dragonfly is possibly the best example of what it means to be transformed completely. It begins as a small egg dropped in the water by its mother. The egg develops into an aquatic nymph or naiad. This early stage of the dragonfly can last for years. It lives underwater, feeding off whatever plant and bacteria it can find. Then, one night, it will find its way to the surface of the water and waits as it learns to breath real air. It will attach itself to a limb somewhere and essentially it dies. The old nymph self becomes a stiff cocoon-like body, and the dragonfly breaks free breathing deeply the new air. This gasp of breath fills up its body, causing it to plump out of the former body and spread its wings. It can now fly and explore its new realm. It has reached its fullest form. No, the dragonfly cannot explain to the nymph, nor the nymph ever really understand, the new environment, but it is still nonetheless the fate of the dragonfly.

We can only get glimpses and analogies on this side of Heaven of what our transformed selves will be, but just as I’m sure there’s never been a disappointed dragonfly who wished he was back in the murky water, we will not look back at this life with nostalgia. It will be, and we will be, the greatest we have ever seen.

So, when shall this take place? Let’s continue reading.

How to Prepare for the Coming Day: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

‘Sleep’ is a common euphemism of the early centuries. Paul means that not everyone will die before Christ returns. There will be a generation, the last generation, that sees Christ coming through the clouds. But, we will all be transformed. Those who are in Christ will be raised into their glorious states, whether they die or live waiting, when Christ returns, they will be transformed.

The ‘when’ has already been foretold. We don’t know. Jesus said while He was here that, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matt 24:36). We know signs were given, but ultimately we have no idea when Christ will return. What we do know is the moment He comes will be “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”

The return of Christ will be sudden.

Second, it will be loud. The blast from heaven will sound the call for God’s people to be taken up. This trumpet blast has its history in the Old Testament. When it was time for God’s people to gather into the Tabernacle and Temple, the priests would sound a shofar, that ancient trumpet made from a ram’s horn. The trumpet would sound throughout Israel letting the people know it was time to worship. When Christ returns, there will a call resounding throughout heaven and earth calling God’s people up to worship.

Then, the sting of death which is sin, and the power of sin will be gone, because we have victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. So always be ready. Find yourself ready by doing the work of the Lord.

We prepare best by continuing the work God has given us.

The last verse, 58, gives us the final exhortation. Be steadfast and immovable. Do not stray from the foundation of your faith. Rest on the foundation of victory that we have in Jesus. Next, be ‘abounding in the work of the Lord.’ God has given you a task to do while you wait for the coming of the Lord. Be diligent in your labor, because “your labor is not in vain.” The work we have is preparation for the day that is coming. That little nymph continues to eat, to track down underwater creatures, and continues to find that limb that will carry it out of the water, because it knows its labor is not in vain. One day it will soar above the water.

We continue the work of building homes, working our jobs, and proclaiming the message of Christ as we go, because our labor is not in vain. One day, we too will find ourselves climbing out of this world and transformed to soar with our Heavenly Father above.