Prophecies of Hope
1st Sunday of Advent, 2003
Scripture Ref: Genesis 3:15 Acts 2:1-4
Matthew 1:18 Matthew 16:13-19
Isaiah 7:14 Acts 2:37-41
Luke 1:31-35 John 16:17-22
Micah 5:2 Acts 1:10-11
Matthew 2:1-2 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Hebrews 9:24, 26-28 Revelation 22:7
John 14:16-17
Additional References: All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible, Lockyer
The Bible Knowledge Commentary
1. Introduction
a. Today is the 1st Sunday of Advent. The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of this season is celebrating the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent and anticipating the return of Christ in his Second Advent. Advent is much more than observing a 2,003-year-old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ, through whom all of creation might be reconciled to God.
b. Advent symbolizes our spiritual journey as individuals and as a congregation. It confirms that Christ has come, that He is present in the world today, and that He will come again in power. Acknowledging that advent provides a basis for Godly ethics, for holy living arising from an understanding that we live "between the times" and that we are called to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us as God’s people. So, as we celebrate God’s great mark in history via the Incarnation, and anticipate a future consummation to that historical mark, we must also confess our responsibility as a people commissioned to "love the Lord your God with all your heart" and to "love your neighbor as yourself."
c. The Advent wreath, as you see here on the altar, has five candles; four around the wreath and one in the center. The wreath is symbolic and a vehicle to tell the Christmas story. The exact meaning given to the various aspects of the wreath is not as important as the story to which it invites us to listen, and participate.
(1) The circle of the wreath reminds us of God Himself, His eternity and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end.
(2) The green of the wreath speaks of the hope we have in God—the hope of newness, renewal, and eternal life.
(3) The candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His son.
(4) The four outer candles represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent, which themselves symbolize the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ.
(5) The center candle is called the Christ Candle. Its central location reminds us the incarnation is the heart of the season, giving light to the world.
d. The candles’ light reminds us Jesus is the light of the world that comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life, and hope. It also reminds us we are called to be a light to the world as we reflect the light of God’s grace to others (Isa 42:6).
e. The progression in lighting the candles symbolizes the various aspects of our waiting experience. As the candles are lighted over the four-week period, they symbolize the darkness of fear and hopelessness receding, and the shadows of sin falling away as more and more light is shed into the world. The flame of each new candle reminds us that something is happening, and that more is yet to come. Finally, the light that has come into the world is plainly visible as the Christ candle is lighted at Christmas, and we rejoice that the promise of long ago has been realized
f. Today we light the first candle, the candle of Hope.
(1) The prophets of Israel all spoke of the coming of Christ, of how a savior would be born, a king in the line of David. They spoke of how he would rule the world wisely and bless all nations.
(2) On Christmas day the Christ of our hope was born. On Good Friday the Christ of our hope died. On Easter day the Christ of our hope rose from the dead. He then ascended into heaven. On the last day, the Christ of our hope will come again to establish his kingdom over all things on earth.
(3) As followers of Christ, we await his return. We light this candle to remember that as he came to us as humbly in the manger at Bethlehem and gave light to the world, so he is coming again in power to deliver his people.
(4) We light this candle to remind us to be alert and to watch for his return.
2. Prophecies of Hope—The First Advent
a. Throughout Biblical history, prior to Christ’s birth, God’s people hoped for a messiah, a savior.
b. Hope, according to Webster’s Dictionary: to cherish a desire with expectation of fulfillment; to long for with expectation of obtainment; to expect with desire; desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment.
c. This hope was prophesied throughout the Old Testament, and must be first examined before we can look to the more-important prophecy of hope, the prophecy of His second coming.
d. The Seed Resulting in His birth
(1) Given to the very one Christ would come to destroy—Satan was given the initial promise and prophecy of redemption from the sin he had brought into God’s universe.
(2) Propehcy: Genesis 3:15—And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.
(3) Fulfillment: Matthew 1:18—This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
e. The Virgin Birth
(1) The savior would not come from man, through whom sin entered the world, but rather, from woman, a virgin.
(2) Propehcy: Isaiah 7:14—Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
(3) Fulfillment: Luke 1:31-35 1
f. The Place of Birth
(1) The savior would come from a specific location, Bethlehem.
(2) Prophecy: Micah 5:2—“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
(3) Fulfillment: Matthew 2:1-2— After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.
g. Additional prophecies
(1) Names given at birth: Jesus, Christ, Lord, Emmanuel, Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
3. Prophecies of Hope—The Second Advent
a. Even as all aspects of Christ’s first advent were prophesied, so too is His second Advent.
b. While the term “Advent” is not found in scripture, everything implied by the term floods the scripture. We are told, in no uncertain terms, by the author of Hebrews that he is coming again. Three distinct appearings of Jesus are noted.
(1) PAST: Hebrews 9:26—Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
(2) PRESENT: Hebrews 9:24—For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.
(3) FUTURE: Hebrews 9:27-28—Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
c. Among the thousands of promises the Bible contains, those that came directly from Jesus are among the most precious.
(1) Many of His promises were actually predictions or prophecies.
(2) Many of them have already been fulfilled in the history of the church.
(3) Because of this, we have reason to believe other prophecies or promises not yet fulfilled will also be realized.
d. A trinity of Christ’s promises
(1) He promised the gift of the Holy Spirit.
(a) Troubled over His predicted departure from them, the disciples were assured they would not be left alone, but that He would send them another Advocate, another like Himself to take His place among them.
(b) Prophecy—John 14:16-17—And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
(c) Fulfillment—Acts 2:1-4 2
(2) He promised to build His church.
(a) As the previous promise was fulfilled, this promise is being fulfilled every day, for each newly born child of God is another living stone added to the church of the living God.
(b) Furthermore, the first promise and this promise are closely related. Just as the Holy Spirit was vitally and intimately associated with the Birth of Christ, so is it directly connected with the birthday of the church, which took place as a result of Pentecost.
(1) Prophecy—Matthew 16:13-19 3
(a) Building His church was a yet-future work, for Christ had not yet started the process.
(b) He said, I will build (future tense) My church, but His program for the nation Israel had to be concluded before another program could be set in motion.
(c) This is probably why Jesus said not even the gates of hades would overcome this program. Jews would understand hades’ gates to refer to physical death.
(d) Jesus was telling the disciples His death would not prevent His work of building the church.
(e) His church would then begin to be built, starting on the day of Pentecost, and Peter and the other apostles would have important roles in it.
(2) Fulfillment—Acts 2:37-41 4
(c) He promised to return for His church.
(1) This third promise was given when Jesus was gathered with his 11 apostles in the Upper Room of the Passover.
(2) He gave this comforting hope. Read John 16:17-22 5
(3) Were this the only place in the New Testament where the Second Advent is mentioned, it would be sufficient for faith to lean on, as it is a divine promise. But, there are other instances of the problem as well. For example, as soon as Jesus entered heaven, two glorified men left heaven to confirm his promise.
(4) Read Acts 1:10-11—They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
(5) Paul broadens the promise of Christ’s second coming, declaring the church will gather around the Lord in the air. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. 6
(6) The last recorded words of Jesus reiterated his promise given in the upper room. Read Revelations 22:7—“Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.”
4. Summary
a. We have just cause for having hope not only on this Sunday, but on every day of the rest of our lives.
b. The fact of His coming is certain, even if the time is as uncertain as the fact is certain.
c. The truth of the Second Advent dominates the New Testament. It is mentioned more often than any other fundamental doctrine and is seen some 318 times.
d. Essentially one out of every 25 verses refers to it.
e. Of the 27 books forming the New Testament, 23 mention the coming of Christ in some form.
f. Both before and after His death, Jesus made it abundantly clear He would come again. More than 20 times in prediction, promise, and parable, He spoke of events that would end in a climax—glorious for some, gloomy for others.
g. We have a hope, a hope of a brighter future, a hope of a secure future, a hope of a future with and in the presence of the Son of the Living God— Jesus the Christ, Emmanuel, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
5. Invitation
