Matthew 1:1. The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ…the son of Abraham.
Advent is all about waiting. Waiting for God’s hero to come and rescue us. Waiting for the baby boy, the seed of the woman to be born so that evil might be destroyed through him.
If anyone knew anything about waiting it was Abraham. He and his wife Sarah spent almost their entire lives waiting for a child. But Sarah was barren the Bible tells us. Abraham, a moon worshiper in his former life, probably spent countless nights imploring their celestial god, begging him for a son. How many sacrifices were offered? How many rites performed? And still no son.
Then God invaded Abraham’s life. God invited Abraham to join him on a literal journey of faith. Leave your homeland and go to a place I will show you. You probably know the rest of the story. Abraham moves to the promised land, God promises to turn him and Sarah into a great nation through a promised son, a son that they would still wait, and wait, and wait for. Their faith would be tested. At times they would fail that test. But in the end it would be the faith of Abraham that would become the model of salvation for the entire world.
Romans 4:3. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”
Galatians 3:7. Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.
In this our advent, are you, like Abraham, waiting in faith? What does your waiting look like? Jesus is coming back. Do you still believe this? Is this reality changing you? Guiding you? Filling you with hope, faith, and love?
God made a promise to Abraham and then asked him to wait a very long time for it to be fulfilled. God promised Abraham and Sarah a son, a nation, a blessing for all the world. And then nothing happened. Life as they knew it went on, day after day. An ordinary, boring life of waiting.
God has also made a promise to us. Jesus has come and he will come again. He will return in the clouds with great glory and receive us unto himself. When? How much longer? I don’t know. No one does but God alone. And so we have to wait. We have to wait in faith. We have to wait knowing that God has not forsaken us. He has not forgotten his promise. We have to wait without fear and without trying to seize control over our own destiny.
This Christmas season may we be the sons of Abraham. The children of faith. Faith in all the promises of God. Faith in the return of THE Son. And faith in our union with Christ that sustains us in our waiting by his love.
Questions.
What promises does this Christmas season bring for you? Are you still trusting the promises of God?
To Live is Christ 