Advent is a season of celebrating the arrival of a long-awaited King in the form of a baby. As we have seen, there are four turnings when considering what this season means. There was the original waiting for the Messiah to come, and then Jesus was born in a stable to a virgin. Yet, we still await the complete picture of what God has planned for the earth because someday, Jesus will return to make all things new.
What in the world does that mean? What does a new heaven and earth look like?
The New New
We get a glimpse of this new reality in the final chapters of the book of Revelation. In what John describes as a new heaven and earth, a new Jerusalem descends from the sky where:
“..God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.
Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.” -Revelation 21:3-4; 22:1-5
Tears vanquished! Nations healed! Curses broken! Death destroyed! These are powerful pictures of the future to come.
However, if we’re honest with ourselves, all this remains opaque. In 1 Corinthians, Paul described this sense of uncertainness as a clouded mirror that will eventually be made clear. It’s the pattern God has used throughout history.
In his letters to believers scattered across the world, Paul constantly referred to Jesus’s first coming as the mystery God revealed to the right people at the right time. When Jesus arrived on earth, even those who had been waiting for him all their lives didn’t recognize him.
We will be among God!
The prophet Jeremiah was frustrated with the uncertainness in his wait for a Messiah, so amid his impatience, he ended his thoughts in faith and hope (emphasis mine):
“Although our sins testify against us,
do something, Lord, for the sake of your name.
For we have often rebelled;
we have sinned against you.
You who are the hope of Israel,
its Savior in times of distress,
why are you like a stranger in the land,
like a traveler who stays only a night?
Why are you like a man taken by surprise,
like a warrior powerless to save?
You are among us, Lord,
and we bear your name;
do not forsake us!”
-Jeremiah 14:7-9
Jeremiah’s confession reminds us of another prophet, Isaiah, who referred to Jesus as Immanuel, God with us. Today, the presence of God through his Spirit is more real to you and me than Isaiah, Jeremiah, or any of the heroes in the Old Testament experienced. Still, there is a time when God will be even more tangible (among us), like our closest friends and family.
You will know God.
I’m writing this on my fifty-first birthday. The older I get, the more I long to know God in this way. I am more ready today than yesterday to be in the place of perfection. The wait is harder today than it was even a year ago.
This is why we celebrate Advent. We remember Jesus’s coming and look forward to his coming again. When he comes, every tear will be wiped away, death will be destroyed, and every curse will be broken.
It won’t just be God among us, but we will be among God!
Group Questions:
Ice Breaker Questions:
- Would you rather have a brand-new item or an item that has been refurbished to be made new? For instance, would you like a brand-new car or an antique car completely restored to be like new? Why?
Read Jeremiah 14:7-9 and Isaiah 7:10-16:
- Jeremiah expressed frustration with the waiting for God’s intervention but still held on to faith and hope. In what areas of your life do you find it difficult to wait for God’s timing or promises? How can you cultivate hope while waiting?
- The devotion emphasizes that God’s presence through the Holy Spirit is more real to us now than it was to the prophets of the Old Testament. How have you personally experienced God’s presence in your life? What difference does that make for you?
Read Revelation 21:1-4 and Revelation 22:1-5:
- What emotions or thoughts does the “new heaven and earth” imagery in Revelation stir up for you? How do you imagine a world where there is no more death, pain, or sorrow?
Read Devotion:
- The devotion talks about the mystery of Jesus’s first coming and how many didn’t recognize him. What are some ways we still fail to remember Jesus today? How can we become more aware of His presence in our daily lives?
- The author expresses a longing to experience God’s presence more tangibly, especially as they age. Do you find that you long for God’s presence more as you grow older, or do you have other ways of drawing closer to Him? What does this longing look like in your spiritual journey?
- Advent is a time of remembering Jesus’s first coming and anticipating His return. What does it mean for you to celebrate Advent in a way that connects both the past (Jesus’s first coming) and the future (His second coming)? How can you live with that perspective in your daily life?