Watch video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koLYhC85LWk
Program Transcript
Advent—Expectation
As we enter this first week of Advent, we come with hearts full of expectation. This is a season where we reflect on the coming of Christ, both in his humble birth and in his future return. The Lord is our righteousness, and we look toward the horizon, filled with hope, knowing that our God draws near.
Imagine standing in the darkness of early morning. The world is still, hushed, and waiting. But in the distance, the faintest light begins to break over the horizon. It’s small, almost imperceptible at first, but it grows. Slowly, the night gives way to the light of day, a new dawn that promises warmth, life, and renewal.
In the same way, Advent is a season where we stand on the edge of what’s to come, watching for the light of Christ to rise over the horizon of our world and our lives. We wait with eager hearts, not in idle passivity, but with hope-filled anticipation. The darkness is not the final word—there is a light breaking through, and that light is Jesus, the One who is our righteousness.
In today’s reading from Luke, we hear Jesus’ words about signs in the heavens, distress on the earth, and the coming of the Son of Man. It may feel like these are words of fear, but they are also words of profound hope and expectation. The world may be in turmoil, but Christ promises to come again, to restore all things, and to make everything right.
This passage invites us to lift our heads, to be watchful, because the kingdom of God is drawing near. Just as the dawn breaks over the horizon, so too does the coming of Christ bring the promise of redemption, justice, and peace.
As we light the Advent candle of hope today, let it be a reminder of the light that is steadily drawing near—the light of Christ, our righteousness. And as we wait, may our hearts be filled with expectant hope, knowing that even in the darkest moments, God’s promise is sure, and Christ is coming again.
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
We anchor our hope in the One who draws near.
Program Transcript
Advent—Expectation
As we enter this first week of Advent, we come with hearts full of expectation. This is a season where we reflect on the coming of Christ, both in his humble birth and in his future return. The Lord is our righteousness, and we look toward the horizon, filled with hope, knowing that our God draws near.
Imagine standing in the darkness of early morning. The world is still, hushed, and waiting. But in the distance, the faintest light begins to break over the horizon. It’s small, almost imperceptible at first, but it grows. Slowly, the night gives way to the light of day, a new dawn that promises warmth, life, and renewal.
In the same way, Advent is a season where we stand on the edge of what’s to come, watching for the light of Christ to rise over the horizon of our world and our lives. We wait with eager hearts, not in idle passivity, but with hope-filled anticipation. The darkness is not the final word—there is a light breaking through, and that light is Jesus, the One who is our righteousness.
In today’s reading from Luke, we hear Jesus’ words about signs in the heavens, distress on the earth, and the coming of the Son of Man. It may feel like these are words of fear, but they are also words of profound hope and expectation. The world may be in turmoil, but Christ promises to come again, to restore all things, and to make everything right.
This passage invites us to lift our heads, to be watchful, because the kingdom of God is drawing near. Just as the dawn breaks over the horizon, so too does the coming of Christ bring the promise of redemption, justice, and peace.
As we light the Advent candle of hope today, let it be a reminder of the light that is steadily drawing near—the light of Christ, our righteousness. And as we wait, may our hearts be filled with expectant hope, knowing that even in the darkest moments, God’s promise is sure, and Christ is coming again.
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
We anchor our hope in the One who draws near.
Psalm 25:1-10 · Jeremiah 33:14-16 · 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 · Luke 21:25-36
Advent reflection: “The season of Advent means there is something on the horizon the likes of which we have never seen before … What is possible is to not see it, to miss it, to turn just as it brushes past you. And you begin to grasp what it was you missed, like Moses in the cleft of the rock, watching God’s [back] fade in the distance. So, stay. Sit. Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. Behold. Wonder. There will be time enough for running. For rushing. For worrying. For pushing. For now, stay. Wait. Something is on the horizon.” — Jan L. Richardson
Today is the First Sunday of Advent, a time of preparation and contemplation remembering Christ’s incarnation and birth as well as the promise of his Second Coming. Advent encompasses the four weeks before Christmas, and each week features a theme, typically hope, peace, joy, and love. However, we have focused on slightly different Advent themes for our assigned RCL Gospel readings this season: expectation (Luke 21:25-36), preparation (Luke 1:68-79), repentance (Luke 3:7-18), and rejoicing (Luke 1:39-55). These Gospel readings begin with a focus on the state of the world and believers at Christ’s return (week 1), move to a discussion of John the Baptist and the role of a messenger in sharing good news (weeks 2 and 3), and Elizabeth and Mary’s interaction reminding us of the subversive nature of the Christ in our world (week 4).
The Advent themes of hope and expectation are intricately intertwined this week and connected with our weekly theme of the Lord is our righteousness. Our call to worship, Psalm 25, emphasizes the completeness of God’s mercy by using each letter of the Hebrew alphabet to begin each line of the psalm. Jeremiah 33 prophesies about a time when normality would be restored as a result of “a righteous Branch to spring up for David” that would “execute justice and righteousness in the land.” The apostle Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 for the church in Thessalonica to be strengthened during their persecution, specifically that they would “increase and abound in love for one another and for all.” Our sermon text, Luke 21:25-36, helps us know we’re not alone in our worries about the state of the world.
The Hope of Anxiety
Luke 21:25-36 NRSVUE
Has anybody here ever heard of the term “doomscrolling?” What does it mean? [wait for responses] Doomscrolling is when you scroll through your computer or phone and focus on sad or negative news stories or social media posts. One reason we may doomscroll is because we’re trying to protect ourselves from the dangers around us. It can give us a feeling of control in a world that is out of control. This practice can become addictive and adverse to our health. We assume getting information about risks and then protecting ourselves or preparing for the “what if” will keep us safe, but we end up feeling worse, experiencing anxiety, anger, sadness, and uncertainty.
You might think it strange that we’re talking about anxiety during the first week of Advent when all we want to think about is Christmas trees and Advent calendar chocolates (the good kind). But our sermon reading today is quoting the Christ child himself, all grown up, of course, and he’s talking about his return and the state of the world at his return. Let’s read Luke 21:25-36 (NRSVUE). (read sermon text)
The Context of the Gospel of Luke
Luke was the only Gospel writer who is commonly identified as a gentile. He was a gentile physician (Colossians 4:14), and the audience to whom he was writing was primarily Gentile and included a man named Theophilus who was assumed to be a high official in the Roman government. Barclay’s Commentary reports that each of the Gospels was written from a particular worldview that could be represented with a symbol. For Luke, Barclay’s symbol was a calf. Barclay writes:
“The calf is the animal for sacrifice; and Luke saw in Jesus the sacrifice for all the world. In Luke above all, the barriers are broken down and Jesus is for Jew and gentile, saint and sinner alike. He is the saviour of the world.” (Barclay’s Commentary, “Luke”).
Barclay further notes that Luke did not emphasize Jesus as the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy, so he rarely quoted the Old Testament. Instead, he places the book’s events within the context of the reigning Roman emperor and other Roman events. Luke also writes about Jesus’ lineage as beginning with Adam, the first human, rather than Abraham, the founder of Judaism.
Luke’s Gospel was written in the last decades of the first century and may have used Mark’s Gospel, which was written earlier, for some of its material. This means Luke could have witnessed Christ’s crucifixion, the executions of Peter, James, and Paul, the temple’s destruction, and Nero’s persecution of the church. It was in this reality that Luke wrote his Gospel, emphasizing the saving work of Jesus regardless of what life throws at you.
On this first Sunday of Advent, we read of the good news of Christ’s coming and a world in complete disarray. It’s a paradox. We say something is a paradox when two things that seem to contradict one another are both true. Some other paradoxes include Jesus is a baby in a manger but also the Savior of the World; Jesus is fully man and fully God; and Jesus died to bring life. Notice that the Gospels are full of paradox. In our sermon text, Jesus tells his listeners that there will be suffering (Luke 21:25-26) but also comfort and redemption (v. 28, 31). Suffering and comfort seem like opposites, but both can exist at the same time.
Our sermon text takes place inside the temple where we find Jesus seemingly irritated by something. Maybe it was people’s reaction to the splendor, or perhaps it was the wealth. It could have been the restrictions placed on who could enter the temple. Jesus takes this opportunity to say, with a loud voice, that everything they were looking at and amazed by would pass away. Let’s read the sermon text again, this time using The Message Bible.
It will seem like all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking. And then—then!—they’ll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style—a glorious welcome! When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!
He told them a story. “Look at a fig tree. Any tree for that matter. When the leaves begin to show, one look tells you that summer is right around the corner. The same here—when you see these things happen, you know God’s kingdom is about here. Don’t brush this off: I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too—these things will happen. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out. But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t fall asleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:25-36 MSG)
Let’s consider these themes on the first Sunday of Advent: anxiety is shared by many, mending happens after breaking, and the redemption of the world is the outcome.
Anxiety is common.
Jesus says that “it will seem like all hell has broken loose” and people would feel as if “the wind [was] knocked out of them by the threat of doom” (v. 25-26, The Message). Jesus understands the fear and anxiety are common. In fact, Jesus prayed to his Father “if you are willing, remove this cup from me” (Luke 22:42). Our elder brother Jesus knew what anxiety felt like, but he continued to move forward anyway.
We might question our faith when we doomscroll through our media feeds or worry about the uncertainties presented in our world. Author and theologian Frederick Buechner [pronounced BEEK-ner] writes in his essay titled “Grace” that God’s grace looks something like this:
Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are, because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It’s for you I created the universe. I love you. (Buechner, “Grace”)
We can take heart in the midst of anxiety because we have hope in Christ, expecting the righteousness of God to win out over any and all uncertainties. We also have our experiences of deliverance to comfort us. In Luke 21:29-31, Jesus reminds his listeners that they have lived through difficulties before. He uses the example of a fig tree to remind us that the past can help us make sense of the future. In the fall, the tree sheds it’s leaves and looks barren. But in the spring, we see the buds start to form and we know that one season is ending, and another is beginning. Experience is a good reminder. Reminding ourselves and each other of God’s care and comfort during previous trials can encourage us to take heart.
Mending happens after breaking.
You may have heard stories from people who have broken a finger but didn’t realize it, thinking it was just a bad sprain, only to have it x-rayed a week or two later to discover the bone was broken but already knitting back together and not in a good way. Their doctor had to rebreak the bone for the finger to heal properly and regain its motion and use.
The systems of our world, based on longstanding inequities and harmful cultural norms, must be mended, renewed. Jesus warns in v. 25-26 about instabilities that will be revealed, resulting in people “[fainting] from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (v. 26). Often, these verses are interpreted as if the fear and foreboding are coming from evil, but Jesus sets the record straight in v. 27-28, saying,
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near. (Luke 21:27-38, NRSVUE)
Theologian Caroline Lewis writes this about the upheaval necessary to uproot harmful practices and introduce God’s loving community:
But the birth of Jesus is an apocalypse; God’s revelation of God’s very self that will change everything, that will reveal a new world order. And worlds that depend on certain powers and privilege are not prone to entertaining alternative views of authority. The birth we anticipate will bring with it deaths we have to accept.
We often interpret these passages as applying to individuals, but much of the Bible is concerned with the way human beings live in community with one another. Authors Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan write in their book, The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’ Birth, that “God’s dream for us is not simply peace of mind but peace on earth.” Thus, the world systems that marginalize, separate, and divide people (think about patriarchy, racism, classism, ableism, to name a few) will not exist in the fullness of the kingdom of God which is built on mutual love, respect, and flourishing. Anything that divides us and them will pass away.
The redemption of the world is the outcome.
We seem to have the opportunity to think the world is ending during every generation. People living through the plague during medieval times might have thought the world was ending, and servicepeople fighting in WWI and WWII also probably considered that the world’s end was near. Jesus says in v. 32 that “this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place.” We’re encouraged not to get caught up in doomscrolling or unhelpful ways of coping with anxiety, “weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life” (v. 34).
With all the brokenness we witness, the anxiety we may feel is understandable. Herein lies the hope. While we look forward to Jesus’ second coming and the fullness of the kingdom, we experience the kingdom now. Jesus told us what his kingdom values are. Consider:
But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who asks of you, and if anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back again. Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:27-31, NRSVUE)
Jesus, whose birth we will be celebrating in a few weeks, is returning to redeem the world by mending its broken and hurtful systems and by comforting those who have had to live in anxiety’s grip within the shadows of those systems. In the meantime, we prepare for Christ’s return by living lives of love toward others and celebrating Jesus’ righteousness as it inspires hopeful expectations within an anxious world.
Call to Action: This week, notice your feelings of worry and anxiety as they come up. Remember that Jesus also felt anxious and take a deep breath in and out. Give thanks for the Incarnation, Immanuel with us, and for the promised Second Coming as you move through the world, extending kindness and grace to everyone as you participate in making God’s dream of peace on earth a reality.
For Reference:
Borg, Marcus J., and John Dominic Crossan. The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’s Birth. HarperCollins, 2009.
https://www.workingpreacher.org/dear-working-preacher/an-apocalyptic-advent
https://www.frederickbuechner.com/quote-of-the-day/2016/9/9/grace
For more about Advent:
https://www.faithandworship.com/Advent_themes_and_resources.htm#gsc.tab=0
Bill Vanderbush—Year C Advent 1
December 1, 2024 — First Sunday of Advent
Luke 21:25-36
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Program Transcript
Bill Vanderbush—Year C Advent 1
Anthony: So, let’s dive into the lectionary passages. Our first text of the month is Luke 21:25-36. I’ll be reading from the New Revised Standard Version, the Updated Edition. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for the first Sunday of Advent, December 1.
There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” 29 Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place and to stand before the Son of Man.
Bill, verse 28 heralds that redemption is drawing near because the Son of Man is drawing near. So, tell us more about this good news in the midst of what looks like a very troubling scene found in this pericope.
Bill: Yeah. For me, I look at this and I go, okay, wait. First off, I operate from a posture of no distance or no separation. So, the redemption drawing near is me coming to a revelation — I think, really all of humanity coming to a revelation that we do not live independently of the One who is the Word made flesh, who’s speaking us, not just into existence, but holding us together by the very power of his being.
And the nearness, the whole nearness concept to me is beautiful. I think little by little, Jesus is whittling away at every veil of distance and separation between us and him. When Jesus on the cross [says], it is finished, and that veil tore from top to bottom, I like to ask the question, did it let God out or did it let man in?
And the answer is yes, removed every barrier of distance and separation. And I find it so almost humorously ironic how 2000 years after that veil was torn and the promise of the Holy Spirit has come upon us and every letter of Paul speaks of “Christ in us, in him,” all of the union language that the scripture so blatantly has put before us that, especially in Western Christianity, everywhere I go, I find Christians trying to get closer and closer to a God who actually lives in them.
And I realized that revelation of reconciled union doesn’t come from striving, it comes from surrender. I look at the nearness part and I just go, oh, that’s beautiful, how wonderful it is that he is inviting us into this place of union. It’s a fullness of John 14:20. “And that day you’ll know I’m in the Father and you are in me. And I am in you.” But if I’m going to take this entire verse in context of the passage, I’ve got to realize we’re dealing with eschatology here. [Eschatology is the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of humankind.]
So, between this and Luke and Matthew 24, this is where I’m going to claim a little bit of ignorance when it comes to eschatology because it is admittedly my least favorite thing to study in Scripture as opposed to the present reality of our union with Christ and our reconciliation with Christ. I don’t hang too much with a crowd that’s constantly looking for something way off in the distance, especially something to the negative.
So, three decades of study of the scriptures and history has me holding to a partial bit of a partial preterist view of eschatology where I see that what’s being written about here, contextually, most certainly in their future, yet much of it is in our past. [Preterism is a Christian eschatological view or belief that interprets some or all prophecies of the Bible as events which have already been fulfilled in history.]
And so, I believe much of the prophecy that’s spoken of here in Matthew 24 is regarding the end of the Old Covenant age where they talk about the appearance of Christ. I think he appears in us before he appears to us, and I think Colossians 3 bears this out. In the scriptures, we know that we will, when we see him, we’ll be like him, for we’ll see him as he is. There’s something happening of Christ being conformed in us, and he’s the one that’s doing the work.
Having said all that, I look at this and I think of Jesus saying heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away as he’s walking by the temple. And the “heaven and earth” being a euphemism for the Old Covenant system; the temple, it was heaven and earth.
And he says, there won’t be one stone left upon another here that will not be thrown down. And the disciples ask him the question, when will these things be, when will this specific thing happen? And then he goes on to begin to talk about some signs — that you see, the majority of them, fulfilled within the context of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
After reading so much of the history, it’s mind blowing how you begin to see the fulfillment of so much of what Jesus spoke about in that day. And so as bears out here, this generation shall not pass before these things be fulfilled. So, they were fully believing that it was for them that he was speaking, and I think he is definitely prophesying to the end of the Old Covenant age to usher in a new covenant reality. And that is what we’re in.
I’d say the last 2,000 years, that God hasn’t dropped the hammer of judgment on humanity a single time, as far as I can tell, collectively as a nation, or the people of God, for the last 2, 000 years.
And people say, why do you believe that is? Because the cross actually worked. That there was something that happened on the cross that brought us into a place of union with Christ, where now, according to Hebrews 12, he deals with us individually. But it’s for the purpose of correction, not pure punishment.
There’s something about all of this eschatology that brings me more hope than — it used to bring me a ton of fear and foreboding. And now I find this radical sense of hope. And that is the one thing that seems to be still out there is the physical return of Christ, the physical embodiment of Christ, and so that to me is the one eschatological variant that still has yet to be fully manifest in us and to us.
And I think in Matthew 24:14 where Jesus says, “This gospel of the kingdom must be preached as witness to all nations then shall the end come.” And I realized there’s the one area where we have been given an assignment. And so, to get the gospel right, the gospel of the kingdom, the realm of the king’s domain, the fact that Jesus is king overall. Romans 10:9-10, we think is the litmus test for soteriology [the doctrine of salvation] of who’s in and who’s out kind of thing. But I don’t see it that way at all.
I’d see it just as an acknowledgement of a reality because both of the things Romans 10:9-10 talk about are in the past. “You confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord. You believe in your heart, God raised him from the dead.” He already is Lord. Paul told Timothy, “He’s the Savior of all men, especially those who believe,” and he already rose from the dead. So, what Paul’s inviting us into is not a metaphysical mantra where if we speak this, then Jesus will somehow jump in your heart.
If Jesus lives in you, you didn’t put him there. And this is simply an acknowledgment of reality. This is an invitation to step out of the delusion that we live isolated and apart from God in anything other than in our own ignorance and our own mind and into in an embrace of what the cross actually accomplished.
And people are really — I think they read these passages, and they go, “Oh my goodness! We need Jesus to show up and fix everything.” And I’m like, “Hey, the cross actually worked. And perhaps the reason that we’re pining for the Jesus to come is because we’re disappointed with the Jesus that came.”
And so maybe if we can begin to see what the cross accomplished and walk in the fullness of the reality of that, maybe then when Christ appears to us, then we will be like him. We’ll see him as he is. There’ll be a manifestation that’s a convergence between us. So as in beholding him as in a mirror where it changed from glory to glory, and there’s something about us that has to be transformed in the revelation of what the cross did.
And that’s why I preached the fullness of the finished work, the goodness of God undiluted. I think it was — I can’t remember if it was Brendan Manning or Rene Girard said, or Robert Capon said, “Grace has to be drunk straight.” [That is a Capon quote.]
[00:19:15] Anthony: Sounds like a Capon statement. Yeah, absolutely. You said that Christ will appear in us before he appears to us. And that reminded me of a Thomas Merton quote, and I’m paraphrasing, but he says something to the effect that Lord, may we arrive where we’ve already arrived. Just keep leaning into what is the reality, the substance of that reality, that we are in you and you are in us.
And may we know that. And as we’re going to talk about here in just a moment (you’ve already alluded to it), Jesus’s words don’t pass away. And what did he say more than anything else? Fear not. So why would we preach eschatology, the end thing in a fearful way? If he kept saying over and over “fear not,” is that not what he’s going to continue to say and remind us of?
And I think when we strip the eschaton, the end, who is Jesus from eschatology, that’s where it becomes problematic because we read these words and we go, “Oh, this is bad.” The judgment has already happened in the personal work of Jesus, and he has accepted us.
Bill: And you know how rare it is to hear somebody actually say that in human language.
Bill: It’s really a beautiful thing. I love this, Anthony.
Anthony: Yeah. Amen, brother. We did say this, his words won’t pass away, verse 33. And yet here’s the thing, Bill. Sometimes I hear Christians who think Jesus’ words are not practical or relevant. They don’t work in our society. And I’m thinking specifically of the Sermon of the Mount.
So, I don’t know, can we flesh this out a little bit more? What do you say about Christ’s words now here in the season of Advent?
Bill: Let’s go to the identity of who he is. So, before I address specifically the question, let me lay a foundation like this. I think a lot of people, especially in Western Christianity, I believe the gospel is about a place called heaven, and then Jesus becomes just the means to the end. Heaven is the ultimate goal, and Jesus is just the somehow the means to get you in. And when the gospel is about a place, then you need that place to be gated.
In other words, it’s who’s kept out that actually makes you feel special because if everybody’s let in, then it’s just not special, right? And so, then the gospel becomes about an us and them mentality. And I think that’s really rooted in seeing the gospel is more about a place than about a person.
But I believe ultimately, the gospel is about a person. “All is in Christ” is going to be the foundation of the answer to this question. Colossians, I believe, 3:11, Christ is all and in all.
You and I have this invitation to a reality that he is literally holding everything together. So, heaven is Jesus and Jesus is heaven.
And I’m not denying the existence of a heaven. I’m saying that ultimately, he is the goal. And when the gospel is about a person and not about a place, then you know that when that person is revealed to be your Father and he’s ultimately good — always good, and always has been, always will be good, then you look at every person that’s walking around as if they’re an orphan or without any sense of meaning or purpose.
And you go, I want them to be a part of this family as well. And so, your heart turns toward a much more inclusive posture than an exclusive us and them mentality. And so, I think really, it’s rooted in that idea of, for people, if they really search their heart, is the gospel about a place or is it about a person?
Now, having said that, let’s draw to the attention of the One who is the Word, the person, right? And are his words relevant today? He is the Word who is literally holding us all together on this subatomic level, right? And that which holds us together never ceases to be relevant.
I don’t imagine Jesus’ words to us would change much more from what he spoke to first century Jews, especially something along the lines of “a new commandment I give you, and that is to love one another as I have loved you.” Under an Old Covenant, you love to the best of your own ability, love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength; love your neighbor as yourself. In other words, you love as good as you can. Under the new covenant, you love like Jesus.
Anthony: Yes.
Bill: And that requires a revelation of union because now he’s got to be the one that is actually loving through me. And so, I think the transcending capacity to love like Jesus is only possible from the foundational established relationship that we have with him from that posture of reconciled rest at union in the heart of the Father.
One of the things that Western evangelicalism has gotten right is the encouragement toward people to pray. And again, I don’t believe in some formulaic sinner’s prayer that becomes this golden ticket to a relationship with God, but rather our first prayer is meant to be the beginning of an eternal conversation, deepens the relationship and transforms us from the inside out.
I think Jesus came to correct all of our misconceptions about God. We carry a ton of misinformation and disinformation and that passed down from generation to generation, lingered long enough to become tradition. But with the coming of the Holy Spirit, the one who is the Word now dwells with and within us.
And so, the Spirit of truth has united himself to us. And that reconciliation will minister through us to the world around us if we will allow him. I think there are two strong factors at play by which you can tell that someone has that active and present relationship with the resurrected Christ.
And that is love and rest. The world will know, the Bible says, we’re followers of Jesus by the love that we have one for another. And in the revelation of our reconciled union with God by the finished work of the cross, my goodness, my heart is put at a place of rest, Anthony. And when those factors are in place, righteousness, peace, and the joy of the kingdom becomes an overflowing reality and not just merely a byproduct of my white knuckling down to religious discipline.
If that makes sense.
Anthony: It does. That’s well stated. And it reminded me — focusing on the person rather than a place — of a quote from J. B. Torrance. I’ve used this before, but it’s so powerful. He spoke it in one of his final lectures to his students, but he said this. “What we need is not a new doctrine or a clear doctrine of the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit. What we need is not a better Christology. What we need is Christ. What we need is not Trinitarian doctrine, but a relationship with the Trinity itself.” And that is the difference. It is a person. It is a relationship, a personal God relating personally with us by the Spirit.
Yeah. So, everything you said.
Bill: My favorite Torrance quote.
Anthony: Yeah.
Program Transcript
Bill Vanderbush—Year C Advent 1
Anthony: So, let’s dive into the lectionary passages. Our first text of the month is Luke 21:25-36. I’ll be reading from the New Revised Standard Version, the Updated Edition. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for the first Sunday of Advent, December 1.
There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” 29 Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place and to stand before the Son of Man.
Bill, verse 28 heralds that redemption is drawing near because the Son of Man is drawing near. So, tell us more about this good news in the midst of what looks like a very troubling scene found in this pericope.
Bill: Yeah. For me, I look at this and I go, okay, wait. First off, I operate from a posture of no distance or no separation. So, the redemption drawing near is me coming to a revelation — I think, really all of humanity coming to a revelation that we do not live independently of the One who is the Word made flesh, who’s speaking us, not just into existence, but holding us together by the very power of his being.
And the nearness, the whole nearness concept to me is beautiful. I think little by little, Jesus is whittling away at every veil of distance and separation between us and him. When Jesus on the cross [says], it is finished, and that veil tore from top to bottom, I like to ask the question, did it let God out or did it let man in?
And the answer is yes, removed every barrier of distance and separation. And I find it so almost humorously ironic how 2000 years after that veil was torn and the promise of the Holy Spirit has come upon us and every letter of Paul speaks of “Christ in us, in him,” all of the union language that the scripture so blatantly has put before us that, especially in Western Christianity, everywhere I go, I find Christians trying to get closer and closer to a God who actually lives in them.
And I realized that revelation of reconciled union doesn’t come from striving, it comes from surrender. I look at the nearness part and I just go, oh, that’s beautiful, how wonderful it is that he is inviting us into this place of union. It’s a fullness of John 14:20. “And that day you’ll know I’m in the Father and you are in me. And I am in you.” But if I’m going to take this entire verse in context of the passage, I’ve got to realize we’re dealing with eschatology here. [Eschatology is the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of humankind.]
So, between this and Luke and Matthew 24, this is where I’m going to claim a little bit of ignorance when it comes to eschatology because it is admittedly my least favorite thing to study in Scripture as opposed to the present reality of our union with Christ and our reconciliation with Christ. I don’t hang too much with a crowd that’s constantly looking for something way off in the distance, especially something to the negative.
So, three decades of study of the scriptures and history has me holding to a partial bit of a partial preterist view of eschatology where I see that what’s being written about here, contextually, most certainly in their future, yet much of it is in our past. [Preterism is a Christian eschatological view or belief that interprets some or all prophecies of the Bible as events which have already been fulfilled in history.]
And so, I believe much of the prophecy that’s spoken of here in Matthew 24 is regarding the end of the Old Covenant age where they talk about the appearance of Christ. I think he appears in us before he appears to us, and I think Colossians 3 bears this out. In the scriptures, we know that we will, when we see him, we’ll be like him, for we’ll see him as he is. There’s something happening of Christ being conformed in us, and he’s the one that’s doing the work.
Having said all that, I look at this and I think of Jesus saying heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away as he’s walking by the temple. And the “heaven and earth” being a euphemism for the Old Covenant system; the temple, it was heaven and earth.
And he says, there won’t be one stone left upon another here that will not be thrown down. And the disciples ask him the question, when will these things be, when will this specific thing happen? And then he goes on to begin to talk about some signs — that you see, the majority of them, fulfilled within the context of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
After reading so much of the history, it’s mind blowing how you begin to see the fulfillment of so much of what Jesus spoke about in that day. And so as bears out here, this generation shall not pass before these things be fulfilled. So, they were fully believing that it was for them that he was speaking, and I think he is definitely prophesying to the end of the Old Covenant age to usher in a new covenant reality. And that is what we’re in.
I’d say the last 2,000 years, that God hasn’t dropped the hammer of judgment on humanity a single time, as far as I can tell, collectively as a nation, or the people of God, for the last 2, 000 years.
And people say, why do you believe that is? Because the cross actually worked. That there was something that happened on the cross that brought us into a place of union with Christ, where now, according to Hebrews 12, he deals with us individually. But it’s for the purpose of correction, not pure punishment.
There’s something about all of this eschatology that brings me more hope than — it used to bring me a ton of fear and foreboding. And now I find this radical sense of hope. And that is the one thing that seems to be still out there is the physical return of Christ, the physical embodiment of Christ, and so that to me is the one eschatological variant that still has yet to be fully manifest in us and to us.
And I think in Matthew 24:14 where Jesus says, “This gospel of the kingdom must be preached as witness to all nations then shall the end come.” And I realized there’s the one area where we have been given an assignment. And so, to get the gospel right, the gospel of the kingdom, the realm of the king’s domain, the fact that Jesus is king overall. Romans 10:9-10, we think is the litmus test for soteriology [the doctrine of salvation] of who’s in and who’s out kind of thing. But I don’t see it that way at all.
I’d see it just as an acknowledgement of a reality because both of the things Romans 10:9-10 talk about are in the past. “You confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord. You believe in your heart, God raised him from the dead.” He already is Lord. Paul told Timothy, “He’s the Savior of all men, especially those who believe,” and he already rose from the dead. So, what Paul’s inviting us into is not a metaphysical mantra where if we speak this, then Jesus will somehow jump in your heart.
If Jesus lives in you, you didn’t put him there. And this is simply an acknowledgment of reality. This is an invitation to step out of the delusion that we live isolated and apart from God in anything other than in our own ignorance and our own mind and into in an embrace of what the cross actually accomplished.
And people are really — I think they read these passages, and they go, “Oh my goodness! We need Jesus to show up and fix everything.” And I’m like, “Hey, the cross actually worked. And perhaps the reason that we’re pining for the Jesus to come is because we’re disappointed with the Jesus that came.”
And so maybe if we can begin to see what the cross accomplished and walk in the fullness of the reality of that, maybe then when Christ appears to us, then we will be like him. We’ll see him as he is. There’ll be a manifestation that’s a convergence between us. So as in beholding him as in a mirror where it changed from glory to glory, and there’s something about us that has to be transformed in the revelation of what the cross did.
And that’s why I preached the fullness of the finished work, the goodness of God undiluted. I think it was — I can’t remember if it was Brendan Manning or Rene Girard said, or Robert Capon said, “Grace has to be drunk straight.” [That is a Capon quote.]
[00:19:15] Anthony: Sounds like a Capon statement. Yeah, absolutely. You said that Christ will appear in us before he appears to us. And that reminded me of a Thomas Merton quote, and I’m paraphrasing, but he says something to the effect that Lord, may we arrive where we’ve already arrived. Just keep leaning into what is the reality, the substance of that reality, that we are in you and you are in us.
And may we know that. And as we’re going to talk about here in just a moment (you’ve already alluded to it), Jesus’s words don’t pass away. And what did he say more than anything else? Fear not. So why would we preach eschatology, the end thing in a fearful way? If he kept saying over and over “fear not,” is that not what he’s going to continue to say and remind us of?
And I think when we strip the eschaton, the end, who is Jesus from eschatology, that’s where it becomes problematic because we read these words and we go, “Oh, this is bad.” The judgment has already happened in the personal work of Jesus, and he has accepted us.
Bill: And you know how rare it is to hear somebody actually say that in human language.
Bill: It’s really a beautiful thing. I love this, Anthony.
Anthony: Yeah. Amen, brother. We did say this, his words won’t pass away, verse 33. And yet here’s the thing, Bill. Sometimes I hear Christians who think Jesus’ words are not practical or relevant. They don’t work in our society. And I’m thinking specifically of the Sermon of the Mount.
So, I don’t know, can we flesh this out a little bit more? What do you say about Christ’s words now here in the season of Advent?
Bill: Let’s go to the identity of who he is. So, before I address specifically the question, let me lay a foundation like this. I think a lot of people, especially in Western Christianity, I believe the gospel is about a place called heaven, and then Jesus becomes just the means to the end. Heaven is the ultimate goal, and Jesus is just the somehow the means to get you in. And when the gospel is about a place, then you need that place to be gated.
In other words, it’s who’s kept out that actually makes you feel special because if everybody’s let in, then it’s just not special, right? And so, then the gospel becomes about an us and them mentality. And I think that’s really rooted in seeing the gospel is more about a place than about a person.
But I believe ultimately, the gospel is about a person. “All is in Christ” is going to be the foundation of the answer to this question. Colossians, I believe, 3:11, Christ is all and in all.
You and I have this invitation to a reality that he is literally holding everything together. So, heaven is Jesus and Jesus is heaven.
And I’m not denying the existence of a heaven. I’m saying that ultimately, he is the goal. And when the gospel is about a person and not about a place, then you know that when that person is revealed to be your Father and he’s ultimately good — always good, and always has been, always will be good, then you look at every person that’s walking around as if they’re an orphan or without any sense of meaning or purpose.
And you go, I want them to be a part of this family as well. And so, your heart turns toward a much more inclusive posture than an exclusive us and them mentality. And so, I think really, it’s rooted in that idea of, for people, if they really search their heart, is the gospel about a place or is it about a person?
Now, having said that, let’s draw to the attention of the One who is the Word, the person, right? And are his words relevant today? He is the Word who is literally holding us all together on this subatomic level, right? And that which holds us together never ceases to be relevant.
I don’t imagine Jesus’ words to us would change much more from what he spoke to first century Jews, especially something along the lines of “a new commandment I give you, and that is to love one another as I have loved you.” Under an Old Covenant, you love to the best of your own ability, love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength; love your neighbor as yourself. In other words, you love as good as you can. Under the new covenant, you love like Jesus.
Anthony: Yes.
Bill: And that requires a revelation of union because now he’s got to be the one that is actually loving through me. And so, I think the transcending capacity to love like Jesus is only possible from the foundational established relationship that we have with him from that posture of reconciled rest at union in the heart of the Father.
One of the things that Western evangelicalism has gotten right is the encouragement toward people to pray. And again, I don’t believe in some formulaic sinner’s prayer that becomes this golden ticket to a relationship with God, but rather our first prayer is meant to be the beginning of an eternal conversation, deepens the relationship and transforms us from the inside out.
I think Jesus came to correct all of our misconceptions about God. We carry a ton of misinformation and disinformation and that passed down from generation to generation, lingered long enough to become tradition. But with the coming of the Holy Spirit, the one who is the Word now dwells with and within us.
And so, the Spirit of truth has united himself to us. And that reconciliation will minister through us to the world around us if we will allow him. I think there are two strong factors at play by which you can tell that someone has that active and present relationship with the resurrected Christ.
And that is love and rest. The world will know, the Bible says, we’re followers of Jesus by the love that we have one for another. And in the revelation of our reconciled union with God by the finished work of the cross, my goodness, my heart is put at a place of rest, Anthony. And when those factors are in place, righteousness, peace, and the joy of the kingdom becomes an overflowing reality and not just merely a byproduct of my white knuckling down to religious discipline.
If that makes sense.
Anthony: It does. That’s well stated. And it reminded me — focusing on the person rather than a place — of a quote from J. B. Torrance. I’ve used this before, but it’s so powerful. He spoke it in one of his final lectures to his students, but he said this. “What we need is not a new doctrine or a clear doctrine of the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit. What we need is not a better Christology. What we need is Christ. What we need is not Trinitarian doctrine, but a relationship with the Trinity itself.” And that is the difference. It is a person. It is a relationship, a personal God relating personally with us by the Spirit.
Yeah. So, everything you said.
Bill: My favorite Torrance quote.
Anthony: Yeah.
Small Group Discussion Questions
- Have you ever participated in “doomscrolling?” If so, what types of events were you reading about, and how did reading about them make you feel?
- Apocalyptic scriptures such as our Gospel passage from Luke have often been interpreted as a way to predict dates and times of Christ’s return. How is this practice similar to doomscrolling? Do you see similarities with the desire to protect one’s life and loved ones?
- Why do harmful cultural practices and systems need to be uprooted before God’s loving community can flourish?
- What practices help you remain hopeful?
