Advent Reflections 2022

Week 1, Tuesday, November 29

2 Peter 1:12-24
 
Vs 17-19
For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word made more sure. You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts

It is hard to ignore the sunrise: it slowly envelopes the darkened sky in light and color, spreading the haze of a new day across the horizon. What makes this growing aura of light visible before the sun has arrived is atmospheric refraction. The light of the sun is refracted downward as it travels from the less dense air to more dense air and as a result allows the glow to be observed before the sun is truly visible.

The light of the Christ was refracted downward into our world through the prophets, the glow made visible for generations. The glow of the Christ was observed long before the son was truly visible. His divine glory was glimpsed at the Transfiguration, which is what this scripture is referring to. Remember, the Transfiguration was where Peter, James and John went up the mountain with Jesus. Here they saw him transfigured into dazzling white (with Elijah and Moses) and heard the voice of God say, “this is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased”.

The truth of the transfigured Christ and the prophetic word are a lamp shining in the dark, lighting the world with the reality of the Son of God, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts.

We are people that live in the dawn of Christ, the Advent of the promised Kingdom of God.

Week 1, Wednesday, November 30

2 Peter 3:1-10
 
Vs 8-9
But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
 

God’s time is different from our time.

Sometimes it genuinely feels like God is slow to show up - maybe we have experienced silent waiting for months or even years.

Why does God seem to be silent? When will the wait end? Where are the answers?

It can be uncomfortable (maybe even seem impossible) to remain suspended in a season of almost or any day now.

Surely Mary experienced some of this waiting while moving through her pregnancy with Jesus, especially as delivery approached and the baby would arrive any day.

Surely the first Century Christians understood this waiting, just as we do. They had been promised the return of Jesus - it could be any day!

This reading from 2 Peter is reminding the reader to hold fast to the words of the prophets, apostles and Jesus himself because scoffers will come, with negative words regarding the timing of God. They will question his absence and lack of change:

Why does God seem to be silent? When will the wait end? Where are the answers?

Waiting was a reality of the world then just as it is for us today. We remain suspended in a time of almost and any day now.

We know that the waiting in our verse today is specific to the Lord’s desire that all would reach repentance, that all would come to believe, and that all may spend eternity with him.

The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness; he promised to return.

We can trust he is working in the waiting.