ADVENT

The beginning of the Christian year.

Christian year traces entire

“Christ Event” – we order our lives around

Christ.

ADVENT

Focus on longing and preparation for Jesus’ second coming with

confidence rooted in his first coming.

Traditional colors are royal

(blue and purple).

ADVENT

Historic Advent lectionary readings

move from second to first coming of Jesus.

Our Sunday teaching will follow the lectionary

readings that trace the Christ Event.

1st SUNDAY OF ADVENT (Year B)

Isaiah 64:1-9Psalm 80:1-7, 17-191 Corinthians 1:3-9

Mark 13:24-37

HE WILL COME! BE READY!

ISAIAH 64 1 Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come

down!      How the mountains

would quake in your presence!

 2 As fire causes wood to burn

      and water to boil,   your coming would make

the nations tremble.      Then your enemies

would learn the reason for your fame!

ISAIAH 64 3 When you came down

long ago,      you did awesome

deeds beyond our highest expectations.

      And oh, how the mountains quaked!

 4 For since the world began,

      no ear has heard,   and no eye has seen a

God like you,      who works for those

who wait for him!

ISAIAH 64 5 But you have been very

angry with us,      for we are not godly.

   We are constant sinners;      how can people like us

be saved? 6 We are all infected and

impure with sin.      When we display our

righteous deeds,      they are nothing but

filthy rags . . .    7 Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins.

ISAIAH 64 8 And yet, O Lord, you are

our Father.      We are the clay, and

you are the potter.      We all are formed by

your hand. 9 Don’t be so angry with

us, Lord.      Please don’t remember

our sins forever.   Look at us, we pray,

      and see that we are all your people.

From exile Israel cries out to God to come

again and save, with a deep recognition that

their exile is a result of their consistent turning away from the LORD.

Israel’s sin must be dealt with.

PSALM 80 1 Please listen, O Shepherd

of Israel,      you who lead Joseph’s

descendants like a flock . . .

  2 Show us your mighty power.

      Come to rescue us!(repeated refrain – vv. 3, 7, 19)

 3 Turn us again to yourself, O God.

      Make your face shine down upon us.

      Only then will we be saved.

PSALM 80 16 Turn us again to yourself, O God.

      Make your face shine down upon us.

      Only then will we be saved.

17 Strengthen the man you love,

      the son of your choice. 18 Then we will never abandon you again.

      Revive us so we can call on your name once

more.

David (1000 BC) is the anointed one of God

(messiah).David’s royal sons (931-

586 BC) are anointed ones of God (messiahs).

In exile (from 586 BC) Israel longs for God to fulfill

his promise and send a son of David to set

things right (the Messiah; in Greek = the

Christ).

1 CORINTHIANS 1 4 I always thank my God

for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong

to Christ Jesus . . .6 This confirms that what I

told you about Christ is true. 

7 Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus

Christ.   

1 CORINTHIANS 1  8 He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on

the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 

9 God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  

The Messiah/Christ has come!

You are in Christ, and he will keep you strong

until he returns to set all things right, once and

for all.

Be ready! Live in Christ! Here’s how . . .

MARK 13 24 “At that time, after the

anguish of those days,   the sun will be darkened,      the moon will give no

light,   25 the stars will fall from

the sky,      and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”

MARK 13 26 “Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on

the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send out his angels to

gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.”

MARK 13 32 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these

things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only

the Father knows. 33 And since you don’t

know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay

alert!”

MARK 13  34 “The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated

by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do,

and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his

return. 35 You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of

the household will return—in the evening, at midnight,

before dawn, or at daybreak.”

MARK 13 36 “Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives

without warning. 37 I say to you what I say to

everyone: Watch for him!”

Advent is a time of sadness over our

ongoing struggle with sin.

It is also a time of hopeful expectation that

God will supply our present needs in Christ

and that Christ will return to set all things

right.

Are we presently living in Christ?

Or are our thoughts and deeds those of

darkness, not light?

How can we live in light of Christ’s coming?

1 Thessalonians 54 But you aren’t in the

dark about these things, dear brothers and

sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes

like a thief. 5 For you are all children of the light

and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and

night. 

6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the

others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 

7Night is the time when people sleep and

drinkers get drunk. 8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded,

protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our

salvation.