Wait eagerly for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed!

Some of you have been so eager for the Christmas season to begin that you have already had your tree up for a few weeks. Some of you may even have presents under your tree already. The gifts waiting under your tree may be the reason you are so eager for Christmas. It is so hard to wait to rip the wrapping paper off to reveal the gift.

You do not have to work hard to get a child eagerly waiting for gifts at Christmas. You do not have to tell them to shake boxes or carefully peel back the wrapping paper hoping to catch a glimpse of a name or logo. You do not have to tell them to wake up early or wake you up early to open gifts. As an adult, some of these tendencies change. As an adult, you might skip the eager waiting and buy whatever you want, even if it means opening another credit card account. As an adult you might not wake up early for things you want to do, but things you have to do.

Paul was eager to do his work regarding the Corinthians. Paul made it clear what his work was in the opening verses of his first letter to the Corinthians. If you wanted to sum up his work, you could slightly alter the common phrase, “Let’s put Christ back in Christmas,” to “Let’s put Christ back in Corinth.” The Corinthians had not entirely lost their faith, but they were eagerly pursuing things other than Christ. They were typical Greeks of their time. They loved philosophy, wisdom, eloquent speaking and listening to traveling teachers. They were also blessed with many unique spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues and performing miraculous healings, but all their secular and spiritual gifts left them complacent, even arrogant. Eager to do his work to point them back to Christ and show the Corinthians that he was worth their time, he began 1 Corinthians 1 with his accreditations, 1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. Paul made it clear that he was to be listened to because he was an Apostle sent by God, not a traveler looking to make a living off his eloquent speeches. Paul was superior to any other traveling teacher with a wisdom superior to any other because God who created our mouths, minds and all things sent him with his message. Paul made it clear that his work was to point the Corinthians to Christ because the word “Christ” appears ten times in the first ten verses of 1 Corinthians.

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians reveals the work that needs to be done in our hearts. Our hearts are not so eager for the gift in the manger. Like the Corinthians, we are eager for the wisdom of the world listening to all the latest podcasts and political debates. We are so eager for things that we do not wait to wrap and put things under the tree. Instead, we just rent another storage unit to house the old stuff, buy more and then to keep up with commercialized Christmas we fill the base of the tree with even more things to put into the trash in a few months, maybe a few years. Christmas highlights what you chose to spend your time eagerly waiting for because you talk even more about what you want. Consider for a moment how much you have told your children of any age how eagerly you are waiting for Christ. Consider what other people hear you say about Christ during Christmas. What you say or leave unsaid says a lot about what you are eagerly waiting for and when you make Christ a small gift buried back behind many other things, you might leave him unopened for a while. And what you remember about him might fade and change. You might even forget about him completely, then when he does come, you will not recognize him, and he will not recognize you.

Today is the first Sunday in Advent. During Advent, we focus on the advent or coming of the King born in Bethlehem. Jesus was born to save us from eagerly waiting for things in place of him. When you think back over the last week how differently you waited for Jesus than a child waiting to open Christmas presents, the words from our Old Testament reading from Isaiah 64 fit us so well, 7 No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you. Being reminded of your sins makes you feel like a Christmas present that hopes it does not get unwrapped. We would rather not have God see how little we eagerly wait for him and how buried he is under other things in our heart. Then Paul reminds us how God responded to our sins, 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s reaction to your sinful heart was grace. Your King was born to establish his kingdom forever. Your King Jesus did not sit comfortable under a tree waiting for you. He carried his tree and was nailed to it for you. God saved you by grace. Jesus gave you the gift of permanent peace. He waits eagerly for you in heaven. And he is waiting to return because he is eager for more to hear about his grace and peace. You are prepared for Jesus’ coming according to 1 Corinthians 1, 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. You will be blameless on Judgment Day because Jesus has forgiven all your sins.

God has called you to share in his kingdom, and he is faithful. In our Gospel reading from Mark 11, we hear the crowd was eagerly waiting for Jesus when he rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the first day of the week he faithfully sacrificed himself to save you,

8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

The crowds quoted Psalm 118 shouting “Hosanna” which means save. God unwraps our sinful hearts with his law. He leaves us crying for salvation, and his answer is Jesus. He is the gift that satisfies with forgiveness, encouragement, guidance, friendship, family, hope, peace, love, purpose and a forever home.

Wait eagerly for Christ. Jesus gives you every reason to shout like the crowds did on Palm Sunday. Wait eagerly for the time each day when you read your Bible. Wait eagerly for those moments when God strengthens your faith in Bible study and worship. Model for the next generation waiting eagerly for Christ at Christmas. Smile when your share Jesus with your children. Smile when you pray together. Smile when you come to Bible study and worship. Do not sit waiting for Jesus, come and gather together with your brothers and sisters in Christ encouraging one another with your physical presence showing your eagerness for Christ. When you bring your children and others to the Savior in his Word it is the greatest gift you can give them. You have the words to share Jesus with the next generation whether your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews or someone new to the faith. Paul encouraged the Corinthians with these words,

4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you.

Paul thanked God for blessing the Corinthians with his grace and giving them the testimony about Christ. The same God has blessed you with his grace in Christ and given you his full testimony in the two Testaments, the Bible. You are able to share Jesus with others, and when you feel like you do not have more to share, come to Bible study and learn. Keep coming to worship, listen and unwrap more of Scripture. The more you open your Bible in personal reading, with fellow Christians and with your pastor the more you will wait eagerly for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. Amen.