Advent 2016

In the Old Testament, God established an annual calendar of feasts for Israel. This calendar, which followed the agricultural seasons, reminded the people of God’s salvation from Egypt. It was also a prophetic calendar, setting forth God’s promise of salvation through Messiah. Early on the Church established a similar calendar based on the historical life of Jesus Christ. By observing this calendar, the church is reminded each year of the life and ministry of Christ, and the salvation he brought.

In this calendar, the Church Year begins with Advent. Advent, from the Latin word meaning coming, is a season of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. The season offers the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, and to be alert for his Second Advent.

As pastor, I had a special teaching series for Advent, and I have continued this with my blog. This year I thought I would focus on the second advent of Christ using the Apostle Paul’s epistles to the Thessalonians. A.B. Simpson, founder of the Christian & Missionary Alliance, explains why these epistles are a good choice for such an emphasis:

“The New Testament epistles have, as a rule, some specific quality or characteristic by which they are known. Romans is the epistle of gospel truth; Corinthians of the Church; Galatians of grace; Ephesians of the highest Christian life; Philippians of the sweetest Christian life; Colossians of the Christ life, etc. The letters to the Thessalonians are the advent epistles. The one theme that runs throughout the two letters like a sort of golden thread and appears in every chapter in connection with some important and practical doctrine, is the blessed hope of the Lord’s coming. So prominently did this subject occupy the preaching of Paul during his visit to Thessalonica, that when his enemies brought charges against him before the rulers of the city, they made this the point of their accusation, that “these that have turned the world upside down have come hither also; . . . and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another King, one Jesus.” It is evident from this that the general impression received from his preaching in Thessalonica was that the Christ to whom he bore witness was a real King, and was coming again to establish a kingdom on the earth. Otherwise there would have been no possible ground for jealousy on the part of Caesar’s friends. Indeed, we know from the very first chapter of his epistle that he began with this theme in his first messages to the unconverted, and it was this that awakened their consciences while still heathen, and led them to turn “to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven.”

The fact that the letters to the Thessalonians were Paul’s earliest epistles, and that this subject occupies so prominent a place in them, makes it very plain that the doctrine of the Lord’s coming is not an advanced truth that can only be understood by deeply spiritual Christians. It is one of the primary doctrines of the Gospel, and is part of the very essence of the Gospel of the Kingdom.”
A.B. Simpson, Christ in the Bible: First and Second Thessalonians

Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica is described in Acts 17:

1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:  
2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,  
3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.  
4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.  
5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.  
6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;  
7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.  

Paul’s message was summed up as, Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. But his emphasis was also on Jesus as the returning King. We learn this from the reaction of his opponents and from the emphasis he places on it in both epistles to the Thessalonians. In fact, as Simpson observed, he mentions the second coming in every chapter.

The season of Advent is the four Sundays before Christmas. This year that is November 27-December 20. My plan is to feature one chapter a week, but, as there are 8 chapters in these two epistles, I need 8 weeks for that. So this year, Advent begins early! I will post a chapter every Tuesday, beginning tomorrow.

Here is my planned schedule:

November
15 1 Thessalonians 1 The Second Coming and Salvation
22 1 Thessalonians 2 The Second Coming and Christian Service
29 1 Thessalonians 3 The Second Coming and Sanctification
December 
6 1 Thessalonians 4 The Second Coming and Those Who Sleep
13 1 Thessalonians 5 The Second Coming and Times and Seasons
20 2 Thessalonians 1 The Second Coming and Suffering for Jesus
27 2 Thessalonians 2 The Second Coming and the Son of Perdition
January
3 2 Thessalonians 3 The Second Coming and the patient waiting for Christ

(The dates in red are Advent, the dates in purple are Christmas)