Posted on December 11, 2022 Posted By: HCCCategories: journey
Heartland Community Church
THE JOURNEY
Justice
By Allison Antrim
Longing knocks on all of our hearts during the Christmas season. Whether it’s a child’s longing for a special gift under the tree, or an adult’s longing for a truly “silent night,” most of us have something we want that we don’t yet have. Or maybe another type of longing has hit you recently. Maybe a song you’ve listened to, or a story you’ve read or watched, has tugged at your heart with its beauty, giving you a sensation of both happiness and sadness at the same time. Maybe you’ve looked at what’s going on in the world and found yourself overwhelmed by its darkness.
These longings aren’t new to us; in fact, as Dan pointed out, longing is a theme of the Bible, running from Genesis to Revelation. In the Old Testament, people looked ahead to the One who would come and defeat evil (the Son of Eve), the One who would be an everlasting king (the Son of Judah), the One who would be a good and wise ruler (the Son of David). In the New Testament and today, we look back at Jesus’ first coming with joy, but we also look ahead to when He returns. In that day, God’s Word tells us that injustice will disappear forever and Jesus will reign over heaven and earth. All of our longings will be fulfilled.
Until Jesus comes back, longing, or desire, may be a method he uses to draw us to belief in him. That was certainly the case for C.S. Lewis, the author of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (which itself has a theme of longing). Lewis saw longing as the theme of his life and the method by which he came to believe in Jesus:
“…in a sense, the central story of my life is about nothing else…it is that of an unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction. I call it Joy, which is here a technical term and must be sharply distinguished both from Happiness and from Pleasure. Joy (in my sense) has indeed one characteristic, and one only, in common with them; the fact that anyone who has experienced it will want it again. Apart from that…it might almost equally well be called a particular kind of unhappiness or grief. But then it is a kind we want.”
Whether a longing we experience feels joyful or sorrowful, it points to something greater than itself. It invites us to the truth, that the answer to our longing is Jesus. What we celebrate about his birth is the arrival of the One who restored us to God by his death and resurrection. The next part of the plan comes with his return, when he will destroy what’s left of the enemy and “peace on earth” will last forever. What are you longing for this Christmas season? How can that longing draw you closer to Jesus?
Someday, a son of Eve will defeat the devil. Someday, a son of Judah will ascend the throne. Someday, a son of David will reign with justice. Someday, a son of Mary, a child of David, a child of Judah, a child of Eve, was born. Someday, the lion of Judah will triumph forever. Review these passages and track the arc of Jesus’ story across the Bible. What longings are mentioned here? Which longings were fulfilled? How would you describe the longing in your life today?
Advent Reflections
Over the next few weeks we will spend time preparing our eyes, ears, hearts and minds in this advent season. This week our advent theme is joy. Are you ready to quiet your soul, and to celebrate the arrival of Jesus among us?
At first, this passage seems to be more about loss and apprehension than joy. The apostles (formerly known as the twelve disciples) are losing Jesus after spending three extraordinary years by his side. Luke writes they were “looking intently up into the sky as he was going” (v. 10). Maybe they were half-hoping he wasn’t really leaving. Maybe they were thinking about what life would look like now that they were on their own. Suddenly they are interrupted by “two men in white” (whom we understand to be angels) telling them that Jesus will come back in the same way he has just left. Though Jesus has left, He will return. Though they feel alone now, it won’t always be so. Joy appears, a tiny spark, enough to cause them to tear their eyes from the heavens and level their gaze toward what God wants them to do next. What is something you look forward to when Jesus comes back? What is something he would have you do while you wait for his return?
Ironically, I wrote the daily reflection the last time this verse appeared, just a few weeks ago in November. And it’s more difficult to find joy in this passage than yesterday’s. The verses sound so hopeless – sin enslaving us, overuling the heart and mind, drowning out any desire to do good. But then comes verses 24 and 25: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Another spark of joy appears. Though sin seems overwhelming, Jesus defeated it. Though we may sometimes give in and give up, his power makes it possible for us to try again. How has Jesus’ life and words brought victory to a past defeat you’ve endured from sin?
In this verse’s one sentence, Jesus gives believers 4 promises that will bring them immense joy. First, he promises to prepare a place for us in heaven. Second, he promises to come back to earth. Third, he will take us to be with him. Fourth, we will be with him in heaven, in the presence of God our Father. How exciting it is to look forward to the fulfillment of these promises; the joy we will experience is the kind we will be lucky to get even a small taste of in this lifetime. Think of a time in which you experienced immense joy. How does it offer a glimpse of what it will be like to be in God’s presence one day?
Community was key in the lives of the audience to whom Hebrews is written. At the beginning of the passage, there are 3 references to what the author instructs the group to do: they are to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds,” “not [give] up meeting together,” and “[encourage] one another” (v. 24-25), especially in light of Christ’s return. Because Jesus has saved us so completely, to spurn obedience to him is to court serious judgment, so the believers are to support one another in following God. At the end of the passage, there are 2 references to things the group had already done: the group doing things for and with one another: they “stood side by side with those who were so treated” and “suffered along with those in prison” (v. 33-34). Above all this, the believers were able to “joyfully” lose their earthly possessions because they were confident that what God gave them in Christ is far more valuable, and can never be lost. What is a lasting possession, given to you by Christ, that you are grateful to have? How can you support other Christians in following him this week?
It’s hard to be joyful if you’re drowning in shame. Shame keeps us focused on ourselves and the ways we have failed to measure up. It always accompanies sin (either sin we ourselves commit or sin that is committed against us). It can be a barrier holding us back from the new life God offers us through Jesus, contributing to a lack of confidence in God and what he has done. How significant it is that believers who “continue in him” gain the ability to stand with confidence, unashamed, before him. Without shame, there is room for joy. WIthout shame, our eyes look upward to God in the confidence of what His Son has done for us. When have you experienced shame? How might Jesus redeem that experience?
Preparation can be easy enough to start, but hard to keep up, especially when the event you’re preparing for is a long way off. Christians know that Jesus can come back at any moment (see Matt. 24:36), but it’s been thousands of years since he was last here on earth. It might be easy to never make a personal decision to believe in and follow God if His return doesn’t feel urgent and immediate. We see in this passage, when the bridegroom does suddenly arrive, that great joy belongs to those five virgins who were ready to go with him, despire not knowing the time he would show up. Conversely, how awful it must feel to be one of the five virgins who were unprepared, declared unknown to the bridegroom, and turned away from the glorious gathering. What can you do to stay ready for Jesus to come back, even when it seems like the time is far off?
{extra journey resources}
CLICK HERE to visit The Bible Project site and explore their super simple, super informative Bible videos (and other resources). You can also download The Bible Project App HERE.
CLICK HERE to get the Read Scripture App, from our friends at The Bible Project.
CLICK HERE for more on how to use the observe-reflect-apply approach to getting the most out of your Bible reading.
The Bible App Get the free YouVersion Bible for your phone, tablet, or computer. Experience the Bible anywhere, with options to highlight, save notes, and share what you are reading with others.
The Bible App For Kids YouVersion partnered with OneHope to develop the Bible App for Kids, designing it specifically to engage children with Bible stories on an age-appropriate level. The Bible App for Kids is a free app for Android, Apple, and Kindle devices, available in over 60 languages.
Bible Gateway Provides advanced Bible searching capabilities, which allow readers to find passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.
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