This Sunday was the first Sunday of the season of Advent and if you didn't grow up in the church, Advent refers to the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. It is a season of waiting and I think what tends to happen every year around this time is that we get very caught up in the birth of Christ. Now that is good because we should be doing that on Christmas Day as we celebrate the birth of Christ. Of course, we know that's not the actual day that Jesus was born because we don't really know what that day is, but that's when we celebrate and recognize that Jesus, fully God and fully man, came to Earth and was born of a virgin to save us from our sin. Everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life forever.

I don't know about you, but to remember the coming of Jesus as a baby is precious to me,  but our hope is actually in His return. I think it's important to remember that that we are waiting right now just as the the nation of Israel was waiting over 2000 years ago.

The crazy thing about this year is that more than any other year prior to this, we are keenly aware of waiting, longing, suffering, and hardships. We are waiting for a vaccine, we are waiting for the pandemic to be over, we are waiting for all of our enemies (cancer, death, grief) to be trampled under the Lord's feet. I want to read something to you because we are not waiting for a baby, we're waiting for a warrior king and a New Heaven and New Earth. Revelation 21:1-7 says:

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Be comforted that in this season of waiting that we aren't waiting for a baby, we're waiting for our Warrior King!