Jesus yesterday, today and forever
Sometimes we approach the Christmas celebration of the Incarnation of God's Son with so much enthusiasm that we let Advent, the time when the Christian church year begins, fade into the background. The Advent season, which includes four Sundays, begins this year on November 29th and heralds Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The term "Advent" is derived from the Latin adventus and means something like "coming" or "arrival". During Advent, the three "comings" of Jesus are celebrated (typically in reverse order): the future (Jesus' return), the present (in the Holy Spirit) and the past (Jesus' incarnation/birth).
We understand the meaning of Advent even better when we consider how these three comings are interconnected. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews expressed it this way: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebr 13,8)Jesus came as the incarnate man (yesterday), he lives presently in us through the Holy Spirit (today), and will return as King of kings and Lord of lords (forever). Another perspective from which to view this can be found in relation to the Kingdom of God. The incarnation of Jesus brought the Kingdom of God to humanity (yesterday); he himself invites believers to enter into and share in that Kingdom (today); and when he returns, he will reveal the already existing Kingdom of God to all humanity (forever).
Jesus used several parables to explain the kingdom he was about to establish: the parable of the seed that grows invisibly and silently. (Mk 4,26-29), which comes from the mustard seed, which grows from a small seed grain into a large bush (Mk 4,30-32), as well as that of the sourdough, which sours the entire dough (Mt 13,33)These parables show that the Kingdom of God was brought to earth with the incarnation of Jesus and truly endures to this day. Jesus also said, "But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God [which he did], then the Kingdom of God has come upon you." (Mt 12,28; Lk 11,20). The kingdom of God is present, he said, and the proof of this is documented in his exorcisms and other good works of the church.
The power of God is continually being manifested through the power of believers living in the reality of God's kingdom. Jesus Christ is the head of the church, was so yesterday, is today and will be forever. As the kingdom of God was present in the ministry of Jesus, it is now present (though not yet in perfection) in the ministry of his church. Jesus the King is among us; his spiritual power dwells in us, even if his kingdom is not yet fully effective. Martin Luther compared that Jesus bound Satan, albeit by a long chain: “[...] he [Satan]can do no more than a bad dog in a chain; he may bark, run to and fro, tear at the chain."
The kingdom of God will come into being in all its perfection—that is the “eternal thing” we hope for. We know that we cannot change the whole world in the here and now, no matter how hard we try to reflect Jesus in our lives. Only Jesus can do that, and he will do it in all glory when he returns. If the kingdom of God is already a reality in the present, it will only become a reality in all its perfection in the future. If it is still largely hidden today, it will be fully revealed when Jesus returns.
Paul often spoke of the kingdom of God in its future sense. He warned of anything that might prevent us from “inheriting the kingdom of God” (1Kor 6,9-10 and 15,50; Gal 5,21; Eph 5,5As can often be seen from his choice of words, he consistently believed that the Kingdom of God would be realized at the end of the age (1Thess 2,12; 2Thess 1,5; Kol 4,11; 2Tim 4,2 and 18). But he also knew that wherever Jesus might be, his kingdom is already present, even in “this present evil world,” as he called it. Because Jesus dwells in us here and now, the kingdom of God is already present, and according to Paul, we already have citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. (Phil 3,20).
Advent is also spoken of with regard to our salvation, which is referred to in the New Testament in three tenses: past, present and future. The salvation we have already received represents the past. It was brought about by Jesus at his first coming - through his life, death, resurrection and ascension. We experience the present now when Jesus dwells in us and calls us to participate in his work in the kingdom of God (kingdom of heaven). The future stands for the perfect fulfillment of the redemption that will come to us when Jesus returns for all to see and God will be all in all.
It is interesting to note that the Bible emphasizes the visible appearance of Jesus at his first and final coming. Between "yesterday" and "the eternal," Jesus' present coming is invisible insofar as we do not see him walking around like those living in the first century. But since we are now ambassadors for Christ... (2Kor 5,20)We are called to stand for the reality of Christ and his kingdom. Even if Jesus is not visible, we know that he is with us and will never abandon or forsake us. Our fellow human beings can recognize him in us. We are called to let the glory of the kingdom shine forth, however fragmentarily, by allowing the fruit of the Holy Spirit to permeate us and by keeping Jesus' new commandment to love one another. (Joh 13,34-35).
When we understand that Advent is at the center, that Jesus is yesterday, today, and forever, we are better able to understand the traditional motif in the shape of four candles that precedes the time of the Lord's coming: hope, Peace, joy and love. As the Messiah of whom the prophets spoke, Jesus is the real embodiment of the hope that gave strength to God's people. He came not as a warrior or a subjugating king, but as a Prince of Peace to show that it is God's plan to bring peace. The motif of joy indicates the joyful anticipation of the birth and return of our Savior. Love is what God is all about. He who is love loved us yesterday (before the world was founded) and continues to do so (individually and in an intimate way) both today and forever.
I pray that the season of Advent will be filled with Jesus' hope, peace and joy and that you will be reminded by the Holy Spirit day by day how much He loves you.
Trusting in Jesus yesterday, today and forever,
Joseph Tkach
President
GRACE COMMUNION INTERNATIONAL
