ADVENT • 1

God, Do You Even Care?

SONGS FOR PRAYER

reading for: Tuesday Night, 28 november

Mark 13:24-37

Staying Awake and Waiting on God

  • READ

    Scripture Reading: Mark 13:24-37

    24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

    28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

    32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

    Commentary:

    In this week’s gospel reading, Mark captures Jesus’ warnings to his disciples of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in their lifetime. Jesus describes this catastrophic event in apocalyptic language (vv.24-25), which came to fulfilment in 70CE, about 40 years after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension. Disciples who were awake, attentive and waiting would have heeded his warnings and would have made the appropriate preparations for escape when the time came, all the while watching for the signs.

    Continuing his use of apocalyptic imagery (v26) Jesus borrows from Daniel 7:13-14 to assert that his predictions would be proved right and he would be vindicated regarding God’s judgement on Israel and her leaders for the hardness of their hearts towards God and idolatry.

    After its destruction, his disciples who had been watching and waiting for the fulfilment of Jesus’ words and who had heeded his warnings in Mark 13:14 -23, would be regathered.

    The lesson of the fig tree (vv.28-31) is also about being awake, attentively watching and waiting and heeding Jesus’ words carefully (vv.32-36).  

    Just as the First coming of Christ came unexpectedly and in the most unexpected way – as an infant in a manger, so the Second Coming of Christ will be unexpected and in a most unexpected way. Those who lived before the birth of Jesus did not know the day or the hour of his arrival, so they had to live in a continual state of watchfulness and anticipation. Similarly, for us today, by anticipating the return of the Son of Man, we wait in the same way as those who lived before Jesus was born were waiting - not knowing the day or the hour when the Messiah would appear. In this season of Advent, we also join them in hearing—and needing—the same encouragement to be watchful and to keep awake.

  • REFLECT

Some waiting is passive. But there is also active waiting. Are you waiting with a heart full of expectation, a waiting on tiptoe, an active waiting?

There is no time to fall asleep in a waiting room. While we are to be attuned to the signs of his kingdom rule that is already at work all around us, we must continue to wait in active participation and confident expectation for His glorious reign to fully arrive.

All the scripture readings this week carry the theme of waiting. As we move through the season of Advent towards Christmas, we must watch and wait. The posture of our waiting is important. As Ephraim asked us in his sermon last Sunday, what’s the condition of our hearts?  Is your heart yearning and longing for Our Lord’s Second Coming as you celebrate his First Coming this Christmas?   

reading for: Wednesday Night, 29 november

Isaiah 64:1-9

Seeking and Yearning for God’s Saving Action

  • READ

    Scripture Reading: Isaiah 64:1-9

    1Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
        that the mountains might quake at your presence—
    2 as when fire kindles brushwood
        and the fire causes water to boil—
    to make your name known to your adversaries,
        and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
    3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
        you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
    4 From of old no one has heard
        or perceived by the ear,
    no eye has seen a God besides you,
        who acts for those who wait for him.
    5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
        those who remember you in your ways.
    Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
        in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
    6 We have all become like one who is unclean,
        and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
    We all fade like a leaf,
        and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
    7 There is no one who calls upon your name,
        who rouses himself to take hold of you;
    for you have hidden your face from us,
        and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

    8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
        we are the clay, and you are our potter;
        we are all the work of your hand.
    9 Be not so terribly angry, O Lord,
        and remember not iniquity forever.
        Behold, please look, we are all your people.

     

    Commentary:

    In this passage, God seems to be inactive and hiding from his suffering people. The prophet Isaiah expresses a deep yearning for God, recounting the past and intreating God to once again reveal Himself as a loving father to them. In short, Isaiah is asking God, “are you there?” and “Do you care”?

    Previously in chapter 63:7, Isaiah recounts “the steadfast love of the LORD.” He recalls God’s spectacular rescue of the Israelites from Egypt in the Exodus event (63:11-14). Yet, now in chapter 64, Isaiah cries out for God to ‘tear open the heavens and come down… the nations might tremble at your presence’ – in other words, for God to come and deliver them from slavery as He had done in the past, bringing judgment on their tormentors and striking fear in their enemies.

    Why is God being so punishing? Why is He hiding from them? If God is there and He cares, then why doesn’t He reveal his glory and demonstrate his power? Has He abandoned His people?

    The prophet enters into a string of confession about who God is, what He has done and what they have done (vv.3 -7). Then in the final two verses (vv.8-9) Isaiah entreats God as a father to remember them as His children and to look upon them kindly and lovingly again.

  • REFLECT

    This year has been a tough year with two major on-going wars affecting many industries and national economies, slowing down post-covid recovery. CNLers, family and friends have been impacted in various ways at work and at home. Perhaps there has been loss or pain or grief in your own life. Perhaps you are seeking understanding and God seems inactive or silent. Will you continue to wait on Him and trust in Him?

reading for: Thursday Night, 30 november

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Awaiting the Revealing of the Christ

  • READ

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Commentary:

Today we pick up our reading at the start of 1 Corinthians, where Paul is writing to the Church at Corinth. Paul starts his letter giving thanks to God for the Church. He gives thanks to God for the grace of God that was given to them in Christ Jesus. It would be helpful to point out that the audience of Paul’s thanksgiving is God, and he is giving thanks for the grace that was given in Christ. This grace that is given in Christ has enriched them in all speech and all knowledge.

This has led to the Church to be enriched and not lacking in any gift as they wait for the revealing of the Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain them to the end. This is how they will be guiltless in the day of the Lord. Finally, Paul ends his thanksgiving with the praise that God is faithful, and it is by this faithful God that they will come into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ.

Paul’s thanksgiving to God for the Church is for the grace of God that was given to them in Christ so that they are not lacking in any gift as they are waiting for the coming of the Lord. Paul does not want them to be lacking in any gift because he does not want any of them to fall away but for every one of them to be faithful to the end. That was Paul’s heart for the Church at Corinth that they will be eagerly waiting for the coming of Christ and to be faithful to the end.

REFLECT

  • As we approach the season of celebrating the advent of Christ who came into the world and walked the face of the earth for thirty three years. Let us celebrate the first coming of Christ and give God all the praise and glory for Jesus’s birth into the world.

    Let us also remember that this same Christ will come again. At the same time, we are also waiting for Christ to come again. This is Paul’s heart for the Church that they will be found faithful to the end. Will we wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, and will we let him sustain us to the end?

reading for: FRIDAY Night, 1 DECEMBER

Psalm 80:1-7,17-19

Turning To The Lord, Seeking His Face

  • READ

Scripture Reading: Psalm 80:1-7,17-19

1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth. 2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up your might and come to save us! 3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved! 4 O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? 5 You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure. 6 You make us an object of contention for our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves. 7 Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!

17 But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself! 18 Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name! 19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Commentary:

Psalm 80 is a psalm of crying to the Lord for rescue and restoration. It is about a people that is an object of contention and laughingstock to their neighbours. Israel was in trouble and its walls have been broken down. Israel thus was crying to the Lord to turn and restore them.

It starts with a request to the Shepherd of Israel to give ear. The Shepherd is the one who leads Joseph like a flock. The one that is enthroned upon the cherubim is asked to shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh so that they will be saved and rescued.

The psalmist asks the Lord how long more will he be angry with his people and let them eat the bread of tears and to drink the tears in full measure. How long more will they be an object of contention?

The psalmist calls on the Lord to restore his people and let his face shine upon them so that they may be saved from their present distress.

The psalmist ends the psalm with a request that God will let his hand be on the man of his right hand. So that the nation will not turn back from the Lord. It is a call for life so that the people will call upon the name of the Lord.

  • REFLECT

    Will we call upon the Lord like this psalmist? Will we say the words, “But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself! Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name!”?

    May this be our heart cry that we will call upon Jesus and look to him. May we never turn back from him and call on his name. Jesus is the one that the hand of the Lord is on, he is the man seated at the Father’s right hand. He is the one that gives us life and the one that we must call on.

Advent, Season of AdventCNL