So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:28
The Christmas trick works just about every time. The commercials, the carols, the Christmas TV specials and the gingerbread lattes all promise that this year will be different. This year will finally be perfect. Your family will finally get along. The kids will be so grateful for their Christmas presents – never tiring of playing with them. You won’t run out of Egg Nog at the party this year. You’ll finally find the perfect gift for that perfect person who will make Christmas ever so perfect.
Many of us fall for it every year – only to be disappointed. The post-holiday blues set in and we wonder, “Will things ever work out the way I hope and dream?”
Yes. Maybe not this Christmas, but yes.
The Advent season is not just about reflecting on the first coming of Jesus when he arrived as an infant boy in a stable. Advent is also about looking in hopeful anticipation to the second coming when Jesus will arrive on a white horse as King of Kings.
When Jesus comes the second time it will be to make all things right and just. It will be to renew and restore that which is broken and marred. Evil will be judged and banished and the bride of Christ rescued and presented “without spot, wrinkle or blemish.” (Ephesians 5:27)
Take a moment and think about this with me: No spot. No wrinkle. No Blemish.
How can this possibly be? Our sins are prevalent. Christmas often reveals the truly wicked condition of our hearts. No ‘spot, wrinkle or blemish’? What of our pride, faults and failures? We would find it joyous if the scripture simply said Jesus would present me without a heinous scar or disfigurement. We would celebrate for all eternity if we were presented with our mess appropriately covered. How wonderful it would be, just to be presentable. Yet, that is not the promise of the Second Advent. Jesus will present us in perfect and complete righteousness – without spot, wrinkle or blemish.
No spots from our shameful past.
No wrinkles from our disobedience.
No blemishes from our failures.
Perfect.
Soak it in. Savor the good news. Rejoice with a joy truly unspeakable. There is coming a day when all will be as it should be. Another Advent has been promised, one where our King will return and will find us altogether lovely.
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