1 December 2024
"There will be signs..." (v. 25)
Background
The thoughts of many people on 1 December will be dominated by the countdown to Christmas. Today the first part of the Advent candle is burned and the first window on an Advent calendar is opened. Choirs in schools and churches will be rehearsing for carol services, families will be trying to agree on the right date to hang the decorations, and many people will be planning journeys or trying to buy presents. The gospel reading appointed for today, however, invites us into a very different space.
We read a section of the last part of Jesus’ teaching to the crowds in Luke’s Gospel. These are not easy verses to interpret. Jesus prophesies a time of anguish and distress as the cosmos itself will be shaken in anticipation of his return in glory. Passages like this are sometimes described as ‘apocalyptic discourses’. That is to say, they point to a time when the fullness of God’s purpose will be revealed and God’s authority and justice will be unchallenged.
Jesus’ purpose in this discourse seems to be not to frighten but to encourage the disciples. They need not be afraid – the coming of the Son of Man will be the time of their redemption. They can "stand up and raise their heads". (v. 28) The whole passage has elements of encouragement amid the graphic language. Whatever else happens, God is in control and the words of the Son of God (Jesus) will outlast all transient things, even those that appear to be permanent (v. 32).
In order to know when to do that, the disciples need to be able to read the signs of the times. There is a pattern in this part of the teaching: the disciples will see and then they will know (vs 30-31). The prediction that these things are imminent suggests that in order to see and know, the disciples should be actively looking for the revelation of the fulfilment of God’s purposes.
The final part of this reading suggests that in order to achieve that active looking, the disciples need to be disciplined. Jesus warns them against over-indulgence, loss of self-control and besetting anxiety. As the season of buying and partying gets under way, perhaps this passage does have more to say about how we approach the run-up to Christmas than first appeared.
To Ponder:
- It is often said that preaching on the second coming of Christ is rare in churches. Is that your experience? Why do you think that is?
- Then gospel writers seem to have expected (v. 32) that the events described would happen in their lifetime. Two thousand years later, do you believe that history has an endpoint?
Bible notes author: The Revd Dr Jonathan Hustler
Jonathan Hustler is a presbyter who currently serves as the Secretary of the Conference.