From: Ryan Ruffing
In Advent we wait expectantly for the return of the Lord. Expectation is always grounded in hope, and in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Paul clarifies the nature of the hope that fuels our expectant waiting. It is the hope of resurrection. Rooted in the reality of Jesus’ resurrection (vs. 14), those who belong to Christ will also be raised from the dead when Jesus returns (vs. 16). Paul is not speaking metaphorically—he is claiming a fact about the future course of events in our world. Those who have embraced their adoptive status as sons and daughters in the family of the triune God will not remain in the grave, but will be given a new and infinitely more real physical existence.
We also remember during this season that resurrection is not merely an individual matter. The reality of Jesus’ return means a restoration of all that is broken in our world—from societal injustice, to the drastic misuse of the earth’s natural resources, to the deep fractures in relationships. It is our awareness of both our personal brokenness and the brokenness of our world, coupled with the reality of resurrection hope, that feeds and grows our Advent expectation.
How is the reality of resurrection hope changing your Advent journey this year? Let’s spend some time in prayer as a community meditating on the beautiful restoration that Christ will accomplish when he returns.
I love folk music, spending time in the woods, and living in Boston.