Expectors

Into this world now is come:
Christe, redemptor omnium
(Christ, the Redeemer of All)

Each year as I grew up, my family would mark the four Sundays prior to Christmas Day by celebrating Advent. We would pause from the busyness of life, come together as a family, and remember the amazing details of God’s plan of redemption… which began with the scandalous arrival of God Himself on earth as a baby boy. Different facets of the long-promised Incarnation came out in each week’s celebration, and each week we would light another candle to remind us of all God has done for us.

Continuing this tradition with our own children, Amy and I yesterday took some time aside to teach Elayne and Titus about prophets. See, God’s plan of redemption was not intended as a surprise! Since the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15), God told mankind that He intended to send Someone to make right what had gone wrong. Many of the details were not revealed in advance, yet as history unfolded God continued to point towards this coming Redeemer. He used prophets such as Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah to tell us many things about the Redeemer’s coming: where He would be born, from what lineage He would come, major events from His life, and the miraculous nature of His birth.

Because of this, men and women throughout history have lived as expectors – knowing our sin separates us from God beyond our power to remedy, yet hearing over and over that God Himself had promised a Savior. God’s promise was clear; our role has been to watch in faith for God to fulfill His promise! And with the completion of Jesus’ work as our Redeemer, our role as expectors has not ended. Today, we look to God for the fulfillment of a second promise: that of His Son’s return for His Church (John 14:2-3)! Because of that promise, those who trust Jesus’ payment for their sin can rest confidently in the knowledge of eternity together with Him.

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This week was particularly busy as we celebrated Thanksgiving with our family, yet we still saw God faithfully clearing the way for our coming departure. Three families were kind enough to take time during their own busy preparations to meet with us, and God provided time enough for major updates to our partnership record-keeping! As we wait on God’s timing for moving us to Mexico, our family’s role as expectors is only expanding! Knowing His desire to see all men reconciled to Himself (II Peter 3:9) and the command to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), we trust Him to enable us to go where He has sent. We therefore invite you – our partners in the Gospel – to watch and wait with us. God has some amazing things in store, and we are excited to see the fulfillment of His promises!