Sometimes, the Christmas season can come across as pure sentiment and nostalgia. Eventually, however, it passes, and we move back to the reality of life. Nowhere is this more true than the day after Christmas. The adrenaline of the new toys and presents fades. And left in its place are kids who say they are bored and don’t have anything to do. This is where parents suffer. This time can feel like the middle: not Christmas anymore, but not the excitement of the New Year. The middle has historically been a place of trial and tribulation. It’s in the middle that we begin to feel the weight of exhaustion. It’s in the middle that we long for resolution (or a New Year’s Resolution). It’s in the middle that we become aware of our weaknesses and vulnerability. It’s often in the middle that we suffer. This is why it’s so important that we recognize the importance of Advent. If we allow it to do its work in us, we slow down and are prompted to be patient. Advent is important because it counterbalances the overemphasized “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” What if it’s not that wonderful? What if it’s painful? What if there is hardship? What if there are struggles? What if there is suffering? Is there hope in this place? There is, and advent reminds us of this hope. This line by Fleming Rutledge reminds us of what happens if we miss the importance of Advent and search for meaning within the decorations and festivities. Rutledge says, “The church can’t survive on sentiment and nostalgia. Sentiment, nostalgia, optimism – these are weak thin fuels.” What we need is truth—truth that is found in the Scriptures. Truth embodied in the life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. When we know the truth and live the truth, it changes everything. This is where Advent is helpful. The word “advent” comes from the Latin word “adventus,” and it has a double meaning. It refers both to the past coming of Christ in the incarnation and the future return of Christ. The incarnation was marked by suffering; the final return would be marked by the presence of Christ as victorious King. Advent is a time to reflect deeply on all that is hard and holy—to face the tension of our fears and not cover them up with Christian platitudes. During Advent, we ask real and hard questions. Where is Jesus in the midst of my suffering? Does God actually care, or is this life a sick and cruel joke? Our hearts want to rush to the answer. Advent invites us to wait with patient endurance to grasp the true magnitude of the pain so we can celebrate the magnificence of the Prince of Peace. As we embark on Advent, I can’t think of a better guide than the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah found himself sitting in the middle of patient endurance and was told about future hope. Rather than experience immediate help, rescue would come through the reality of the suffering servant. Isaiah then gives us a vision of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53:1-12. In a shocking turn of events, as we turn the pages of the New Testament, we realize that the suffering servant of Isaiah is none other than the great King of heaven and earth, Jesus. And what does Jesus do through his suffering? Ultimately, He secures our freedom. How does He do this? First, Isaiah 53:1-3 tells us that Jesus is the “arm of the Lord.” This phrase is used throughout the Old Testament as a metaphor for the strength and power of Yahweh. Surprisingly, Isaiah 53 points out that the strength of the Lord would be seen from a position of weakness, not power. The outcome of this power? Our healing and wholeness (Isaiah 53:5-6). We are healed through His stripes. We find peace through His persecution. Jesus “bore” the iniquity of humanity on the cross so that we may receive His righteousness. The idea of the suffering servant “bearing” our burdens recalls the image of Samson carrying the gates of Gaza to the top of the mountain (Judges 16:1-3). The people of Gaza wanted to kill Samson. But he escaped death by ripping off the gates of Gaza and carrying them up a mountain. In 1 Corinthians 2:8, we are told the rulers of this age would have never sent Jesus to the cross if they had known what would happen. These evil forces wanted to kill Jesus. Jesus doesn’t escape death. Rather, He endures death and conquers death through death. Jesus, the greater Samson, carries a weight so much more significant. He carries the weight of sin and death and does so, carrying up Mt. Golgotha. Jesus didn’t suffer for his blasphemy; He suffered for ours.Jesus didn’t suffer for his rebellion; He suffered for ours.Jesus didn’t die for his sins; He died for ours. And maybe the most spectacular part of all of this is the silence of the suffering servant through all of the injustice He endured. Yahweh, the maker of heaven and earth, “spoke” when He brought all creation into existence. Jesus, the Son of God, the spotless and innocent lamb, stays silent as He suffers and secures freedom for creation. As we wait and endure and even suffer sitting in the uncomfortable middle of our lives, we do so looking back at the cross. We remember all the suffering that the servant endured. And in so doing, we can endure now with confident assurance of His future return—not as a suffering servant but as victorious King. Recommended Resource: Where Do I Belong? Finding Our True Home Through the Study of Exile in the Bible. There is an important connection between the themes of exile and advent. In exile, we wait for our return home. During Advent, we wait and remember when Christ first came and reflect on when Christ will return again. Both are interconnected because when Christ comes he will bring the fullness of the Kingdom of God which is in fact our eternal home in the new heavens and earth. This study through the Biblical theme of Exile reminds us of our true home and the hope found in the waiting.
Dr. Joel Muddamalle
