THE recent changes to speed limits on the roads in Wales have made everyone who drives much more interested in reading road signs. Gone are the old certainties, and instead we are left unsure. Not long ago things used to be relatively simple, now they have become far more complex. At times, it can be hard to know exactly what speed we are supposed to be doing, and we can end up concentrating more on the signs than on the road ahead. This situation is far from ideal, but in some ways it mirrors the confusion and lack of certainty that many Christians feel regarding the second coming of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But we are given signs to follow.

The season of Advent begins today. Four weeks of preparation, of getting ready. At this time of year the Church prepares to meet Christ in two ways. Firstly, in the annual celebration of His Birth at Christmas, and also by preparing for His Second Coming as our Saviour and our Judge. During the four weeks of Advent the Liturgy encourages us to ponder the Four Last Things: Death, Judgement, Heaven, and Hell. It is important to think about such things. Our earthly lives are finite, but afterwards we have an eternal destiny. Christians believe that Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose again to give us the hope of eternal life in Him. In the grand scheme of things, what really matters are our lives and our souls: who we are, what we are, what we do, and where our motivations come from.

Our readings over the last few weeks have been preparing us for the change of season with their focus on judgement and Our Lord’s Return. They highlight a paradox. We do not know when Christ will return, but we are told that the signs will be clear. 

Jesus says:

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.” (Mk 13:32-33)

There is no way that we can know exactly when Jesus will return, so all we can do is be vigilant and be alert. We can live lives that demonstrate our readiness by living out our faith, here and now, every single day. We have only one life to live here on Earth, and we must try, with God’s grace, to do the best we can. In today’s world, the idea of living for today is frequently seen as more important than caring about what will happen to us when we die. However, as Christians, we know that how we live our lives matters not just for today, but for eternity. Jesus calls all people to repentance — to turn around and change the whole of their lives and follow Him in their thoughts, their words, and their deeds. We need to follow Jesus’ teachings for the Kingdom of God is close at hand.

What matters is not when Our Lord returns, but whether we are ready to meet him, when that day comes. The words of Isaiah from this morning’s first reading can help us. The prophet is looking forward to the redemption of Israel, the coming of the Messiah, and a new future after exile. Against a picture of human sin, and rebellion against God, there is the implicit possibility of something better. God has plan, a plan for good things, and this plan is for our well-being, brought about through Jesus. Isaiah is convinced of both the power and the love of God, to remake us, and restore us, to enrich us with His grace.

We are not left alone in all this. God both tells us the nature and source of the problem, and provides us with a solution. He helps us along our way: strengthening and encouraging us to turn our lives around, and follow Him. Jesus instructs us to be vigilant, to keep awake, and be ready to greet Him, when He comes.

Our Lord will return, and we look forward to this as each year we celebrate His first coming as a baby in Bethlehem. The prophet Isaiah eagerly anticipates the Incarnation, when he asks God:

‘Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,’ (Isa 64:1)

This is exactly what God does at the Annunciation, when Mary conceives through the power of the Holy Spirit, so that He can be born in Bethlehem. Christ comes among us, as a weak and vulnerable child, to show all humanity that we are loved and valued. His birth demonstrates that healing and reconciliation are possible. Scripture is fulfilled, and we can have hope for the future. Christmas, Christ’s birth, should fill us with joy, and wonder. What greater present could we offer to the Infant Jesus than hearts filled with love and lives lived in the true freedom proclaimed by the Gospel. At one level, it doesn’t matter when the Second Coming is. What matters is living lives infused with the values of the Kingdom of God, here and now.

Christ’s first coming in Bethlehem was proclaimed through signs, in the prophecy of Isaiah and others. The star proclaimed the Messiah’s birth, guiding wise men from the East. In a similar way, Our Lord’s Second Coming will be announced in the celestial realms:

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.” (Mk 13:24-26)

When Jesus comes the signs will be clear, just as the fig tree heralds the start of summer. God gives us signs so that we can be sure and ready to meet Him when He comes.

This Advent, God asks us, to turn our lives around, and prepare ourselves to meet our Lord, just as He meets us today. We encounter Him at the altar in His body and blood, in His words proclaimed in Scripture, in the yearly remembrance of His Nativity, and in His coming in glory as our Saviour and our Judge. God was prepared to go to any length to meet us, to be with us, and to heal us. In turn we need to prepare ourselves, our souls and our lives to meet Him. We do this so that we may be united with Him forever. In anticipation of this day we sing the praises of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. To whom be ascribed all glory, dominion, and power, now and forever. Amen.