Look for the Signs…Jesus is Here

On this first day of this new year in the liturgical calendar of the Christian church; on this first day of this new season of Advent, this season when we prepare our hearts and minds and bodies for the coming of the Christ child; on this first day of the month of December in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty four… We wait…for what is to come; we watch…for what is to be revealed…as Jesus is coming into the world…again…now…and in the days ahead…in signs that we can see and know and trust…if we are alert at all times.

For those of us who follow Jesus, his coming into the world is first revealed to us…in the beginning…at the dawn of creation….when the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep…and a wind – the Spirit of God – blew over the water…and God spoke – the Word of Life – and said Let there be light. And there was light. And God created the day and the night and the heavens and the earth and the sea and the sky and the plants and the animals and the humans…God created all that is life. And God saw that it was very good.

And Jesus’ coming into the world is revealed to us through the promises that God made to God’s people…to give Abram as many descendants as the stars in the sky…to lead Moses and the people out of Egypt and through the wilderness toward the promised land of freedom…to raise up from the house of David a righteous Branch…a sign of new life…to execute justice and righteousness…to be called by this name – “The Lord is our righteousness”.

And Jesus’ coming into the world is revealed to us through the comforting words of the Psalms…poetry that sings of God’s steadfast love for God’s people and God’s faithfulness for those who follow God’s ways and seek God’s paths…for those who put their trust in God throughout all the days of their life.

And, finally, in the gospel reading today, Jesus reveals his coming into the world at the end of time. There will be signs, Jesus tells his followers…signs that the world is changing…the seas are roaring…nations will be distressed…people will suffer. And in the midst of all that chaos and confusion and fear and foreboding and sense of doom and gloom…Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming to break through the veil – the thin space – that separates heaven from earth…and Jesus is coming to claim his power and his glory and to rule over all of the cosmos – all the universe – with justice and equity and righteousness and love.

There will be signs, Jesus tells us…his followers…signs that the world is changing…in ways we do not yet fully understand…and there will be signs that Jesus is coming into the world. New life springs forth within us and around us…like the fig tree that sprouts as summer draws near. We are being redeemed…brought through the wilderness into the land of freedom. God’s steadfast love and faithfulness sustains us and encourages us to stand firm in Jesus…even as the world is changing.

Jesus is coming into the world again…now…and in the days ahead…Jesus is coming and this is where we find our hope in Jesus Christ and our trust in the promise of everlasting life in the kin-dom of God.

The good news for today is this – even as we wait for Jesus to come into the world again and in the days ahead…Jesus is already here…fully present…and with us now. 

There will be signs, Jesus tells us…signs that Jesus is coming again and signs that Jesus is in the world now…among us…this morning. Do you see these signs?

In the gathering of God’s people around the font and around the table…we see the signs…Jesus is here.

In the singing of the hymns and the proclaiming of the gospel and the preaching of the Word and the praying for the needs of the world…we see the signs…Jesus is here.

In the eating and the drinking and the chatter and the laughter and the companionship of coffee hour…we see the signs…Jesus is here.

Then, look more widely…more broadly…beyond this time and space….      The good news for today is this – even as we wait for Jesus to come into the world again and in the days ahead…Jesus is already here in the world…fully present…and with us now. 

There will be signs, Jesus tells us…signs that Jesus is coming again and signs that Jesus is in the world now…fully present…in the work that we do together for the building up of God’s kin-dom. Do you see these signs?

In preparing lunches every week and dinners every month for Father Bill’s & MainSpring in Brockton…to give to people who lack access to sufficient food, even in this country of abundance…we see the signs…Jesus is here.

In welcoming all people…that is, people from Holy Trinity and their community friends of good will…to be part of this Feeding the Hungry Ministry and to give generously of their time and resources every week and every month…we see the signs…Jesus is here.

In hosting the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance and Celebration at Holy Trinity…a community event bringing people together in love and solidarity…recognizing the humanity we share through the grace of God and the love of Jesus…we see the signs….Jesus is here.

In gathering with our neighbors for the Easton Interfaith Thanksgiving Service…a community event bringing people of diverse faith traditions together in love and solidarity…offering gratitude for all that we have been given…laying the foundation for mutual understanding and acceptance as we work to bring peace into the world…we see the signs…Jesus is here.

On this first day of this new year…this first day of the new season…this first day of the month…We wait…for what is to come; we watch…for what is to be revealed…the signs that Jesus is coming into the world…again…and Jesus is here now…and in the days ahead.

In these days ahead, be on guard. Watch for signs that reveal that Jesus is coming…signs that reveal Jesus is in the world now…fully present among us.

Be alert. Look for the ways you can be a sign that reveals Jesus is coming and Jesus is here…in the world now. Look for the ways you can join with Jesus and do his work of building up the kin-dom of God here on earth…the kin-dom of justice and peace and righteousness and steadfast love…the  kin-dom meant for all God’s people and all God’s creation.

Jesus is coming again…and Jesus is here now. Do you see the signs?