The season of Advent is a time when we prepare for the birth of Jesus—the Christ child coming into the world. And it’s that “into the world” part that we so often lose sight of. The second person of the Trinity—God in the flesh—comes into the world that God created THROUGH that second person of the Trinity. The gift is for more than just me and you.
At the beginning of Genesis we read of God creating “the world”—and it’s not until the sixth day of the creation that people are created. A whole lot of the world is brought into being before people enter the scene. At the beginning of John’s Gospel we read “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.” (John 1:1-3a) “All things” clearly includes more than just people. And even when Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night in John 3, and Jesus speaks what is that most famous of Scriptures (John 3:16), note also its cosmic statement: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” For God so loved THE WORLD.
The incarnation—meaning God coming in flesh and blood as a human—is for THE WORLD—and that’s more than just people. Paul writes to the Romans about this, that the redemption of all things includes God’s care “in hope that the creation itself will be set free” (Romans 8:20b-21a).
Clearly God has more in mind than saving our individual souls (although that’s part of it). God is seeing to redeem all of creation, not just people. The Christ coming into the world is operating not just inside individual hearts, but in the very foundations of the earth and the skies and everything that was created. Hope involves more than me getting what I wished for for Christmas, or for the life plans I’ve always desired to come true—it is hoping for all of creation to be healed and made well.
Of course we humans have something to do with that, as we have tremendous influence in how we care for the world. And as we know, hope isn’t just something that we passively wish for—rather, hope is something that we actively engage in. When we hope that people will be more loving, we live out that hope by ourselves being more loving. When we hope that people will be cared for, we live out that hope by caring for people. We are to “be the change we hope for”. And that “cosmic” nature of the coming into the world of God—as a vulnerable needy baby—affirms that God, too acts in hope. God hopes that he, vulnerable needy baby, will be cared for by those he has entrusted his care to. God embodies that hope.
And all creation affirms that birth, as the angels sing in the skies and the star points the way to the child. Hope is for the world!
GOSPEL Luke 24:13-17, 21a
13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad. . . . 21 ’But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.’
NEW TESTAMENT Romans 5:1-5; 8:19-24a
1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved.