Happy New Year– Advent has Arrived!

Last updated on: December 1, 2021 at 1:38 am by Ben Witherington

Happy New Year– Advent has Arrived! 2021-11-26T10:10:01-05:00 Ben Witherington

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Contrary to popular belief, the New Year for Christians does not begin in the month of Janus i.e. January, the god who faces both back and forward. Just as the New Year begins with Rosh Hashanah for Jews (which by the way means ‘head of the year’) so the Christian New Year begins with Advent, from the Latin adventus— to come, and interestingly the first Sunday in Advent celebrates the second coming of Jesus, not the first one, Hence Charles Wesley’s hymn ‘Lo he Comes with Clouds Descending’.

In a sense, the first Sunday in Advent (which this year came on Nov. 28th) looks forward before we look back at Christmas to the first coming of Christ. Unfortunately, too many Protestants don’t even know their church calendar, or for that matter that Jesus was born somewhere between 4-6 B.C. (since Herod the Great died about 2 B.C.). And why does all this matter? Because Christianity is a religion founded and grounded in certain historical events, both past and future. Without them, especially without the past ones, we would have no Christmas to celebrate, and the church should just close up and shut up about some purported Good News.

Christianity is not a spirituality that floats freely above the bedrock of historical facts. As Paul once said ‘if Christ is not raised, your faith is futile’, and we are the most to be pitied not envied amongst human beings. The same could be said for the Incarnation— no incarnation, no divine and human Christ, no death on the cross, no resurrection or appearances thereafter. You get my point. Unlike Greek or Roman or Egyptian religion, Christianity, like Judaism is not grounded or founded on mythology— religious ideas about gods and their adventures and misadventures.

Interestingly, it is Paul, who wrote the chronologically earliest NT documents that makes the whole mythicist mess impossible to believe. Paul was indeed a real historical person who knew, and did not like, the facts about one Jesus of Nazareth, especially about the end of his life in crucifixion and the sequel, that is until Jesus confronted him on Damascus Road on his way to persecute more Christ followers. If Jesus did not exist, he would not have been running around after Christ followers many of who met Jesus in person, trying to make them shut up.

So what does the first Sunday in Advent really remind us of? It reminds us that Jesus is not done with the human race just yet. He did not float off to heaven in order to retire from human affairs. The second coming of Christ is about accountability— ‘he knows when you’ve been sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows when you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake’. No, it’s not St. Nicholas who is coming to town to give you a Pru Review (a real Christian person from Myra in Turkey by the way. I’ve visited his church. And he was famous for generous gifts. Too bad we’ve turned our holy days into secular holidays, and our saints into Santas). It’s Christ.

Thank goodness our future judge and accountability partner is also our savior or no one would stand at the docket on the last day. The question from the first Sunday of Advent is are you ready to appear before the bema, the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of the deeds you’ve done in the flesh and receive your due recompense (see 2 Cor. 5.10)? As it turns out, ministers especially will be held responsible for their words and deeds— Have you been building with hay, stubble, and straw (cf. 2 Cor. 3.10-15)? Anytime a minister gets too big for his britches, he or she ought to sit down with some strong coffee, and read 2 Cor. 3.10-15 closely. What have you been building your church with? Inquiring minds want to know.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

November 30, 2021

A Festschrift for my 70th Birthday--- a Total Surprise!

Next Post

December 2, 2021 The Bonding

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz