First Sunday in Advent: Gospel, Mark 11:1-10                     

Mark 11:1-10

Yes the Advent focus on the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is upon us once more. And just a quick reminder that the church year begins often with this emphasis that we dare not forget that with all the joy and “grandeur” of the Christ Child’s entry into our world, the truth is He came carrying out a mission. And the mission ended in brutality many steps past the plodding of the donkey that carried the Savior through the walls of Jerusalem for the last week of His earthly sojourn.

What I don’t want us to miss this Advent is that present and future are inextricably connected to the past. We are connected to the promises given to God’s people from the beginning for we are the one universal people of God. Future glory for us resides in the fulfilled mission of the Messiah centuries ago. And Jesus reigns as King in fulfillment of the vision for a previous, but “unsuccessful” kingdom, the kingdom of David, the shepherd.

I advise my students these days to tread lightly the steps from the Old Testament to New. While some in the church loudly advocate the putting away of the Old Testament for the church, I stress the truth that as the church we cannot understand our present, nor prepare for our future properly without soaking in the pages of the Bible painting the canvas given to initials “B.C.”

Advent stresses both the forward look and the upward gaze. But remember that looking back turns the key and genuinely opens the door to both. Happy Advent!