Home      Back to Advent 2

SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT.   The note sounded by the Gospel of this Second Sunday is, "The Kingdom of God is nigh at hand."  As the Kingdom of Grace it is in the midst of us, so that the signs of its summer beauty and strength are visible to every eye that will look for them: as the Kingdom of the Second Coming, it is nigh at hand to all, for all must soon pass out of the one into the other.  And what though the latter be terrible to contemplate, "men's hearts failing them for fear"?  One has arisen to reign even over the Gentiles, and in Him shall the Gentiles trust.  The patience and comfort of God's Holy Word, the Personal and written Word, give the Church sure faith to look up and lift up its head, knowing that its redemption draweth nigh.  "Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth." [Rev 3:10] 

The continuity of the Church under the Old and New Dispensation is strongly shown in both the Epistle and the Gospel for this Sunday.  In the first, the Monarchy of Christ over each Dispensation is set forth: in the second, the Parable of our Lord points to the Summer, which was to begin at His passing away.  "Lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; the fig-tree putteth forth her green figs.  Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away."  [Cant. 2:11-13]  It looks, also beyond to that time when the Tree of Life will give its fulness of fruit, and the Kingdom of God be known in that phase of its continuous existence in which His servants shall serve Him, and shall see His face Who has been their Redemption.