1 Corinthians 1:3-9 (NRSV)
Read 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 on biblegateway.com
Verse 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 4I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, Verse 5for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind- Verse 6just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you- Verse 7so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 8He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 9God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Devotion
Advent calls for anticipation of God’s coming in Christ; but the seasonal texts celebrate Christ’s return—Christ’s second coming. This is to be expected. Christ came, some 2,000 years ago. So when we anticipate his coming at Christmas each year, it is bound to be his coming again, his return that we contemplate.
Paul refers to those in Corinth “who wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ” as well as those seeking to be prepared “on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:7-8).
The people there were anticipating Christ’s coming again, and we are invited to do so as well during Advent. Did you notice the change in the Apostles’ Creed in the ELW? The phrase “He will come again” became “and he will come!” Whether it’s a first coming or a second, it’s God who’s coming. And that’s the point! That’s what we celebrate and anticipate during Advent!
Prayer
Great God, we can hardly wait for you to fulfill your promise and come! Amen.