Jesus is coming again. And when he comes, the Hope we long for will be finally and fully realized. Hope is such a gift.  Hope that is blocked or lost leaves us overwhelmed. But understand that the hope we have in Jesus is not just the mere desire for something good to happen (like a child eager for a gift at Christmas—“oh, I hope I get it!”—) Biblical Hope is the confident Expectation that something good is going to happen based upon the goodness and character of God. He is dependable! There are so many thoughts/ideas about what the second coming will be like, but the teaching of Jesus affirms this one thing: HE IS COMING. BE READY! There is a “bit” of heaviness in Matthew 12:51 but the point is that we should be eagerly expecting his return and “setting our house in order” (his house, for we belong to Him). The same Jesus who came then, will come again. Peter echoes Jesus’ teaching. And when Peter writes about that next coming, we need to remember, he had his own “second coming”. [After his failure, Peter went back to fishing—but Jesus met him by a charcoal fire. (John 18:18—and the next morning Jesus brought him to the fire (John 21:9)]. Notice in our text, Peter says we are all going to “face the fire” (2 Peter 3:10). This speaks of Judgement, but the assurance of judgment brings peace. But Peter declares that not only do we hope for this coming but we are to “hurry it along” and “look forward” to it. Again, the eager anticipation we have (kind of like living on our tiptoes—straining to see that day come), is what protects us from the fiery judgement. When we live “with Him” now, we have no fear of living “with Him” then. It is that presence of Jesus that gives us Hope instead of fear. All the way back to Genesis, we learn that we do not need to fear the coming of the Lord if we do what is right. We will be accepted. (Cain—Genesis 4:7). 

Jesus and His Unfinished Work

Advent "Hope Realized"

2 Peter 3:8-13

"So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected." - Jesus (Matthew 24:42-44)

• Advent means Arrival.
• Advent is all about the Final Arrival.
• Advent hope is the confident expectation that God is doing what He said!

How do you find Hope in His Arrival?

1. Trust His WORD

v8-9a, "But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.  The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think."

John 5:24 NIV, "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."

2. Share His WORK

v9, "The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent."

3. Wait FORWARD

v11-13, "Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness."

Even so, come Lord Jesus!