...And So We Wait

Cole Edwards • December 14, 2022

For some, waiting is filled with purpose and joyous expectation. 


They seem to understand, as Heinz proclaims, “Good things come to those who wait.” Patience is a fruit of the Spirit after all (Gal 5:22). Still, for others, waiting can feel a bit like the eternal refrain of the child's road-trip question: Are we there yet? Or perhaps, more fitting for this advent season: How many days until Christmas? But being impatient does not hasten the days.


For the Christian, the focus of Advent season is on preparing for the coming of Jesus Christ, both in the form of His birth and His Second Coming. But the definition of advent is not limited to the special meaning of Christ's birth and return. Indeed, the definition includes the arrival of a notable person (Jesus, of course, being the most notable). We see examples in Scripture where people were waiting for Jesus, waiting for His advent, even while He was walking the earth some 2000 years ago. 


One such instance is recorded in Luke starting at Chapter 8 verse 40. Jairus, a synagogue official, falls at Jesus' feet, imploring Him to heal his daughter. Can you imagine being in Jairus' position? Your daughter is dying and you ache for her to live. There's no hope, but then you remember Jesus. You remember that Jesus has healed others.


Jesus healed the paralyzed man who was lowered through the roof by his friends. Jesus healed the leper. Jesus even healed the Centurion's servant. A Roman occupier! Maybe He will heal your daughter. “Jesus! Come quickly!” You implore Him. Then, the crowd descends on Jesus. People are pressing in on Him from all angles and you can't get Him through the crowd. Then suddenly He stops. A woman apparently has touched Him and she has been healed. Jesus is talking to her. He takes the time to call her “daughter.” “But Jesus!” you think, “Time for my daughter is short. She's dying! Come quickly! Come, Lord Jesus!” But before you even finish the thought, while you are still waiting on Jesus, your servant comes and conveys the sad news. “It's too late,” you're told. “Your daughter has died.”  


What would you be thinking in that moment? Maybe, “Why Jesus? Why did You wait? Why did You delay? Why didn't You come? If only You had been there.” The Scriptures don't tell us what Jairus was thinking or what questions he wanted answers to. But we do see what Martha said to Jesus when her brother Lazarus died.  


The Bible records in John 11 how when their brother was dying—Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus saying at verse 3, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” Odd it seems then that the story continues in verse 6 with Jesus delaying, “So when He heard that [Lazarus] was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.” Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, were left waiting on Jesus to arrive, waiting for His advent. 


And while Jesus delayed, Lazarus died. After Lazarus' death, with Jesus on His way to see her and Mary, Martha went to meet Him. Martha expresses in verse 21 what many of us seem to frequently feel, “Lord, if You had…”. “Lord, if you had been here,” Martha states, “my brother would not have died.” Mary echoes this sentiment in verse 32. I'm sure it is something they discussed in the days since their brother died. “Lord, if you had been here, things would be different.” “If you had been here, I wouldn't be hurting.” “Lord, if I didn't have to wait for You…” We understand Martha's implied question because so often it is our question: Lord, where were you?


In one sense, it would be easy to see Mary and Martha rebuking Jesus, “Why weren't you here, Jesus?” And as we wait on the Lord, for His advent in any given situation, we must make sure our posture is appropriately reverential toward Almighty God. But Martha doesn't lose faith (see v. 22 and v. 27). She just doesn't understand the ways of God. 


Again, Martha serves as a placeholder for us. How can we understand God unless He reveals Himself to us? Whether it be through His creation, His word, or in the very advent of the Son at the incarnation, our understanding of God is dependent on God in all respects. And He is so far beyond what we can understand: 


[Isa 55:8-9 ESV] 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.


Just as Martha or Jairus may have felt, we might become frustrated believing that God should come when we want Him. We may feel like His advent should be when we think it best. We may demand to know why God did or did not do something. Of His advent, we may say, as Mary and Martha did, “Lord, if You had been here...” Why then does our Lord tarry? 


CS Lewis states, “I am sure that God keeps no one waiting unless he sees that it is good for him to wait.” 


Consistently, we see God do things for His glory and our benefit. It is no different with Mary and Martha in this story. Of Lazarus, Jesus says that this sickness is “for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” (v. 4) And again, He tells the sisters in v. 40, “…if you believe, you will see the glory of God.” And God's glory is brought forth in glorious display as the dead find life again.


[John 11:41-44 ESV] 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” (emphasis added)


Lazarus lived again. In the continuation of the story of Jairus, the synagogue official, we see that his daughter lived again too. And as we wait again for His advent, indeed because of His first advent at the birth of the Son, and because of His work, His death, His resurrection, and His glorious return, so will we. We too will live again, even after death. 


Why do we wait for the Lord? For His advent?


For His glory and our benefit.


God offers the means of reconciliation. One day we will be with Him as He desires and as He designed: without sin separating us—and so we wait.


We wait for that day of His glorious appearing, when our Lord will be supremely glorified and our ultimate benefit, eternal life with God, will be realized. “…Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev 22:20)

Everything We Need

July 29, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, July 27, 2025. Sermon text: 2 Peter 1:3-4 We have everything we need for a godly life. Sentence has: 68 words 9 prepositional phrases 5 dependent clauses God called us. “By His divine power” The word here is summon Like Lazarus, come forth. English readers are apt to understand calling in terms of an invitation that can be accepted or rejected. Peter has something deeper in mind. Christ’s call is effective, awakening and creating faith. -Thomas R. Schreiner 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. By revealing Christ to us. “Through the knowledge of Him” Side note, ambiguity: The ambiguity in the text indicates that Peter does not clearly distinguish between God and Christ, which indicates that God and Christ were venerated equally. - Thomas R. Schreiner Excuses are Eliminated We need to note that this comes to us by grace, but also that we have a part to play here. Effort is not a 4 letter word. You have no excuse for: Pornography- You have everything you need. Substance Abuse- You have everything you need. Pride- You have everything you need Laziness- You have everything you need Anger- You have everything you need. Prayer and Scripture Reading- You have everything you need. Evangelism- You have everything you need. He’ll go on to mention supplementing He has given us what we need for godliness now, and He promises us even greater things to come. We will share in Christ’s Divine Nature 2 Pe 1:4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature Unusual word… The “divine nature” (Theos) appears only here and in Acts where Paul addresses the Areopagus an odd work choice and would have appealed to his pagan readers. Acts 17:29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. Redefining what it means to become like God. Christ shared in our nature that we might share in His. 1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. In 1:3, it’s through the knowledge of Christ that we are called to Him. Here, we see that a fuller revelation of Christ will conform us even more fully into His likeness. How so? Purity Immortality Restoration to Eden Christians also share in God’s immortality. They are not trapped in this world. Though ‘perishable’ now, Christians will be raised ‘imperishable’ -Paul Gardner Glory John 17:22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, We have everything we need for a godly life. English readers are apt to understand calling in terms of an invitation that can be accepted or rejected. Peter has something deeper in mind. Christ’s call is effective, awakening and creating faith. -Thomas R. Schreiner 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. The ambiguity in the text indicates that Peter does not clearly distinguish between God and Christ, which indicates that God and Christ were venerated equally. - Thomas R. Schreiner Excuses are Eliminated We will share in Christ’s Divine Nature Acts 17:29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. Purity Immortality Christians also share in God’s immortality. They are not trapped in this world. Though ‘perishable’ now, Christians will be raised ‘imperishable.’ -Paul Gardner Glory John 17:22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one. Discipleship Questions: 2 Peter 1:3 says we’ve been given everything we need for life and godliness… Do you find that verse encouraging, challenging or both? Are there any areas of your walk where you struggle to believe that you already have everything you need for success? Do you ever make excuses to yourself or others for a lack of godliness? If yes, explain. How much work does it take to live as a Christian? What does it mean that we will be “partakers in the divine nature”?

The Genuine Gospel

July 21, 2025
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, July 20, 2025. Sermon text: 2 Peter 1:1-2  Peter is warning us about counterfeit teaching and false teachers The genuine gospel came from Jesus through His apostles —servant (humility and honor) —apostle (called, unique, sent) The genuine gospel is just as precious to us today —received and believed “How does someone become a Christian? One person might say, ‘Because I believe,’ and another, ‘Because God chose me.’ According to Peter, both ways of stating it are correct. On the one hand, we believe. It is a fundamental definition of a Christian that he or she is a ‘believe-er’; that he or she ‘has faith’ But Peter also knows that it is not our feeble faith that holds us close to God. It is God who does all the holding, and that is the reality behind the word received.” —R. C. Lucas and Christopher Green, The Message of 2 Peter & Jude The genuine gospel is centered on the person and work of Jesus —God —Savior —Christ —Lord “This fourfold description of Jesus is important because it puts him at the focal point of human history. As God, he guarantees that his words and his works cannot be replaced or revoked; as Christ, he fulfills all the Old Testament promises; as Savior, he died on the cross for our salvation in the past, present and future; and as Lord he claims the right to our individual love and obedience—notice how Peter calls him our Lord.” —R. C. Lucas and Christopher Green, The Message of 2 Peter & Jude The genuine gospel transforms us as we grow in knowledge of Jesus —grace and peace multiplied Discipleship Questions: Why is false teaching so dangerous? How does remembering and focusing on the true gospel help us stand against false teaching? In what ways is the gospel just as precious to us as it was to the apostles? How do you relate to Jesus as God, Savior, Christ, and Lord? What is the difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Him?

The God of All Grace

July 16, 2025
Notes from Zach Snow's sermon on Sunday, July 13, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 5:8-14 Why is the lion roaring? Wouldn’t it be a better strategy to be quiet…subtle…sneaky, in an attempt to “devour” Christians? I think that Peter, led by the Holy Spirit, was very intentional with his description here of the devil being a roaring lion. Went into a rabbit hole on a lion's roar…there are some spiritual applications to these: Can reach up to 114 decibels…almost as loud as a jet engine taking off They roar for social reasons (territory, create bonds, locate other members of their pride) as well as for purposes of intimidation. One of the primary purposes of the lion's roar is to strike fear in the heart of their prey. The lion will always start with a psychological advantage Fear, anxiety, depression, anger, hatred - these things can absolutely paralyse you spiritually The lion is not necessarily trying to kill you, but to destroy your faith Prayer: Be sober-minded - Have a clear and self disciplined mind - Titus 2 Exercise self control in thoughts, words, and action this is the 3rd time Peter has said this to us in 1 Peter - 1:13, 4:7 - it’s a call to remain alert and focused Being sober-minded means waging war against the things that are detrimental to the mind: fear, hatred, anxiety, depression, anger I believe these are specific things the enemy uses to derail our mental health and cause us to take our guard down Be watchful - this is the same word that Jesus used in the garden before he was arrested and crucified - this is a call to pray Prayers for others - Eph. 6:18 - Ephesians 6:18 - [18] praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, Prayers for yourself - James 1:5 - 5 j If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. So here’s the question… Do you believe in prayer? How much do you trust that God can do the things that you are not able to do? Do you trust God with the big stuff AND the small stuff? Discipleship Questions: 1.) In your personal life, what does being sober minded and watchful look like to you? 2.) Who are the people who help you stand firm in your faith the most? 3.) As a CG look at each of the points of the Theology of Suffering and find Scripture to support each one of those statements: God is ALWAYS good God is ALWAYS enough God will ALWAYS love you 4.) Discuss ways that the God of all grace has restored, confirmed, strengthened, and established you.
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