While We Wait for Jesus

While We Wait

The First Wednesday in Advent – 12/3/2025

James 5:7-10, Matthew 3:1-6

Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer

That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this evening is our reading from the Epistle of St. James in the fifth chapter with special emphasis on verses seven and eight which read as follows:

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”[1]

Thus far the Scriptures.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

As I mentioned on Sunday, Advent is the season characterized by waiting. But this is not the kind of waiting we do at the checkout line. It is a holy waiting, a hopeful waiting, the waiting of a people who know Who is coming and what He brings with Him. James tells us, “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.” And Matthew tells us of John the Baptist, the voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord through repentance.

Both of these readings ask a simple but profound question: How should God’s people wait? Not with servile fear. Not with boredom. Not with distraction or apathy. But with trust, patience, and repentance. And this is what we learn in Advent: that the waiting of faith is not empty. It is expectant. It is active. It is shaped by the Lord who has come, who still comes, and who will come again.

Jesus is coming back.

The Scriptures repeat it again and again: Jesus will return. His second advent is not a myth or a metaphor; it is the certain promise of God. James says, “The coming of the Lord is at hand.” John the Baptist cries out because the kingdom of heaven has drawn near. The Judge is standing at the door. The Lord is returning to set all things right. His ministry is to raise the dead, to deliver His people, and to destroy sin and every work of the devil. This is our  certain hope.

But we do not wait for Him as though He were absent. Christ is already here today. He is present now in His holy Word speaking, forgiving, strengthening, warning, and calling us to repentance and faith. Furthermore, He is present in the Sacraments. In Baptism He has united us to His death and resurrection. In the Lord’s Supper, He feeds us with His own body and blood for the forgiveness of sins; He is our food on the way through this life.

This means we wait for a Lord who is not far away, but very near. Near in His promises. Near in His gifts. Near in His mercy. We wait for the One who is already among us, just as He stood among the crowds at the Jordan, just as He stands among us today.

But what do we do while we wait?

Jesus is coming back, and He is already here. So how do His people wait? James tells us plainly: be patient. John tells us just as clearly: repent. And the Scriptures call us to stand firm in the Christian faith.

The patience James speaks of is not passive. It is not a shrug-the-shoulders attitude. It is the patience of a farmer, James says, the patience of someone who knows that the seed he planted will grow, even if he cannot see it yet. Every spring, the farmers around here buy seed, chemical, fertilizer, fuel, and everything else they need. They plant with no guarantees that the seed will bring a bountiful harvest. Yet, they plant anyways. Whether they think of it this way or not, every farmer lives by faith in something, even if it is just in the weather, soil, and seed, and the Christian farmer ultimately trusts in the Lord who gives the growth.

Likewise, we must be patient as well, looking to the Lord’s good word and promises. Be patient with God’s timing. Be patient in suffering. Be patient with your neighbor. Be patient with your own spiritual discipline. The Lord is at work even when you cannot see it.

Similarly, standing firm does not mean doing nothing. It means being rooted in Christ so that, when the winds of this world blow, and they will, you are not swept away. How do we stand firm? Read the Bible. Study the doctrine, the life-giving truth within the pages of Holy Scripture. It is impossible to stand on what you do not know. The Word of God strengthens. The Word of God enlightens. The Word of God anchors.

James says, “Establish your hearts.” Hearts are established by the promises of God. And doctrine, the teaching of Christ which contains these promises, is not abstract; it is life-giving truth that safeguards us until He returns. To establish your heart is nothing less than to know Christ, to heed His words, and to look to His promises as the certain truths that they are.

Waiting people, whose hearts are established in Christ, also pray. Those who trust call upon the Lord. Those who know their own weakness cry out for mercy and help. God promises to hear all your prayers, even the still and quiet ones in your hearts.

John the Baptist also gives us waiting instructions. He says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Confession is not merely admitting wrong, as if lip-service was the goal. No, it runs deeper. It is preparing the way of the Lord in your heart. It is laying down the pride and stubbornness that resist Him. The penitent heart is the ready heart.

Repentance and patience show themselves in a life of obedience, not because obedience earns salvation, but because a forgiven heart delights in God’s will. As such, waiting Christians study God’s Law, learn the wisdom of the Scriptures for our lives, and apply those teachings to our day-to-day living. We serve our neighbors in love because Christ first served us. John the Baptist says, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” James says, “Do not grumble against one another.” Love is the mark of readiness. Serving your neighbor is part of your Advent preparation. But we must be careful in our serving; God is the one who defines how we should live in our vocations, that is, our duties assigned by God, not us or the world around us. The world tells you to follow your dreams; God tells you to serve others, to be faithful in what He has given, to be content with our station in life. Your vocation is simply the place where God has put you to love your neighbors. Husbands, wives, parents, children, workers, employers, citizens, each one has holy work assigned by God. This is how Christians wait: by being faithful in the ordinary duties that God Himself has given. And in so doing, we know that our everyday lives as regular Christian saints with all their regular, every day doings are pleasing to God because we live in faith in Him.

James also tells us not to grumble; grumbling is a sure sign of impatience. It is very easy to find fault in this world, in the Church on earth, amongst us pastors. But we all must resist the temptation to complain and grumble. This is different than calling to repentance; the former is impotent whining; the latter is an attempt to bring people back to the truth of Christ.

Finally, above all else: trust God. Have faith in the Crucified One. Trust that Christ forgives you. Trust that He knows what you need. Trust that He will keep every promise. Trust that His timing is perfect. Faith rests in the One who is coming and who already reigns.

 Our faith is not in vain; it will be rewarded

James speaks of the farmer who waits for the precious fruit. The Lord’s return will not be disappointment; it will be a harvest of joy. Your faith is not wasted. Your patience is not foolish. Your repentance is not pointless. Your obedience is not ignored by heaven.

Christ will reward His people, not because they have earned anything, but because He delights to give. He rewards even now with forgiveness, with peace, with the strengthening of your faith; all of which are ensured by His ongoing presence through His Word and the sacraments. And on the Last Day, He will reward you with resurrection, with everlasting life, with a kingdom that never ends. This is why John calls us to repent, and why James calls us to patience, because the Lord who is coming is good and His mercies are more than worth the wait.

Conclusion

Advent teaches us how to wait. Not with servile fear. Not with laziness. Not with restless anxiety. But with patience, repentance, and faith. Jesus is coming back. He is already here among us. So while we wait we pray, we repent, we hear His Word, we love our neighbor, and we trust His promises.

For the Lord is compassionate and merciful. And the day is coming soon when our waiting will end, and Christ will gather us into the joy that has no end.

In the Holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

[1] James 5:7-8 English Standard Version. All further quotations from the Holy Scriptures are from the ESV.