Many believers know the season of Advent to be the great anticipation of Christ’s birth in the season leading up to Christmas. That’s only part of the story. Advent also anticipates the second coming of Jesus in power and great glory at the end of the age. Indeed, the word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “arrival” or “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia, often used in the New Testament to refer to Christ’s return. Believers today anticipate both comings! In Matthew 24:36-44, which is part of Jesus’s famous Olivet Discourse, our Savior wants his people to know for sure that he is coming to earth again (vv. 36-41), and that they need to be prepared for his arrival (42-44). In short, Jesus reminds us that God’s people don’t just wait for Christ’s return, they prepare for it. As Bishop Randy reminds us, Advent is a good time to “ret up and dress up” spiritually, to use a famous expression from the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect. Are you ready for Christ’s return?