The Hope of Advent

It is hard to believe it is already here, but we are, once again, entering the season of Advent.

Advent comes from the Latin word “adventus,” which means “coming” or “arrival”. In the Christian church calendar, it is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas, and, simultaneously, of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ.

This year, the Advent season runs from Sunday, November 27 through Christmas Day.

Each of the four Sundays preceding Christmas represent a theme, symbolized by a specific candle of Advent. The first is Hope, the second Peace and Preparation, the third Joy, and the fourth, Love. During this season, our devotionals will focus on the names of Jesus in Scripture as we prepare for His birth on Christmas Day.

Hope is a light shining in the darkness.

This candle is also known as the Prophecy candle, assuring us that God will both fulfill the promises declared in the Old Testament about Jesus, and the Hope of His Second Coming, when all things will be reconciled unto God.

In Romans 8:22-25, the Apostle Paul writes of this Hope:

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

- Romans 8:22-25

God’s plan of redemption was set in place before the foundations of the earth. All throughout the Old Testament, we read of the prophecies foretelling the coming Messiah. Christmas is the fruition of that portion of the prophecies but is only one part of God’s plan of redemption. Jesus’ birth set the stage for His Crucifixion, His Resurrection, His Ascension back into Heaven, and, His Return to Earth one day.

Biblical hope is not wishful thinking, but secure assurance, and trust in a trustworthy God.

God has never failed us in the past, nor the present, and we can be assured He will not fail us in the future. Hope waits and endures, trusting and believing that, one day, Jesus will return and restore all things to Himself. It gives us the confidence to face an unknown tomorrow. As the old saying goes,

“I know not what the future holds, but I know WHO holds the future.”

May we be filled with hope this Christmas season, both for Christ’s birth and for His Second Coming.

Pastor Ken

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