Advent - Pt 1

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. (Zechariah 9:9-11 ESV). The Advent Season is observed in many Christian traditions in December. It usually begins four Sundays before Christmas and the last service is held on Christmas Eve. It sometimes involves the lighting of various colored candles in a wreath and centering the worship around the meanings of those colors. I will be explaining that in the next few days through this little series. However, for today, I want to introduce the concept of Advent and celebration. In our secular celebration of Christmas, the season begins after Halloween! Retailers have pushed the date back further and further in an effort to draw more revenue into their stores. However, the real danger is in the way we have reacted to that in the Church. Some have railed against any celebration that might involve non-Biblical characters or practices. Santa is strictly forbidden by some, while others take the decorations of Christmas and scrutinize them with a microscopic focus. The truth is that we find no real mandate to celebrate the birth of Jesus at all in the Scripture. Our reading today instructs the early people of God to rejoice at the promise of the coming King, but that’s a stretch to apply it to our Christmas. So, in an effort to recapture worship in the midst of the activities of Christmas, let’s look at Advent for your family. Even though your church may not celebrate in this way, you certainly can in your home and family. It is a great opportunity. Regardless, understanding the meaning of Advent will provide you with an incredible insight into the marvel of Jesus’ coming. Just like the Jews in Zechariah’s day, we’re reminded of how much we ourselves also need a Savior, and we look forward to our Savior’s second coming even as we prepare to celebrate his first coming at Christmas. The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming” or “visit.” In the season with this name, we keep in mind both “advents” of Christ, the first in Bethlehem and the second yet to come. Today, begin to think about the incredible gift of a Redeemer, who is the only begotten Son of God. Let that permeate your very soul. This gift has no comparison in all of history. And, God has already given it to us. More so, God has promised to give us a perfect eternity with the renewal of the Earth through Jesus’ second coming! What a gift!