What Is Advent Anyway?  Do you ever wonder what the wreaths, calendars, candles, and those weird waxy chocolate Santas, sheep, and wiseman are all about?  Why do we decorate the Sanctuary and stage an Advent wreath every year?  Why do we have a party?  Why do we light a candle and share a special devotion for four Sundays in a row until we get to Christmas Eve?  Yes, if you were thinking it’s about Jesus, you are correct!  Fairly simply, Advent means coming.  Advent is about the birth of Jesus; His coming.  But there is a deeper meaning to Advent in that there are several “comings” knit within.  His first coming was only the beginning!

Jesus Has Come: Most people know the basics of Jesus first coming as a baby.  Everyone has a birthday.  We aren’t merely having a birthday party for baby Jesus.  Yes, that is part of it, but we are also remembering His ministry; coming upon the earth as a man to live, teach, and walk among us for 33 years; and most importantly to die for the sin that keeps us separated from God.

Jesus Comes To Us In Our Lives Now:  Jesus next “coming” is in receiving the free gift of salvation He offers us by grace through faith.  When you do that, His Holy Spirit lives in you and is with you.  When we make our hearts Jesus’ home, He is with us all the time; especially when we are being about our Redeemers’ business.  You can speak to Him whenever you want.  He came for an ongoing, active relationship with you that you can have now.   

Jesus Will Come: Jesus’ final “coming” to us will be as King, not as an infant.  He is coming back for us in our future.  While we wait expectantly for Him, we watch, fast, and pray.

Come Lord Jesus!

“The Advent season is that time when we seek to, in a manner of speaking, mute our memory of what has already happened, that we might brighten our joy that it happened.  We leave the already of His advent to taste the bitter of the not yet.  We, in short, go back, that we might look forward to His coming.”

 -R.C. Sproul