Advent is Upon Us!
Deck the Halls with Joyous Anticipaton that God is with Us and One of Us!
Hey friends, in 2025, this year of our Lord, the Advent season is here!
For some people, December means it is getting frosty. Yet for us Aussies, Kiwis, Africans, and South Americans, it means summer is here!
Ironically, I’m currently in London, but I’ll be heading home Kangaroo side shortly.
Advent is an awesome time of year. Christmas trees, office parties, dinners, family events, and excited children.
Yet Advent is not just a festive countdown to Christmas; it is a season rich with theological meaning and profound spiritual significance for Christians today. Advent matters deeply for the Christian faith and how it invites us to encounter Jesus in fresh and transformative ways.
Advent is when we remember “the Word made flesh” and contemplate it so that “the Word will be made fresh” to us this season.
How so?
First, Advent anchors us firmly in the biblical storyline of God’s redemptive purposes, the story of his grace and gifts to us. The season is a sacred pause that echoes the longing of Israel for the coming of the Messiah - think of the hymn “Come O Come Emmanuel”! A hope awaiting fulfillment that shaped the hopes and prayers of God’s people for centuries. From the prophetic promises of Isaiah and Micah to the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary, Advent is steeped in anticipation and expectation. We are compelled to expect good things from God, the God who blesses, the God who is the giver of all good gifts.
Second, Advent urges us to consider the incarnation, the profound mystery that God himself enters human history as a vulnerable infant. Let us never tire of grappling with what was utterly extraordinary: the eternal Son of God takes on flesh, identifying with humanity’s vulnerability, weakness, and pain, and opening a path to salvation. “Veiled in flesh the Godhead be!” Those Wesleyan words ring out with a joyous bewilderment at the great thing God has done for us. Advent invites us to contemplate this mystery anew, recognizing Jesus not merely as a figure of religious dogma, but as the divine Lord who transforms us through his presence and promises.
Third, the season is a call to vigilant hope. While it recalls the past event of Jesus’ birth, Advent also looks forward to Jesus’ return in glory. This eschatological dimension reminds believers that our faith is oriented toward God’s future fulfillment of justice, peace, and restoration. We wait still, not for the first advent of Jesus, but for the second one. Thus, Christmas forces us to reckon with the coming new creation. When every day shall be Christmas, a massive celebration of Christ, the one who makes everything sad become untrue.
Fourth, the season of Advent calls for holy discipline as Advent roots us in Scripture, strengthens our faith, and encourages us to live with expectancy in a world that still groans for deliverance. Whether through prayer, worship, or daily meditation on Scripture, Advent offers a rhythm of preparation that renews our hearts and minds for the joy of Christmas and the hope of Christ’s return.
For Christians seeking to understand the richness of their tradition, Advent is an invitation to enter again into the story of God with us. It is an invitation to hope, to watchfulness, and ultimately, to worship.
In this season of Advent, may we embrace the promise of the messianic child and live with faith that anticipates the fullness of salvation.
Amen.
What are your favorite devotionals to read during advent?
I’m always reminded of the majesty of our God ruling over our world throughout the Bible. And Advent is another event that draws us near to him every year. Amid this joyous time when God becomes human, I’ve started to hunger for a fuller understanding of
knowing God. I have Jim Packer’s book “Knowing God” Are there others you’d recommend that cover a theology of God.
Paul
Melbourne
Australia