I’ve talked about advent for years now and more or less know what it is. I knew it was connected to Christmas but if you had asked me, I’m not sure how well I would have been able to explain it. I just knew it had something to do with Christmas, like getting it started. You know, we kick off Christmas with an advent hymn and then we sing “real” Christmas songs. So before I started going on about it, I figured I better get my information straight so I did a quick Google search. Dictionary.com helped me out. According to them, advent is a “noun: the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event as in “the advent of television.” Synonyms include arrival, appearance, emergence, occurrence, dawn, birth, rise, approach, and coming.
So, now that we’ve got the “real” info, let’s plug in what we know. Advent is the arrival of a notable person. Who is more notable than Jesus, the Son of Almighty God?! He trumps Trump, Queen Elizabeth, and Barbra Streisand – even all rolled into one! He is the most notable person in all of history because He is the author of history!
It’s the arrival of a notable thing. When Jesus came to earth, He ushered in human salvation. We, especially us Gentiles, now have a way for our sins to be forgiven and paid for. The birth of Jesus opened the door to a new era of grace.
Advent is the arrival of an event. Genesis tells us that God would come and walk in the coolness of the garden and spend time with Adam and Eve. After the fall of man, we don’t read much about God visiting earth. When Jesus was born on earth, God took on human flesh and dwelt among us. Almighty God, the Creator, became one of His creations in order to save us from ourselves!
So, this Advent/Christmas, celebrate the most notable person, thing, and event you could ever know – Jesus Christ in human flesh! Don’t forget about our cantata, “Peace Has Come” on Sunday evening, December 16. There truly is something for everyone in this one! And a great meal to follow! Be sure and be there!
