Advent: Anticipating Jesus’ Return
Advent, a four-week season in the Church calendar dedicated to anticipating the arrival, or “advent,” of Jesus of Nazareth, the long-awaited Messiah and King. Christians from many backgrounds celebrate this time with reflections on hope, peace, love, and joy. “ BibleProjecthttps://bibleproject.com › guides › advent
The Greatest Gift Ever Given
God didn’t just gift His son, He sent himself in the flesh, King Jesus. He loves us this much, 32 “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32 | NIV Although we do not deserve nor are we justified to receive this perfect love, He came to us just because of His love for us. For this reason we celebrate this season of Advent. We not only celebrate His first coming, but we are in joyful anticipation of His return. The second coming of Jesus; sometimes called the Second Advent.
He loves, knows, predestines and blesses us according to His pleasure. He has done all of this prior to creating the world. 3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in Jesus before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption… through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” Ephesians 1:3-7 | NIV
Jesus’ first coming was to assure that our eternal relationship with our Heavenly Father might be restored. He sacrificed Himself that we might have an eternal connection with Himself, now and forever. He loves us so much that He is coming back a second time for us, the second Advent and we are joyfully expecting His return.
11 “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches and helps us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:11-14 | NIV
Jesus warns us to beware of false messiahs and false prophets that will appear and perform great signs and wonders aimed at deception. 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning …” Matthew 24:4-8 | NIV
Jesus continues, 26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 29 “Immediately after the distress of those days “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will lament when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” Matthew 24:26,27,29,-31 | NIV
This is the Gift of our Heavenly Father, the greatest gift. There is no greater gift nor greater love. 13 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other. John 15:13-17 | NIV So simple, the greatest command is to love one another. Yet is the most difficult to accomplish if we do not love ourselves as Jesus loves us.
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16-18 | NIV
Thank you Father for your sacrifice! Thank you Jesus for conquering sin, death, hell and the grave: resurrection to life, ascension to Heaven and soon our returning redeemer. We celebrate your first coming; the first Christmas. We celebrate your second coming and are in joyful anticipation for your return, the second Advent.
Advent is symbolized by the lighting of weekly candles, the first symbol is hope, the second, peace, third Joy, and the fourth, love. You are wished hope, peace, joy and love in this Advent season and Christmas celebration.