With Christmas just 2 weeks away, let us think about the season called Advent, a name that comes from the Latin word 'adventus', which is a translation of the Greek word 'parousia' that means "coming" or "presence". It refers to the coming of the Messiah and is both a reminder of Jesus' birth (the 1st advent) as well as the second coming of Christ. Sadly, many Christians are not very clear about this and even seemingly spiritual Bible reading folks may celebrate Christmas focused only on the birth of Christ using the images of a little baby Jesus born in a barn. Yet Scripture uses the prophesy of the prophet Micah in Matthew 2:6 to proclaim a "Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel".
The fact that this baby grew to be a man, ministered for over 3 years, was sacrificed for the sins of the whole world, was resurrected and told his disciples He will come again, is often not emphasized. The word 'parousia' is used only 4 times in the Gospels - once by the disciples and 3 times by Jesus; all refer to His second coming and all are found in one chapter (Matthew 24). This season can therefore also serve as a reminder of the waiting that Christians endure for the 2nd coming of Christ. In a sense, this parallels the Jewish nation waiting for the birth of the Messiah. The Jews await their king to come to deliver them but to Christians, our King is coming again to establish His Kingdom on earth.
Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation and of longing. There is a yearning for deliverance from the evils of his world and there is a hope of deliverance by a God who hears the cries of the oppressed and brings deliverance. It is this hope that gives believers the anticipation of a King who will rule with truth and justice over His people and His creation. It is the hope now refreshed in the hearts of Christians, of a Messiah who has brought justice and righteousness to mankind by giving us peace with God through His death on a cross - a Messiah who will come again to rule over us.
Part of the hope we have also anticipates a judgement on sin and a calling of the world to accountability before God. We long for God to come and set the world right, yet as the prophet Amos warned, the expectation of a coming judgement on the "Day of the Lord" may not be the day everyone will welcome since the penetrating light of God's judgement on sin and unbelief will shine just as brightly on all of us. This is a time of celebration but often it is the condition of our heart's relationship with God that determines what we are celebrating. Some feel they have nothing to celebrate - perhaps this may be the case for those who have lost sight of the Cross of Christ in their pursuit of worldly gain.
Through His angels, God tells us that Christmas is good news of such great joy that, if only we truly believe it, we will not be able to keep the celebration in us. This is why some churches begin evangelistic outreach campaign during this season; WFA members may remember doing this in recent years. The real issue is how much of this good news do we really believe. Some people are frustrated with their circumstances and get so busy chasing after their own goals that they lose sight of the real joy. The joy of Christmas is based on three things: 1st God loves us; 2nd God is with us; 3rd God is for us. If we believe this, there will be so much to celebrate. This is the truth about Christmas.
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