Advent – “the arrival of a notable person, thing or event.” I know we call this particular season or month of the year “Advent”, I guess because we are preparing to celebrate an Advent or event that happened more than two-thousand years ago – the arrival of God’s promised Messiah, Jesus. Jesus’s birth certainly fits the definition of “the arrival of a notable person” and His birth is also the most “notable event” in human history. Must be why we continue to remember and to celebrate Jesus’s birthday or Jesus’s Advent every year for the past two-thousand twenty-five years.

BUT – it occurs to me that we (humankind) have been in a state of preparing for Jesus’s Advent almost since the beginning of time. Adam and Eve weren’t long in that perfect garden before they decided to doubt God and believe the serpent instead, taking the serpent’s advice to eat some fruit from the forbidden tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The result of their doubt and disobedience? Their sin separated them from their holy Creator and they were put out of the garden. The curse of sin and death entered into our no longer peaceful nor perfect human experience. We have been in need of a Savior ever since the serpent succeeded in getting Eve to disobey God. But even as Adam and Eve were receiving God’s punishment, His words to them contained hope for the future of mankind. God’s curse contained a promise. In Genesis we read –

“So the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, . . . I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15)

God promised that a particular offspring of a woman, “He”, would crush the serpent’s head even though the serpent would strike the rescuer’s heel. The latter would not be fatal, but the first would be, putting an eventual end to the power of sin and death.

“He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all the faces; He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 25:8)

“Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? . . . thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

The One born of a woman, Jesus, would have the final victory. Hope was present even in their darkest hour, the hour when they were banished from God’s good garden. They were banished, yes – BUT with God’s promise that a Savior would be sent to them to redeem what had been lost – themselves – their eternal souls. God’s redemptive plan was already in place –

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1:18-21)

Did you catch that? Christ had already been “chosen before the creation of the world” – God knew we would need a Redeemer. So the anticipation of Advent really started when we were evicted from the perfect paradise of God’s Garden. Mankind lived in anticipation of the Advent of Christ’s arrival from that moment on until His birth in Bethlehem some four-thousand years later.

But Advent isn’t over. We are still waiting for another Advent. We continue to live in anticipation of Christ’s second Advent, when He comes again to set all things right. Jesus’s second Advent is promised to you and to me in Acts where we read this account –

“Jesus said to them, ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ After He (Jesus) said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.’ ” (Acts 1:7-11)

So the second Advent of Christ on earth is going to look very different from His first Advent’s appearance on earth. Jesus came first as a helpless baby in a manger. He will return as a conquering hero. We are told –

“So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. But in those days, following that distress, ‘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.’ At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.” (Mark 13:23-27)

That Advent will be impossible to miss! In the meantime, until His second coming occurs – it’s always Advent. We are preparing again for the arrival of this notable person, Jesus, – preparing for this once in a lifetime event. Or at least we should be. We don’t want to be caught unaware – our instructions are clear in this regard –

“Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back -whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ” (Mark 13:33-37)

Good advice for me and for you – keep watch and wait – prepare and anticipate. These actions define and describe Advent well, I think. And we each have an assigned task! There is plenty to do in this Advent season of celebrating our Savior’s birth while simultaneously preparing to receive Him when He returns to earth to claim His bride, which is you and I and all who have longed for His appearing. And we are not alone in our longing and in our eager anticipation. No –

“The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. . . . in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:19-23)

No wonder the anticipation of Advent is so great. We have been waiting long for the return of our Savior, just as those before us waited long for the birth of their promised Messiah, ever since their eviction from God’s garden paradise. Truly, it is always Advent. BUT – that is good news! With God’s promise ever before us, there is always something to hope for – the return of our Savior bringing redemption, restoration and eternal life. I definitely want to be ready to welcome and to receive Him when He comes again. After all, that’s the purpose of Advent – anticipation and preparation.

Join me at the watch party that is Advent. Together we can prepare for our Lord’s return.

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

The King is coming! Make way! Make room! Prepare to let Him in!

sincerely, Grace Day