ADVENT
ADVENT: COMING OF CHRIST
What is ADVENT?
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AD – To / Toward
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VENIR – To come
God as one who always comes
In Revelation 1:4
“From him who is, and who was, and who is to come.
Who is to come – Real meaning of Advent
Why does God come to visit his people?
In Exodus 3:7,8
The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So, I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land.
He is the God who:
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Sees the oppression/misery of His people
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Hears their cry
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Is concerned about people’s suffering
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Comes down to rescue them
Similar thing we notice in NT. Luke 1: 68 - Zechariah sings out about God finally visiting and redeemed his people in connection with Christ’s coming.
In Luke 1:68, Zacharias prophecy we see
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
First lesson of Advent:
we see God ALWAYS COMES DOWN to his people (doesn’t leave them alone)
Second lesson of Advent:
he comes down TO SAVE / REDEEM his people
Israelites were waiting for 400 years in Egypt
Between old & New Testament there was more than 400 odd years of waiting
Third lesson of Advent:
God always comes, but He COMES IN HIS PERFECT TIME – Could be 400 years or a few moments. He always comes for us.
What not to do in the waiting period?
In Genesis 12:7, God delivers His promise to Abram at age seventy-five: “To your descendants I will give this land.”Around Abram’s eighty-fifth year, God reaffirms this promise and establishes a covenant (Genesis 15:18): “To your descendants I have given this land.” This covenant was meant to strengthen Abram’s faith in God’s timing. Yet, at eighty-six, Abram attempted to fulfil the promise through human means, resulting in the birth of Ishmael. Ultimately, God fulfilled His word with the birth of Isaac when Abram was one hundred years old.
A similar pattern appears in the experience of the Israelites. In Exodus 24:18, Moses remains on Mount Sinai for forty days and nights. When his return seemed delayed, the people said to Aaron, “Come, make us gods who will go before us… we don’t know what has happened to him” (Exodus 32:1). Exodus 32:23 further exposes their hearts: in Moses’ absence, they attempted to replace God Himself with an idol.
Scripture repeatedly teaches that whenever the Lord is at work, waiting is an essential part of His coming.
How to wait for the LORD?
Scripture presents waiting not as inactivity but as a disciplined posture of faith. Simeon demonstrates this in Luke 2:32, trusting God’s word concerning the Messiah— “A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,” He held to God’s promise with unwavering hope. Likewise, Anna exemplifies steadfast devotion; Luke 2:37–38 describes her as a widow of eighty-four years who “did not depart from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day.” Their lives teach us that Do not cease praying or abandon what God has entrusted to us because of delay. True waiting involves active pursuit and persistence in faith, as emphasized by Jesus in Luke 18:6–8.
Habakkuk 2:3 reinforces this assurance: “Though it lingers, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” God’s revelation will never fail.
What helps us to wait?
Ans: Hope on God
James 5:7,8 tells us that,
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
Be patient & water the plant, The Lord came, and is coming once again
1st Advent 2nd Advent
Came to save Coming to Save & Judge
Came to Inaugurate his kingdom Coming to Fulfill his Kingdom
Isaiah 40:31, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength