A Glorious NightSample

If you’ve ever had an Advent calendar, you know that each day of December, you get to open a little window or door to receive a fun treat. Whether it’s a piece of chocolate or a small toy, every gift is part of the countdown to Christmas. The word advent simply means “coming,” so as you open up each day of that Advent calendar, you are proclaiming that Christmas is coming.

As Christians, we are caught between two advents. Jesus came into the world as a baby in Bethlehem to usher in all the promises of God. He proclaimed the kingdom of God had arrived (Mark 1:15). He told the crowds that they could have eternal life (John 6:40). He said that people could be forgiven of their sins if they would put their trust in Him (Mark 2:9-10). Those blessings are ours now, and yet it doesn’t take long to look around this world and realize we are still waiting for things to be made right. When Jesus returns, He will do just that. He will put right everything that has gone wrong. “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4, NIV). So, at Christmastime, we wait, we hope, we look forward to the day of Jesus’ return.