AdventSample

Day 1: Judgment and Hope

Reflection:

Advent begins not in light but in darkness. The world is groaning. We are longing for peace, for righteousness… for justice.

This isn’t pessimism. It is an acknowledgement of the horrible reality of sin in the world. We stand in need of a Savior. The words of the prophet, Isaiah, remind us today of our longing for that salvation: “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down.”

Sometimes, it’s easy for us to think of Advent as simply a memorialization of Jesus’ birth, but it might surprise many Christians to know that its historical origins were not primarily oriented towards the birth of Jesus. Rather, Advent was primarily a preparation for the second coming of Christ.

Of course, far from undermining the importance of Christmas, this shift in focus rather does the opposite. The birth of Jesus becomes the historical initiative of God’s plan to save the world. Advent isn’t just our countdown to Christmas; it is our standing firm in darkness, awaiting the glorious transformation of our world through the power of the Holy Spirit. During Advent, we not only look back to God’s saving plan in Emmanuel, but also look ahead to God’s future restoration of all things.

So, as we begin this series of reflection, we start by remembering that the theme of Advent is not Here comes Jesus to be born—it's the world is in darkness, and the Judge is coming. In this way, Advent looks beyond all history and into eternity, when Jesus will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.

Meditation:

Where do you long for God’s justice in the world?

What do you hope for?