As I write this on the first Sunday of Advent, I have been thinking about what this season means. Advent leads to Christmas, a busy time for most in our western culture. For many, Advent means nothing more than chocolate calendars and a time for Christmas shopping and festivities. Yet Advent holds the key to the very meaning and substance of Christmas: the birth of the Saviour Jesus Christ.
Advent is a season of expectation and preparation for the coming of Christ — both his coming as a baby on the first Christmas Day, and also his second coming at the end of time. Advent has some important lessons for us, and here are a few which I have been contemplating.
Be still
Every year I go to a traditional Advent carol service. I love the music, the readings and the symbolism. The service begins in silence and by candlelight. It feels like a call to slow down, to be still. One of my favourite Advent anthems, with beautiful music by Edward Bairstow, includes the words:
Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and stand with fear and trembling, and lift itself above all earthly thought.
This comes from Habakkuk 2:20 “Let all the earth be silent before him” and Zechariah 2:13 “Be still before the Lord, all mankind”. Be still. Slow down. Take time away from the busyness of life, to think about Immanuel, God with us. Pray. Listen for his still small voice. He loves us and his blessing awaits us. He wants our worship, our attention, our devotion. Remember who God is, with awe and reverence. Rise above earthly distractions and troubles for a moment, and wait for God.
Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
God with us
The prophet Isaiah wrote:
The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
Immanuel means God with us. That is who Jesus is: God with us. He came to earth as a human baby, to live among us and to show us how to be truly human. Israel, God’s people, longed for Immanuel to come. The wonderful Advent hymn says:
O come, O come, Immanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Jesus came to bring freedom from captivity and exile, to God’s people and to all who would follow him. The hymn continues:
O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free, Thine own from Satan’s tyranny; From depth of hell thy people save, And give them victory o’er the grave. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Jesus came to bring freedom from the tyranny of sin, the depths of hell, and from death itself. He came into our sinful, messy world to save us from its consequences.
God has walked with humanity from the beginning of time. In Genesis we are told that God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden. Throughout the Old Testament we see that, despite their unfaithfulness, God was with his people. He did not give up on them, and he promised them a Saviour, Immanuel. God came to earth as flesh, making his dwelling among us. Jesus came, and many rejected him, to the point of putting him to death. But even death could not separate us from the love of God. Jesus conquered death, rose to life, and gave us his Holy Spirit, the counsellor, to fill us and live within us. And he promised to return, to come again in glory and judgement, to bring his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Get ready
When we sing ‘O come, O come, Immanuel’ we are asking the Lord to come again, his second coming. Advent isn’t just about preparing for the baby Jesus who came to earth, but also for King Jesus who will return to earth to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Jesus told us repeatedly to be ready.
So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24:44
Are we ready? Are we living faithfully as followers of Christ? Are we living differently to the world around us? Are we awake, attentive to the word of God and obedient to his commands? Are we praying for his kingdom to come, for Jesus to return, to judge the world and make all things new. When there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. When the dwelling of God will be with his people (Revelation 21). This is what we are waiting for, the hope we have in Jesus and the promise of God which will never disappoint us.
This Advent let us take time to be still and know Immanuel, God with us. Let us get ready for his return as we pray Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus!
We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Immanuel.