What’s an Advent?
Pastor Ryan Akers
IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME! Have you gone nuts yet? The world throws too much confusion on us during holidays. (presents, TV shows, decorations, Christmas trees, black shopping days) (why do people shop on days they know it will be crazy?, happy holidays or merry Christmas?) You can almost become zombie like in why you do things. Why do we decorate? Why do we give gifts? Why do we put a live tree in the middle of our living room and put stuff all over it?
We do it every year without having an understanding or knowing why we do it? “It’s what I’ve always done.” “It’s how it’s always been.” “It’s what I grew up doing.” Haven’t you ever wondered why? Maybe you haven’t. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe you like doing things that if you were to step back you might think it’s kind of weird but you do it anyway. But I like to question things. I like to know why we do things. What do they mean? Why are we so passionate about traditions that we don’t know why we do them?
When you understand the why then I think it becomes so much more alive to us. It reminds us of what happened in our history that caused us to be where we are or it reminds us of how we became who we are. The symbols of the holiday season would mean so much more to us if we knew the why behind them.
In the Christian church we celebrate the season of advent but does anyone really know what advent is? I won’t ask for a show of hands because I don’t want to embarrass anyone but I would feel confident in believing that most Christians don’t understand the history behind our traditions. We have forgotten or maybe we have never known why we practice what we do.
Advent is important in the Christian church. It’s important enough that each year many church’s set out a wreath with candles and each week share a reading and light a candle. We sit there and listen and we sing and then we move on, but if we understood the why behind the event then maybe it would become something more significant. It could become something that touches our very soul and moves us to worship.
When you grasp what these symbols represent, stop and meditate on the events and memories and scriptures that each item reminds us of then you will begin to get a firm understanding on the power behind these events and you will be moved to worship.
Simply stated, our traditions are here to put life into perspective. They are our yearly visual reminders of what we are here for on this earth. Not for presents and black shopping days and big dinners, but to love God, love people, follow Jesus. They are our reminders that there is much more to life and after life than ourselves. They are symbols that represent the fact that there is something greater out there for us than we can imagine and when we grab hold of that truth worship will happen, life will suddenly have meaning, joy will fill you up to the brim. The problems we think are problems suddenly don’t seem so big.
Advent is a powerful reminder of what was, what is and what is still to come. I want to teach you today about the power behind this tradition. So let’s get into it.
Ephesians 2:1-10 – Reason for the season. We were given the greatest present that has and could ever be given. Salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. He came to this earth to die for you and me. And one day He will return again for His followers. It is a very powerful and mystical life changing experience that can only be believed through faith.
The tradition of Advent was started to be a reminder of the anticipation of God’s earlier followers and the expectation of His present followers. 2000 years ago and beyond there was incredible anticipation by God’s people, the Hebrews, that a Messiah was coming. That Messiah would be the people’s only way of salvation from sin and their only hope for eternal life with God in Heaven.
God’s followers after the death of Christ to this very day were filled with expectation that one day Jesus Christ would return for His people. Not just Hebrews but all people who believed in His name. Advent reminds us of the past miracles and the present hope for the future event.
This tradition of Advent dates back to the Roman Catholic Church before there was ever a Wesleyan, Baptist, Episcopal, Non Denominational church. After the protestant reformation where many left the Catholic church and began the protestant church the tradition of advent was kept and continued to be practiced each year.
The wreath and candles are a great visual tool to help us remember what we have and what we are hoping for. The circle wreath represents God. It is a circle to symbolize God’s eternity, endless mercy. He has no beginning and no end. It is green because green is the color of hope. The green reminds us of the hope we have in God, newness, renewal, eternal life. (Green means fresh- spring yards- proud of green yards, green golf course, green leaves on trees and plants)
4 outer candles represent a period of waiting during the 4 Sundays of advent for the coming Messiah. They also symbolize the 4 centuries that passed between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ.
The fifth candle- Christ Candle- higher than the others- light of all the candles represents the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His Son.
The colors of the candles have meaning as well. You always see 3 purple, 1 red and 1 clear. Purple represents repentance and royalty. Some denominations use blue which also represents hope like green. Red represents Joy. Clear or white represents the purity of Christ. Perfect. Divine.
You can go to anyone’s house and it doesn’t matter whether they believe in God or not. They may be the biggest atheist in the world but if they have a tree in their house they are displaying the hope of a coming savior. The star or angel on a tree represents star told about in the nativity story. Or the angels who appeared to the shepherds to announce the messiah. The colored lights represent the same hope, joy, royalty, repentance that God gives. The tree is traditionally an evergreen that never loses its color. It is eternally green displaying the color of hope in an eternal God. Isn’t that awesome.
You can call Christmas anything you want. But you can never escape what the symbols of Christmas truly mean. What are the two primary Christmas colors? Green and Red right? Hope in God, Joy in believing. Hope and Joy. That is what advent reminds us of. That no matter how good or bad our year has been with God there is always hope and joy.
Advent is a powerful reminder that God will never leave us or forsake us and that He is coming again. Its our reminder that He still desires for NO ONE TO PERISH BUT EVERYONE TO COME TO REPENTANCE. This might be taking Christmas to the extreme and radical Jesus Freak side of things but when I drive by people’s homes and look at their lights and fancy decorations I don’t just see a fancy display I see someone that is screaming for hope and joy. They don’t even know that they are putting out in their yard a message that says, “I am missing something in my life. I have a void.” They don’t even know that they are proudly displaying the exact thing they are searching for in life. Salvation in Christ. Hope and Joy in believing in God.
I hope your seeing why this is powerful. It is such an awesome reminder for us. Not just of who God is but it is an awesome reminder that God still desires to forgive. God still loves every one of us and desperately wants us to come to him. To ask Him into our hearts and to be His follower. We may not think people want to hear that. We may worry about being rejected or hurt or pushed away or whatever. But why do you think church is attended more on Christmas and Easter than any other time? Because they want the void in their life filled. They want God. They just don’t know how to get him and we fail miserably in helping people find Christ. We have perfect opportunities that slip through our hands everyday.
Those two times a year that church is attended more is that time where I believe the lost are silently screaming, “Help me! I can’t do it anymore. I don’t know where to turn. I don’t know what to do.” They come to church out of guilt or out of desperation or out of pressure. It doesn’t really matter why they come but they do. It’s a perfect opportunity to be bold in your faith about Jesus Christ and the perfect love, forgiveness hope and joy he wants to give them.
Advent is the reminder God did so much for us. What did you do for him this year? How did you stand up for him? How did you do serving Him? How did you do trusting him? How did you do witnessing for Him? Advent allows us to reflect on those questions.
Most of us probably don’t want to answer those questions. But that’s why we need these traditions because if we are not challenged to be transparent in our faith and bold in our witness and willing to serve others before we serve ourselves we are wasting our time.
Take This Home: Don’t forget the U R E. Don’t forget to add URE to the end of advent and make it an adventure. Belief in Christ is not a chore. It is not a burden. It is not annoying. It is an adventure. Advent reminds us of the adventure we are on.
