I have entitled our message this morning “The Advent of Christ.” This coming Wednesday evening we will be decorating the Christmas tree in preparation for the Christmas season. In many churches across America, decorating the sanctuary, which is sometimes called “Hanging the Greens,” is the kick-off to the Advent season. So, what is Advent? Well, I will answer this question soon enough; but before I do, I wish to point out that the reason why we decorate for Christmas, and celebrate this special holiday is because of the birth of Jesus Christ. The Nativity story brings us the good news that our Savior has indeed been born into the world to save us from our sins.
In Luke 2:10-11, we read how an angel appeared to some shepherds in the fields, and said to them, “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” In Luke 2:16, we read how the shepherds “came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger,” and verse 21 tells us that “when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.” Jesus is the Savior and Messiah who was announced by the angels in the Nativity.
Long before Jesus’ birthday was announced, His coming was foretold by prophets of old. Advent commemorates the foretelling of Jesus’ birth and life found in the many Messianic prophecies revealed in Scripture. Advent is a celebration of hope concerning the arrival of salvation from our sins found in Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11, 13-14, states, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men . . . looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people.” Though this text is a reference to Christ’s Second Advent, it gives us an idea of the eager expectation which surrounds His appearing.
Advent is a celebration of hope concerning the arrival of our Lord Jesus. We are going to celebrate Advent this morning at BLANK Church by reviewing some of the prophecies about the Messiah, and by relating these prophecies through the symbols of Advent – which are the wreath and candles. This is not a typical sermon; but rather, it will be a time of Scripture reading, meditation, reflection and worship. Let’s begin by coming to an understanding of the definition of Advent.
The Meaning of Advent
In Malachi chapter 3, verse 2a, we read this: “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?” Today marks the beginning of the season of Advent. The word “advent” means, “coming” or “arrival.” It is a countdown of anticipation in which we celebrate Christ’s first coming, in which He was born into this world as our Lord and Savior just over two thousand years ago. Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, anticipation, and longing. It is the cry of those who have experienced injustice in a world under the curse of sin, and yet who have hope of deliverance by a God who has heard the cries of oppressed slaves and has brought about deliverance! It is that hope which brings to the world the anticipation of a King who will rule in truth, justice, and righteousness over His people and His creation. It is that hope that anticipates the reign of the Anointed One – the Messiah – who will bring peace and justice and righteousness to the world (Dennis Bratcher).
Malachi 3:1, proclaims, “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” In Jeremiah 33:14-15 we read, “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah: In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David a Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.”
Isaiah 11:1-4a, says, “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.” As Bill and Gloria Gaither proclaimed in one of their gospel songs, “The King Is Coming!” and we celebrate His coming this Advent and Christmas season.
The Meaning of the Wreath
Advent is celebrated through the use of symbols, and the first symbol of advent is a wreath that cradles the candles. Notice that the circle of the Advent wreath has no beginning and no end. It portrays for us God’s timelessness and His eternal plan of salvation and His endless mercy. In Isaiah 9:7, we read, “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever.”
The wreath is green in color. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God – the hope of newness, for green symbolizes the newness of spring, and the hope of renewal. The “evergreen” color also denotes eternal life that we are granted when we come to know Christ as our Lord and Savior. In Isaiah 35:4-7a, we read about the newness that the Messiah would bring: “Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water.”
The Meaning of the Candles
Next we come to the symbolism of the candles. If you will notice, on the outside there are three lavender or purple candles. Historically, the primary color of Advent is purple. This is the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. Zechariah 9:9, and 10b, states, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey . . . He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.”
The four outer candles represent Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. The first candle is traditionally the candle of Expectation or Hope, or in some traditions Prophecy, and it draws our attention to the anticipation, or the hope, of the coming Messiah. In Romans 15:12-13, the apostle Paul told believers this: “And again, Isaiah says: ‘There shall be a root of Jesse; and He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope.’ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Did you hear how Paul kept making reference to hope? Advent is about our hope in God’s salvation through the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Part of this hope can be observed in how God revealed to His prophets that He would not leave His people without a Shepherd, and we see this hope portrayed in Isaiah chapter 40: “Comfort, yes, comfort My people! says your God . . . The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God . . . The glory of theLord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken . . . Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom” (Isaiah 40:1, 3, 5, 10-11a).
The second candle represents Peace, and the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was foretold as the coming Prince of Peace. We read in Micah 5:2, and 4-5, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting . . . And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; and this One shall be peace.” Isaiah 9:6 declares, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
The third candle of Advent is the candle of Joy. It reminds us of the joy that Mary felt when the angel Gabriel told her that a special child would be born unto her – a child who would save and deliver His people. In Luke 2:10-14, we read this: “Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’” Isaiah 12:3-4 foretold of the day when the Messiah would appear that, “With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!” (v. 3).
The fourth candle of Advent, the pink candle, is the Candle of Love. The light of this pink candle is meant to remind us of the love that God has for each one of us. Isaiah 63:8b-9, says, “So He became their Savior. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old.” 1 John 4:9, says, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him,” and John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
We then come to the final candle, or the center candle, which is called the Christ candle. The Christ candle will be lit during our Christmas Eve service. The central location of the Christ Candle reminds us that the incarnation is the heart of the season, giving light to the world. The light reminds us that Jesus comes into the darkness of our lives to bring us newness, life, and hope. Most significantly, the lighting of the Christ candle reminds us that Jesus has indeed come and is amongst us.
Isaiah 7:14, tells us, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” In Matthew, we learn what Immanuel means. Matthew 1:21-23, declares, “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’.” The Messiah was indeed born into the world and walked among the people of the earth sharing the good news of salvation in Him.
Time of Reflection
What we have seen this morning are numerous Scriptures pertaining to the “First Advent of Christ,” but did you know that there will take place a “Second Advent of Christ?” In the First Advent, Jesus appeared on earth as the “humble Lamb of God,” who willingly laid down His life on the cross, and died for our sins; however, in the Second Advent, He will one day return as the “reigning Lion of Judah,” leading all the armies of heaven to exact judgment on a rebellious and fallen world.
In the First Advent, the prophets foretold the coming of a Messiah who would save His people from their sins. This Savior was manifested in Jesus Christ. In 2 Timothy 1:9-10, we read that God “has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
In the Second Advent, Jesus will return to establish His millennial kingdom. In Revelation 19:11-13, John prophesied, “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.” Keep in mind that when Jesus arrives, “He judges and makes war” (v. 11). He will make war against all who deny Him as Lord and Savior, and who side with the Beast.
In 2 Timothy 4:8, Paul said, “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” Those who love His appearing are those who have believed in Him and have received Jesus as Lord and Savior. I want to ask you this morning, “Are you someone who has loved His appearing?” Will His Second Advent be a time of rejoicing for you, or will it be a time of sorrow? Malachi asked, “Who can stand when He appears?” (Malachi 3:2). The only way you will be able to stand on that Day is by knowing Jesus as your Lord and Savior; therefore, I invite you to repent of your sins, and come be forgiven and receive eternal life in Jesus Christ.
