“and they will call him Immanuel” -which means, “God with us.”

Matthew 1:23 NIV

In the next five weeks, I will be sharing a mini-devotional on the meaning and significance of celebrating Advent. In this first week, we will examine the word and its meaning.

Advent.

A word we often hear at this time of year. Did you hear about it in church, but never understood its meaning? Or is it a strange and foreign concept to you? What does Advent mean, and why celebrate it?

Advent comes from the Latin adventus, which means arrival or appearance, especially an important one. It is the Latin translation of the Greek New Testament word parousia. Uncapitalized, the word “advent” refers to a coming into being or use (online Merriam-Webster dictionary), as in the advent of spring.

The capitalized Advent is what we are discussing and refers to the beginning of the Christmas season. The celebration of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, God in human flesh.

Reading the gospels of Luke and Matthew, we learn about the birth, announcement and recognition of Christ as the Son of God and King of Kings.

Luke 1 tells us of the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary, a humble young Jewish woman, announcing that she will conceive a child by the power of the Holy Spirit and “the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” (NIV)

In Luke 2, we learn of Jesus’ birth in less than ideal circumstances and the proclamation by a host of angels to lowly shepherds, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” (NKJV)

In Matthew 2, we hear about the wise men from the east, who followed a star for miles in search of a King. First, they went to a palace, but he wasn’t there. Then they were directed to Bethlehem, and there they bowed down and worshiped a toddler.

Advent is the celebration of God coming to earth to take on human flesh and live among us as one of us. So what are the implications of this incarnation? Why is it so important that we celebrate it year after year?

We will begin to look into those reasons next week, but I invite you to dwell on what we have learnt today.

The purpose of Advent is to prepare our hearts to focus on the miraculous arrival and appearance of God dwelling among us in Jesus Christ. As believers in Christ, this should be our primary reason to celebrate Christmas.

I encourage you to take some time this week to find a quiet spot, then drink in the amazing facts of the arrival of Immanuel, God with us. Envision it and let the wonder of it sink deep in your soul.

Praying for you all!

Be well!

Patricia