Advent Devotion, Day 5
December 5th
The season of Advent helps us understand how the Old Testament leads into the New Testament.
The hope of the Christian faith lies in the coming of the Messiah, who will save His people — or His Church — from the effects and penalty of their sin. As we unpacked in the first sermon in our Christmas Series, in Genesis, God promised that a Messiah would come and declared to Satan that He “will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:15). As we've mentioned in these devotions already, Advent is the anticipation of God fulfilling His promise to defeat death and Satan through the coming of Christ.
Jesus is the promised Messiah that Israel looked forward to with each generation. When Israelites sacrificed bulls and goats for their sins (which didn’t really have the power to forgive sin, like Christ did), the people anticipated the one, true sacrifice that Jesus would accomplish through His death and resurrection. Jesus, the one true king of kings, put aside His glory to become a man, born to a lowly couple in a lowly animal stable.
Jesus was born to become Immanuel, which means “God with us.”
The coming of Christ is the culmination of the whole Old Testament. And the Second Coming of Christ will be the culmination of the New Testament. Today, you can look back and honor the anticipation of Christ’s first Advent and look forward with eager anticipation to His second Advent. All of our suffering, striving, hope, faith, joy and peace find their meaning in the return of Christ, when “He will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-5)
Advent reminds Christians of the hope in the coming of Christ. The hope experienced when celebrating Advent is what makes life worth living.
Personal Reflection:
Each week of Advent is often associated with a specific theme: hope, peace, joy, and love. Which of these themes resonates most with you this Advent season and why?
How can we cultivate peace in a world that feels increasingly divided or chaotic, especially during the Advent season?
In a season that can be busy and commercialized, how can we truly focus on joy that comes from Christ rather than external circumstances?
Prayer Prompt:
Ask the Lord to settle your heart this Advent season, allowing you to truly reflect on the significance of Christmas
The hope of the Christian faith lies in the coming of the Messiah, who will save His people — or His Church — from the effects and penalty of their sin. As we unpacked in the first sermon in our Christmas Series, in Genesis, God promised that a Messiah would come and declared to Satan that He “will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:15). As we've mentioned in these devotions already, Advent is the anticipation of God fulfilling His promise to defeat death and Satan through the coming of Christ.
Jesus is the promised Messiah that Israel looked forward to with each generation. When Israelites sacrificed bulls and goats for their sins (which didn’t really have the power to forgive sin, like Christ did), the people anticipated the one, true sacrifice that Jesus would accomplish through His death and resurrection. Jesus, the one true king of kings, put aside His glory to become a man, born to a lowly couple in a lowly animal stable.
Jesus was born to become Immanuel, which means “God with us.”
The coming of Christ is the culmination of the whole Old Testament. And the Second Coming of Christ will be the culmination of the New Testament. Today, you can look back and honor the anticipation of Christ’s first Advent and look forward with eager anticipation to His second Advent. All of our suffering, striving, hope, faith, joy and peace find their meaning in the return of Christ, when “He will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-5)
Advent reminds Christians of the hope in the coming of Christ. The hope experienced when celebrating Advent is what makes life worth living.
Personal Reflection:
Each week of Advent is often associated with a specific theme: hope, peace, joy, and love. Which of these themes resonates most with you this Advent season and why?
How can we cultivate peace in a world that feels increasingly divided or chaotic, especially during the Advent season?
In a season that can be busy and commercialized, how can we truly focus on joy that comes from Christ rather than external circumstances?
Prayer Prompt:
Ask the Lord to settle your heart this Advent season, allowing you to truly reflect on the significance of Christmas
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