The First Sunday of Advent

The First Sunday of Advent (Galatians 4:4&5)

Robert Webber, professor and author who is now with the Lord, describes Advent as "a time when God disturbs the waters of our lives." God breaks through into our human world and says, "Here I am!" He might as well ask the question, "What are you going to do about it?"

Through the history of the church, people have looked at Advent from three perspectives. First, we must remember that God did step into our world and become like us-flesh and blood, but without sin. Jesus walked into the waters of our world through a supernatural birth. It was unlike anything that had ever or will ever occur again. As He began His public ministry, He stirred the waters by reading from Isaiah and announcing that they were looking at the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.

The Apostle Paul described this perspective of Advent in these words: "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." The first way of looking at Advent simply announces that God sent His Son into our world. His purpose in coming focused on people like us, people who needed redemption. The people of Jesus' day were alienated from God. So are we. The only way to re-enter God's family is Jesus, the One who satisfies the law that condemned all the rest of us.

Some of you are familiar with the Advent wreath. Our church puts one on the communion table each year. It has four candles placed in a circle around the wreath and one large white candle in the middle. Some say that the four candles speak of the four centuries between the last prophet to Israel and the arrival of Jesus. The white, large center candle is called the "Christ Candle. " We light it Christmas Eve to announce Jesus' arrival into our world.

The first week of Advent brings us to the candle of hope. It is because Jesus comes into our world and stirs the waters of our lives that we can have hope. We have hope because Jesus brings redemption and adoption. Without those gifts from God, we're hopeless. Everything we know about God and His love tells us that He does not want us to live without hope. He sent His Son to make sure we wouldn't know hopelessness.

Take some time this week-maybe each day of the week-to reflect on the hope that lives in your life because Jesus came into our world. Think about what life might have been like had not Jesus, "in the fullness of time," been born in Bethlehem. Think about what life IS like for you-a follower of Jesus-because He experienced that entry into our world. Pastor John Strain is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist of Toms River

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 30; Ezekiel 37-39; 2 Peter 2

Think About This: "When captivity is led captive, the Eternal God is the refuge of his people...Our sins which pursued us so hotly have been drowned in the depths of the Savior's Blood. They sank to the bottom like stones, the depths have covered them, there is not one, no, not one of them left, and we, standing upon the shore in safety, can shout in triumph over our drowned sins, 'Sing unto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously, and all our iniquities hath he cast into the midst of the sea." Charles Spurgeon