The Meaning of Advent
The term advent is unfamiliar to many Protestants, especially if they are baptist or “non-denominational.” However, the term advent is used in churches that value a connection with history, in particular the Christian calendar. For some Protestants, a “Christian calendar” seems Catholic. Yes, the Catholic Church uses a liturgical calendar. Still, after the Reformation, Protestant Churches maintained a connection with a Christian calendar to help highlight important events in biblical and church history. Advent, which leads up to Christmas day, is one aspect of the Christian or liturgical calendar. The other familiar aspect of the Christian calendar is Lent, which leads up to Easter.
Why Observe Advent
Advent means the arrival of a noble person. Other than my parents, no one was talking about the advent of Shawn Powers. So, when I arrived in the world, my mom was just grateful to survive the arrival of another set of sons. (Yes, there are two sets of twins in my family.) But the birth of Christ is different. We observe advent because the arrival of Jesus changed the world. The 1st advent of Jesus changed the world because Jesus is the only hope for the world.
Old Testament Premonitions, Prophesies, or Promises?
How is Jesus the only hope for the world? There are several answers to the question but let’s look at the Old Testament to tease out an answer.
The Old Testament is full of promises. These promises are more than premonitions but prophetic words speaking about what is to come. It is full of promises made by God to His people. Some of God’s promises are conditional, and some are unconditional. Here are two conditional promises in the Old Testament.
And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
– 1 Kings 3:11–14
And here is one more example.
13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
– 2 Chronicles 7:13–14
The word if is key. If my kids clean their room, then they can go outside and play. Their right to go outside and play is contingent upon their ability to clean their room. No clean room, no play. A similar dynamic is going on with God’s conditional promises in the Old Testament.
But the Old Testament is full of unconditional promises, and it’s the unconditional promises where we see the reason to have hope in the birth of Christ. So let’s begin with Abraham. Beginning in Genesis 12:1-3 we read that God promises to make a great nation from the offspring of Abraham. And then in Genesis 17 we read,
“7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
– Genesis 17:7–8
And a few verses later, we read,
15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”
– Genesis 17:15–16
There is no if in God’s promises to Abraham. God will fulfill his promises. God is making a covenant with Abraham, and God will ensure that from Abraham’s offspring will come a king. A coming king is reaffirmed in Isaiah 7:13-14 and 9:6-7. The future king would come to rule and reign. But his rule and reign would not be like earthly kings and queens. The coming king would reconcile a sinful people to a holy God. The coming king would dwell with His people, unlike the Old Testament Tabernacle and Temple.
Promises Fulfilled
When we move into the New Testament, the Book of Galatians picks up the Old Testament motif of God’s unconditional promise to Abraham.
16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.
– Galatians 3:16
The promises to Abraham, which are reaffirmed throughout the Old Testament, find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The advent of Jesus Christ is the hope for the world.
The Hope of the World
So, how is it that Jesus is the hope of the world? Because of the faithfulness of God, the Old Testament promises find their fulfillment under a New Covenant. Now, why is Jesus the only hope for the world? Because it took the Son of God taking on the nature of man (except for sin) to redeem sinful man. A quote from church history has undergone several iterations, but it goes like this: what has not been assumed can not be redeemed. I have seen this quoted by Athanasius of Alexandria and Gregory of Naziasus. The sense of the statement hits the nail on the proverbial head during this advent season. We have hope because the Son of God took on flesh. The incarnation of Jesus Christ leads to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. I’ll end by allowing a verse from the Gospel of Matthew to sum up week one of advent.
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
– Matthew 1:21–22
Shawn Powers is the lead pastor of Redemption Hill Church. You can follow him on Twitter at shawn_DSM.