“The Advent season is that time when we seek to, in a manner of speaking, mute our memory of what has already happened, that we might brighten our joy that it happened. We leave the already of His advent to taste the bitter of the not yet. We, in short, go back, that we might look forward to His coming.” – R. C. Sproul.
Advent is a season filled with lights, scents, songs, and traditions, but at its heart, it is a season centered on a Person—Jesus Christ. We do not prepare for a holiday; we prepare for Him. Advent invites us to slow down long enough to rediscover the wonder of who He is and why His coming changed everything.
The story of Advent begins not in Bethlehem but in the heart of God. Long before Jesus was born, God promised that He would send a Redeemer—One who would enter our world and make all things new. That Redeemer is not a concept or a symbol. He is a Person. Advent calls us to fix our eyes on Him: Emmanuel, “God with us.”
When Jesus entered the world, He came in a way no one expected. The Messiah did not arrive with royal fanfare or earthly privilege but with the cry of a newborn wrapped in swaddling clothes. His birth revealed a God who draws near, not from a distance of power but from a posture of humility. In the manger, God showed us that He is willing to step into the ordinary, the messy, and the overlooked. Advent reminds us that we celebrate a Savior who comes close—close enough to understand our struggles, our fears, and our deepest longings.
This Jesus we celebrate is both fully God and fully man. As God, He holds all authority, reigns over all creation, and has the power to save. As a man, He knows hunger, tears, fatigue, and joy. Advent invites us to marvel at this mystery: the God who breathes stars into existence became a child who needed to be held.
But the Person we celebrate in Advent is more than a baby in a manger. He is the One who came with purpose. Jesus’ birth is inseparable from His mission—to bring hope to the hopeless, healing to the broken, and salvation to all who believe. He came to teach us what love looks like, to reveal the heart of the Father, and ultimately to lay down His life for the redemption of the world. Advent prepares our hearts for this truth: the cradle points us toward the cross, and the cross points us toward the empty tomb.
So as we walk through this season, Advent invites us to do more than light candles or sing familiar hymns. It invites us to encounter Jesus—to behold Him, worship Him, and welcome Him into every corner of our lives. The Person we celebrate is not distant, busy, or indifferent. He is present, loving, powerful, and near.
This Advent, may your heart be drawn again to the One who came, who is here now, and who will come again.
Discussion Questions:
- What helps you keep your focus on the Person of Christ—rather than just the season—during Advent?