Understanding Advent

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Understanding Advent: A Season of Waiting, Hope, and Holy Expectation

For many Christians who did not grow up with the liturgical calendar, the meaning of Advent can feel a little unclear. Most people know Advent has something to do with expectation. They think of it simply as the time when we look forward to the birth of Jesus. That is part of the story, but it is not the whole story. Advent is deeper, older, richer, and more needed than ever.

The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which translates the Greek word parousia. Early Christians in Spain and Gaul, as far back as the fourth and fifth centuries, treated Advent as a season of preparation for new believers who would be baptized at Epiphany in January. Epiphany celebrates the incarnation of God through the visit of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, and the first miracle at Cana. During this forty-day season, believers practiced prayer, fasting, and repentance. At that time, Advent had little connection to Christmas.

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By the sixth century, Christians in Rome began associating Advent with the coming of Christ. However, they were not focused on His birth in Bethlehem. Their eyes were fixed on His return in glory as the judge of the world. Only later, during the Middle Ages, did Advent become clearly tied to the celebration of Christ’s birth.

Today, Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas. The Christian year starts not with the holiday itself, but with this quiet season of waiting. After Advent comes the twelve days of Christmastide, which run from Christmas Eve through January 6. In 2025, Advent begins on Sunday, November 30th, and ends on Wednesday, December 24th.

Advent symbolizes the church’s present life in these “last days” described in Scripture. We wait for Christ to return in glory and bring His kingdom in full. In this sense, the church stands in a similar place to Israel at the end of the Old Testament. Israel waited for the Messiah. The church now waits for His return. Israel looked back to God’s faithfulness in the Exodus to pray for new deliverance. We look back to Christ’s coming in the manger to pray for His coming again.

This is why the great Advent hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel speaks so powerfully. Israel would have sung those words in expectation of His first coming. The church now sings them in remembrance of His birth and anticipation of His return. The first two Sundays of Advent point our hearts toward His second coming, and the final two Sundays turn our hearts to His first coming. Scripture readings move from judgment and restoration to the prophecies of the coming Messiah, and finally to the Gospel accounts of the angels, John the Baptist, and the announcement of Jesus Christ.

Advent has always carried a note of fasting, reflection, and honest longing. It can be challenging to maintain that spirit in a season filled with lights, gifts, busyness, and celebration. Yet Advent invites us to slow down. It invites us to name the brokenness of the world, the burden of our exile, and our personal need for grace. It teaches us to pray for renewal, for the Holy Spirit to shape us into the image of Christ, and for God to make things right.

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The Advent wreath is a beloved tradition that began in Germany in 1839. A Lutheran minister, serving children at a mission house, fashioned a wreath from the wheel of a cart. Inside that wheel, he placed twenty small red candles for

the weekdays and four white candles for the Sundays. Over time, the wreath became a circle of evergreen branches, reminding us of eternal life and God's unending love. Holly, berries, and pinecones were added to symbolize the sacrifice of Christ and the new life He offers.

Most Advent wreaths today hold four candles. A new candle is lit each Sunday. Traditions vary, but often three candles are purple, and one is rose-colored or pink. Some churches use red, blue, or white candles. Many families also place a white candle in the center, known as the Christ Candle, and light it on Christmas Day to celebrate His birth.

Advent is certainly a time of joy and celebration, yet it is more than that. Advent allows us to feel the weight of longing so that the miracle of Christmas might shine even brighter. Karl Barth once wrote that "Unfulfilled and fulfilled promises are related to each other. Faith knows for whom and for what it is waiting." Christ has come, and Christ will come again. Advent teaches us to hold both truths at once.

The traditional themes of Advent are Hope, Preparation, Joy, and Love. Each week invites us to see Christ through a different lens and to prepare room in our hearts for His presence.

Prayer is one of the best ways to quiet our minds and lift our eyes during this season. Below is a sample prayer to guide your heart through Advent.

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An Advent Prayer

This Advent, Lord, come to the manger of my heart. Fill me with Your presence from the very start. As I prepare for the holidays and for gifts to be given, remind me of the gift You gave when You sent Your Son from Heaven. The first Christmas gift was the greatest gift ever. You came as a baby, born in a manger and wrapped like the gifts I find under my tree, waiting to be opened and to reveal Your love to me.

Restore to me the wonder that came with Jesus’ birth, when He left the riches of Heaven and wrapped Himself in rags of earth. Immanuel, God with us, Your presence came that night. The angels announced, “Into your darkness, God brings His Light.” “Do not be afraid,” they said to the shepherds in the field.

Speak to my heart today, Lord, and help me to yield. Make me like those shepherds, obedient to Your call. Setting aside distractions and worries, I surrender them to You. Surround me with Your presence. I long to hear Your voice. Clear my mind of countless concerns and the season's noise.

Slow me down this Christmas. Do not let me rush. In the midst of parties and planning, allow me to feel Your hush. This Christmas, Jesus, come to the manger of my heart. Bring peace to every part of my life. Dwell within and around me as I unwrap Your presence each day. Keep me close to You, Lord. I pray this in Your Holy Name.