Advent - It’s All About Jesus
Yesterday, on Christmas morning, Ron and I lit the large white candle in the center of our Advent wreath—the candle symbolizing Jesus, the Light of the World.
The message of Advent begins with HOPE in Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah.
The message of Advent continues with PEACE brought to a dark and broken world by Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
The message of Advent promises JOY—not frivolous, fleeting happiness—but deep-down-in-the-pit-of-your-soul-lasts-for-a-lifetime-despite-circumstances JOY.
Finally, the message of Advent is about much more than a baby wrapped in “swaddling clothes”. It is a Divine message wrapped in LOVE:
This Advent season a couple passages of Scripture kept recurring. In the first, the Apostle Paul answers the question: Who is Jesus Christ?
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
Colossians 1:15-20 (NLT)
In Thursday’s post, I will look with you at the second passage in which Jesus himself, as an adult, was beginning a three-year ministry and explains WHY he came to planet earth 30 years earlier as a babe born in a humble manger.
This week following Advent and all the hustle and bustle of the busy Christmas season, may we continue to realize the HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE Jesus came to give each one of us,