Living Between Christ’s First Coming and His Return
Advent is a four-week season in the Church calendar dedicated to anticipating the arrival, or “advent,” of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah and King (Isaiah 9:6). Christians from many backgrounds celebrate this time with reflections on hope, peace, joy, and love (Romans 15:13). It is celebrated differently within various traditions, but all center around God sending His one and only Son, Jesus, to earth to dwell among us and the promise that He will return again (John 1:14; Acts 1:11).
At its core, Advent is about waiting. Scripture reminds us that God’s people have always been a waiting people, longing for the fulfillment of His promises (Habakkuk 2:3). For centuries before Christ’s birth, Israel waited for the promised Savior who would rescue them from sin and restore what was broken (Genesis 12:3; Micah 5:2). But their waiting was not aimless. It was anchored in the faithfulness of a God who always keeps His word (Numbers 23:19).
Advent looks backward to celebrate Christ’s first coming. Jesus did not arrive as the world expected. He did not arrive in power or prestige, but in humility, born of a virgin, laid in a manger (Luke 2:6–7). Through Jesus’ birth, God would see His plan come to fruition through Jesus to save humanity from its sin, therefore fulfilling the promise He made from the very beginning (Genesis 3:15; Matthew 1:21). Advent reminds us that the gospel is not a fairy tale or a metaphor, but the true story of God entering the world to redeem it (Galatians 4:4–5).
However, Advent is not only about what has already happened. It is also about what is still to come. We look backward at His birth, and we look forward to His return. As believers, we celebrate Christ’s first coming while longing for His second coming, when He will return in glory to make all things new (Revelation 21:5; Titus 2:13). Just as Israel once waited for the Messiah, we now wait for our King to come again (Philippians 3:20).
During the four weeks of Advent, believers often focus on the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. These are not abstract ideas, but they are realities rooted in the person of Jesus Christ. Our hope is secure because Christ has overcome sin and death (1 Peter 1:3). Our peace is not based on circumstances but on being reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus (Romans 5:1; Colossians 1:20. Our joy flows from knowing that our salvation is secure in Christ (John 15:11). And our love is a reflection of the love God first showed us in sending His Son (1 John 4:9–10).
We are invited into the sacred tension between promise and fulfillment, longing and rejoicing, waiting and worshipping. Advent reminds us that we live between two comings: Christ has come to save, and He will come again to reign (Hebrews 9:28). As we prepare our hearts during this season, we are not simply preparing for a holiday. We are preparing to celebrate the Savior who was born for us and the King who is coming again (Luke 2:11; Revelation 22:20). Hope is born, and our hope is rooted in the One who is still to come.
For more information regarding Christmas, including our Advent Devotionals, click below.
