Advent

When everything in the Garden went wrong, God did something unexpected—He made a promise. Right there in the middle of heartbreak, God said He would send someone to crush evil and restore everything sin had broken. This is the first whisper of Christmas. A small light in a very dark moment.

Advent begins with remembering that God didn’t walk away. He moved toward us with a promise of rescue.

Sin affects everything from our thoughts, to our choices, to our relationships. It’s heavy, and we can’t fix it on our own. No matter how hard we try to be good enough, there’s always something broken underneath.

That’s why God’s promise matter so much. He knew we needed rescue long before we did. Advent helps us slow down and remember that Jesus had to come not just to teach or inspire us, but to save us and carry the weight we never could.

God made a promise to Abraham that through his family He would bless the whole world. That blessing was Jesus. Even when His people couldn’t see the bigger picture, God was already preparing the way. This early promise is like a small light in a long night, it was evidence that God never forgot His people.

Scripture reminds us that God doesn’t rush, but He always keeps His word. When we feel stuck in the middle of the story, He is still working, still weaving His promises together in ways we may not yet see.

Long before Jesus was born, God told His people what the coming King would be like. He would be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. These aren’t ordinary names...only a King who is also God could carry them.

These promises helped God’s people recognize Jesus when He came, and they help us see Him clearly today. Advent invites us to slow down and let these names shape how we think about who Jesus really is.

The prophets didn’t just promise a King—God told them how the King would rescue His people. Jesus would carry our sin, our grief, and our brokenness. He would be wounded for us so we could be healed.

This was unexpected. Kings usually demand honor, but Jesus came to serve and save, even at great cost. Advent helps us remember both the depth of our need and the greatness of His sacrifice.

Even when most people stopped trusting God, there was always a small group who held onto His promises. They waited with hope, even when everything around them felt dark or uncertain.

Their faith reminds us that God is never late. His timing is perfect, and His promises are sure. Advent teaches us to wait with the same confidence: God will do everything He has said He will do.

As we reach the end of the first week of Advent, we see God’s promises growing brighter. The people who walked in darkness were promised a great light—Jesus, the King who would come to rescue and restore.

Tomorrow we begin a new week and light a new candle. Each flame reminds us that hope is growing. The King is drawing near, and His light is already shining in the dark.

For centuries, God’s people waited in the dark for the Light He had promised. Then, at just the right time, a Roman census moved Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, the very place God had said the Savior would be born. God even uses empires and rulers to keep His Word.

The promised King did not arrive in a palace, he was born in a stable. Wrapped in cloths and laid in a manger, Jesus came in quiet humility. The Son of God stepped into our broken world so that He could rescue and restore what sin had shattered.

While the world slept, heaven’s glory lit up a quiet field. The first people to hear that the Savior had been born were ordinary shepherds. God wanted it to be clear that this good news is for everyone, not just the powerful or important.

The angels announced “good news of great joy for all people” and spoke of peace. This is not a fragile peace that can be taken away, but the deep peace that comes when God Himself draws near. Jesus’ birth means that the Light has entered our darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome Him.

Before the manger, before Bethlehem, before the world was made, Jesus already existed. John tells us that the baby born in the manger is the eternal Word, fully God, the One through whom all things were created.

This is the wonder of Christmas. The Creator stepped into His creation, and the Light stepped into our night. The same Word who spoke galaxies into being now speaks life into weary hearts. Jesus did not come only to inspire us, He came to bring real life to those who trust Him.

John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world in this way: He gave His one and only Son. The Father did not send an angel, a prophet, or just a message. He sent Jesus. The gift of Christmas is not a thing, it is a Person.

Jesus was born so He could live the perfect life we never could, die the death our sin deserved, and rise again to bring us life. The manger is the beginning of the rescue mission that would lead to the cross and the empty tomb. Christmas shows us a love that gives at great cost so that we can be forgiven and restored.

After the angels left, the shepherds did not stay in the field talking about what they had heard. They hurried to Bethlehem to see Jesus for themselves. Once they saw Him, they could not keep the news to themselves. They went and told everyone what God had done.

Mary responded in a quieter way. She treasured these things and pondered them in her heart. Both responses are worship. Advent invites us to do the same: to come and see Jesus, to rejoice in what God has done, and then to share and to treasure His work in our hearts.

Long before Jesus was born, God spoke through the prophet Micah and said that the ruler of His people would come from Bethlehem. It was a small and unlikely town, but God chose it as the birthplace of the true King.

When we see Jesus born in Bethlehem, exactly as God promised, it reminds us that Christmas is not an accident. Every detail of Jesus’ birth shows that God’s plan of rescue is sure. He keeps His Word perfectly, in His time and in His way.

Jesus said that the Scriptures point to Him. Every promise, every picture, and every prophecy in the Old Testament is like an arrow that finds its target in Christ. The story of the Bible is not a loose collection of tales. It is one great story that leads us to the Savior.

As Week 2 closes, we remember that Christmas is not just a cozy tradition. It is the celebration of God’s faithfulness in sending the One He promised. When we read the Bible with our eyes on Jesus, we see how God has been telling this story of rescue all along.