![]() The church is in a similar situation to Israel at the end of the Old Testament: in exile, waiting and hoping in prayerful expectation for the coming of the Messiah. Advent SymbolismĪdvent symbolizes the church's present situation in these “last days” ( Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:2) as God’s people wait for the return of Christ in glory to consummate his eternal kingdom. Get your FREE copy of 25 Days of Advent Devotionals and Readings! Print and share them with family and friends as inspiration this holiday season. The Advent season was not explicitly linked to Christ’s first coming at Christmas until the Middle Ages. But the “coming” they had in mind was not Christ’s first coming in the manger in Bethlehem, but his second coming in the clouds as the judge of the world. During this season of preparation, Christians would spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas.īy the 6 th century, however, Roman Christians had tied Advent to the coming of Christ. ![]() Scholars believe that during the 4 th and 5 th centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, the celebration of God’s incarnation represented by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus ( Matthew 2:1), his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist ( John 1:29), and his first miracle at Cana ( John 2:1). The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which translates to the Greek word parousia. This is part of the story, but there’s more to Advent. ![]() Some people may know that the Advent season focuses on expectation and think it serves as an anticipation of Christ’s birth in the season leading up to Christmas. (Learn more about the start dates for Advent and the four Sundays of Advent at When Does Advent Start?) What Is Advent? History and Meaning Sunday, December 24th ~ End of Advent on Christmas Eve Sunday, December 3rd ~ Start of Advent 2023
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