As the season of Advent is here, Christians are invited into a time of waiting. It represents the arrival of God breaking into history, into our hearts, and to the future of creation. Advent reminds us that we live “between the times,” between the darkness of our present world and the dawn of God’s promised new age.
The Three Comings
At its heart, Advent holds before us the three comings of Christ. First, there is the historical coming, the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem. This is the moment of incarnation, when God chose to enter humanity as a child. However, the Advent does not end with that birth. It also points to Christ’s present coming in the Spirit, dwelling now among us, renewing creation and hearts in everyday life. Finally, Advent anticipates the eschatological coming, Christ’s return in glory, when all things will be made new.
This threefold coming, backward to Bethlehem, inward to the Spirit’s presence, and forward to the consummation of all things invites us into an understanding that we are moving toward a hope-filled culmination. We are pilgrims journeying toward God’s final redemption of the world.
One of the characteristics of Advent lies in the prophecies of the Old Testament. The prophetic voices who spoke centuries before the first Christmas among them those preserved in books like Isaiah and Micah envisioned a coming ruler, a suffering servant, a light shining into darkness. The prophecy that the Messiah would come from humble Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) reveals to us that God promises greatness not through human power, but through humility and vulnerability. When Christians observe Advent, lighting the first candle, often called the “Prophecy Candle,” reading Scripture and waiting quietly as we join with those hopes and promises. We remember that the God who spoke through the prophets kept His word, and that the same God continues to keep His promises today and tomorrow.
Kingdom Ethics
Because Advent draws us into a present that is shaped by past fulfilment and future hope, it has deeply practical implications. We live in the in-between, called to embody the values of the coming Kingdom now. The promise of Christ’s return is not a reason for escapism but a summons to faithful action involving justice, mercy, compassion, peace, and hope in solidarity with the oppressed. Our present waiting becomes a form of witness that the world is not left to chaos and despair, but entrusted to God’s care, and to our stewardship as His people.
Historically, Advent was observed as a lent before Christmas. People are called for fasting, prayer, self-examination, and worship marking the preparation for the Nativity. This was to prepare the heart to receive the fullness of God’s coming The liturgy, hymns, and Scripture readings during Advent often carry dual meanings. They speak of the baby in Bethlehem and of the returning King. They invite humility and worship; but also hope, trust, and longing for what God will yet do.
A Season of Hope
Advent calls us to wait. Wait with hope for God’s coming. In that waiting, we are shaped as people who trust in God’s promises, who live now according to the values of the coming Kingdom, and who offer light in a dark world. It calls us to be watchful, hopeful, courageous, and loving.
May this season of Advent renew in us a deep and living hope, and shape us into faithful, compassionate bearers of God’s light until that day when the dawn finally breaks in full.
