The Meaning Of Advent

Advent is a major season that most Christian churches celebrate in the Western tradition.

Gregory the First declared Advent in 600 AD. He started four Sundays before Christmas Day. You’ve probably heard of Advent, regardless of whether your church lights four candles or in other ways.

The early Church knew the importance of time in orienting our identity. They wanted people to focus on only one thing. The first Christians were to keep their eyes on the person they were: The people of God who were waiting for their risen Savior.

Let’s look at the greater meaning of Advent by taking in the vast panorama of time, from Christ’s birth through his Second Coming. Jesus presents us with the magnificent vision of hope and life in Advent.

What is Advent?

The Advent period is four weeks that begins on the Sunday before Christmas. It is usually celebrated on the Sunday before Christmas.

This holiday season is a time for expectant waiting and preparation. This holiday season celebrates the Nativity of Christ at Christmas and the Second Coming of Christ.

Advent is the beginning or the end of the liturgical calendar for Western Christianity. It is also used in Eastern Orthodoxy during the 40-day Nativity Fast.

Advent is derived from the Latin phrase adventus, which means ” coming.” It also refers to the Greek word parousia, a translation that means arrival. This refers to the arrival of Jesus Christ into the world. These are the meanings of ” coming“, according to scholars.

Advent is often viewed as a joyful occasion. However, it is meant to be a season for preparation, similar to Lent. During this time, Christians should be practicing prayer and meditation. Although Advent isn’t as strict as Lent, it is intended to be a time of self-preparation.

Advent and Christianity

Advent is not just about the celebration of Christ’s birth. There are many other aspects to Advent. Christians are anticipating two events according to Christian teaching. These events include the fulfillment of Christ’s promise of his first coming and the still-to-be-fulfilled promise of his second coming.

Advent includes the anticipation of Jesus’ birth, as described by prophets such as Isaiah in the Old Testament. This is what Christian theology refers to as the ” First Coming.”

They believe in Jesus’ return at the end of days. They believe Jesus will return to the world to make things right and end all suffering and death. They call this the ” Second coming.” Setting aside some time for quietness and austerity during Advent is important. Advent reminds Christians to wait for the Second Coming and be encouraged.

Advent symbols

Each holiday season has its traditions and symbols. These symbols will remind us to keep our eyes on Jesus Christ’s coming. Advent traditions include keeping an Advent Calendar and lighting Advent candles.

Advent Calendars

Since the 19th century, the Advent Calendar tradition has been in existence. German Protestants used this to mark the days leading up to Christmas. They rubbed off 24 chalk lines every day of December to mark a door.

Advent calendars for Christians have a spiritual message that conveys hope and anticipation. It is a useful tool for Christian families. An advent calendar can help us recall and reflect on Jesus’s coming.

Advent calendars are customarily started on December 1 and count down to Christmas Day. The paper calendar became popular in Germany in the 1900s. Gerhard Lang, a German printer, was the first to print printed Advent calendars. In the 1920s, the first calendar to feature ‘doors’ was created. They contained a Bible verse or devotional photo hidden behind each door.

Advent calendars are a popular way to involve children during the holiday season. Each family has its style of the Advent calendar. Some families place Christ at the center of their Advent calendar and use the nativity-themed one. Many parents teach their children how to make charm bracelets. Many people have chocolate-filled calendars. These calendars allow families to enjoy the Advent tradition.

Advent Wreaths and Candles

In 1839, the Advent wreath was created in Germany. A Lutheran minister made a wreath from a wheel on a cart. The ring contains twenty small red candles and four large white candles. The red candles are lit during weekdays, and the white candles are on Sundays.

The advent wreath was eventually made from evergreens. Evergreens symbolize everlasting life, as they remain green throughout the year. The ring symbolizes God’s unending love and the everlasting life He gives. The Advent wreath often contains four candles. Each Sunday is a new day, and a new candle is lit to celebrate Christmas. Advent candles remind us that Jesus came to lighten a dark world.

The tradition of Advent candles corresponds to the themes of each week in Advent.

The first candle, also known as the Prophet’s Candle, symbolizes hope. It symbolizes hope and the way the Old Testament prophet Isaiah waited for the Messiah.

It is also known as Bethlehem’s Candle and represents faith. Like King David, the Messiah was predicted to be born at Bethlehem.

The third candle, also known as the Shepherd’s Candle, symbolizes joy. It is a sign of the shepherd’s joy at Jesus’s willingness to come for people such as them, who are humble and unimportant.

The fourth candle, also known as the ” Angels Candle,” symbolizes peace. Jesus was the angel who announced peace. It’s a reminder of the angel’s message: Peace on Earth and goodwill towards men.

Sometimes a fifth candle is placed in the middle and then lit on Christmas Day. It is known as ” Christ’s Candle” because it represents light and purity.

Advent Traditions

The Jesse tree is a must-have for the four Sundays in Advent. The Jesse tree is a family tradition that focuses on God’s thread of redemption. This tradition was created in the medieval church using carvings and stained-glass windows. These are often placed in Churches to aid people in understanding the Bible.

What do the four Advent weeks represent?

A particular theme or focus marks each Sunday of Advent. Each theme is intended to allow time for reflection on the true meaning and purpose of Advent – Jesus Christ’s life. This season’s purpose should be to worship Jesus Christ and to bring a sincere heart before God. The Advent Readings are a way for churches to lead their congregations to celebrate Advent. This tradition involves reading a different type of Scripture every Sunday during Advent.

Week 1: Hope or Promise

Hope implies that we have no control over what happens. Hope is a different word. Security assurance and hope, as expressed in, is the Bible. Hope is found in the Bible. It means to trust in a trustworthy God. It is crucial during times of distress and trials.

We anticipate the arrival of our Savior, just like the prophets of the Bible. Isaiah 9 6-7. We long for a Savior to free us from sin and slavery. The Old Testament reveals that the Israelites desired a Messiah to rescue them from their enemies. The One who will save them from their greatest enemy is their sin. This is the beginning of Advent. It’s a reminder to reflect on His coming and reach out to Him in the hope that He will guide us through the darkness.

This week Christians light the first candle. The Prophecy Candle is purple and symbolizes hope.

Week 2: Preparation and Waiting

The preparation for Christ’s coming is the second week of Advent. Luke 3:4-6 John the Baptist prepares for Jesus’ arrival. John encouraged his listeners to prepare their lives so that the Lord might come to them. This week serves as a reminder of the messages of repentance and forgiveness that John The Baptist preached when he prepared the way to Jesus.

This means that Jesus will forgive your sins if you accept Him as your Lord and Savior. To ” prepare” is to remove the baggage from the past and doubts from the present. This means that Jesus will forgive your sins when you accept Him as your Lord, Savior, and Lord. In this way, you are inviting the King into your life. The Messiah will then take it from there.

This week, the second candle is lit. It’s also called the Bethlehem Candle. This purple candle represents faith. It serves as a reminder of Jesus‘s birth.

Week 3: Joy or peace

The joy we experience through Jesus’ birth, and the salvation He offers us, is expressed on the third Sunday. This week is the turning point in Advent. This week was the turning point for Advent. It was where Christians went from hope and preparation to joy. Gaudete Sunday is the beginning of Advent. Latin for Gaudete is ” rejoice.”

Philippians 4:4-5 celebrates this week’s passage to ” rejoice ” for ” indeed, the Lord is near.” The ultimate joy comes when Christ dwells within us. Christ is near, and we will fully experience this ultimate joy at His second coming.

The third Sunday in Advent is when the pink candle is used. The Shepherd’s Candle highlights the joy experienced by shepherds when they heard the good news of Christ’s birth. The Christian experience is incomplete without the ultimate joy found in Christ.

Week 4: Love and Adoration

The fourth Sunday in Advent is when churches light the love candle, or “Angel’s Candle”. To mark the end of the prayer, they light the last purple candle. Christians prepare for Christmas by focusing on God’s love in the final week.

Christmas is about Christ’s love ( John 3:16-19).

The Christ Candle

Some churches light the “Christ Candle” in addition to the love candle. This candle is placed in the middle of the Advent wreath. Traditional Christmas candle lighting occurs in churches.

The white color of this candle symbolizes purity, innocence, and blamelessness. It represents the role of Jesus Christ in the Christmas story. Jesus’s arrival as a child on the earth shows how he brought light to this world.

Conclusion

Advent is when we can be more involved with the meaning and possibilities of living as a Christian community. It reminds us to prepare for Christmas and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It is to be alert and attentive when He returns. Jesus shouldn’t find us sleeping. This season should be about Jesus.

Families can start a tradition at the celebration. It can be an opportunity to share the words and wisdom of God with children. Tell stories about the beginning of Christmas for young people. The true meaning of Christmas is to celebrate hope, peace, love, and the joy that comes with it.

Thank you for reading about the meaning of advent.