The First Sunday of Advent - The Prophecy Candle - Sunday, November 27th

Advent begins four weeks before Christmas, and ends with Christmas Eve. From the ancient Church calendar to now, it is traditionally a time set aside to remember the Lord, to remember His promise of a Savior, and to remember the fulfillment of that promise in the Lord Jesus' birth in Bethlehem.   As Beth A. Richardson writes in The Uncluttered Heart, "Advent is often the busiest time of the year. And yet, we are called to make time and prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ."

Lord, quiet our hearts, and prepare our hearts to hear what You might say to us this season.  You are near, and we don't want to miss You.


"Advent" comes from the Latin adventus, meaning "the approach" or "the arrival." Since the time of The Fall, God's people were watching and waiting for "the arrival" of the Savior.
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
- Genesis 3:15

Then, at the perfect time, God sent His Son into the world, to save the world.
"But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law," -Galatians 4:4

The Infinite became an infant; the Eternal One stepped out of eternity and into time; the Omnipotent One became a helpless babe.
"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."  John 1:14

The Savior, the Messiah, was to be born in Bethlehem.
"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.  His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”  Micah 5:2

He will be a descendant of Abraham.
"And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”   -Genesis 12:3


He was to be born of a virgin.
"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel."  Isaiah 7:14

His way will be prepared.
"A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. “Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."  -Isaiah 40:3-5

“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.  He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”   Malachi 4:5-6


*Over 360 prophecies foretell Jesus as the Messiah. 
The first candle of Advent can also represent the first of the gospels, Matthew.  Interestingly, the gospel of Matthew quotes the Old Testament more than any other gospel.  Authored by a Jewish tax collector, the gospel of Matthew is written for the Jews and presents Jesus as 'the Son of David,' connecting Him to the lineage of King David-the line through which the Messiah was to come.  A key verse in the book of Matthew is: "....the kingdom of God is at hand." (Mt. 4:17)

God wanted mankind to know His plan to send a Savior, and His prophecies were to help His people
trust, watch, and be ready. What hope and comfort it must have been to God's people to trust in God's promise to send a Savior. What hope and comfort it is to us to read these prophecies and see their fulfillment in Christ's life.  Two thousand years ago the God of the universe came to dwell with us, to redeem us unto Himself, and is near to us today!


The first candle of Advent--the Prophecy Candle--is a candle of Hope.
Behold, I bring you good news of great joy!