Advent is a word that means “coming” or “arrival.”

It is a season for Christians which look back at Jesus’ first coming as our Savior, and forward to his second coming as our Judge. Just as John the Baptist told the Jewish people to “prepare” for the Lord’s coming, we need to encourage each other to be ready for His coming again when he will fulfill God’s promises and renew all things. As Isaiah the prophet says, “Prepare the way for the Lord... The glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together” (Isaiah 40:3-5).

So what do we do during Advent?

We wait and we prepare ourselves. We commit ourselves to spiritual renewal through weekly Sunday morning gatherings and daily meditation through daily readings (see below). We tell others about the fulfilled promise in Jesus’ coming as a baby and his return to be King and to put the world to right.

Lastly, the advent season points us to the final prayer in the Bible,“Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20).