Advent—Hope
A new year begins not with fanfare or fireworks, but with a flicker — a single flame lit in the darkness. This is how the Church begins its calendar: in quiet expectation. Advent invites us into a rhythm of looking back and looking forward. It’s a season of holy wonder, a time to stand in awe at the promises of God that stretch from the garden to the manger, from the prophets to the cross, from our present struggles to our eternal future.
In this first week of Advent, we begin with hope.
Not a fragile wish or vague optimism, but the deep, steady assurance that
Jesus is our hope.
Hope for the reality of forgiveness.
Hope for the truth of our identity.
Hope for the resurrection.
Hope for eternity with Father, Son, and Spirit.
The whole Old Testament speaks to this longing. Its poetry, its prophecies, and even its pain points us toward the coming of the Messiah. And now, we live in the in-between, between the first Advent of Christ and his promised return. And so, we wait, not in fear, but in faithful hope.
As we begin the new year in the worship calendar, let us ask ourselves: Where are we placing our hope? How might we reflect Christ’s hope to others this season?
In Matthew 24, Jesus speaks of the day and hour no one knows — the moment of his return.
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
Matthew 24:36-44
Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Jesus doesn’t give us a date — he gives us a posture:
Stay awake. Stay ready. Stay rooted in hope.
The hope of Advent is not wishful thinking.
It is anchored in the faithfulness of God —
A God who keeps promises.
A God who entered our world and walks with us still.
In this season of Advent, let us watch and wait with hope, trusting in the One who has come, who is with us now, and who will come again in glory.
