When I was a kid, nothing felt more electric than December. My brothers and I would crouch under the tree and inspect the presents like amateur detectives. We shook the boxes, guessed the contents, and swore we heard clues through the wrapping paper. The anticipation was almost painful. Christmas was close, yet not close enough. Every morning felt like stepping into a countdown you could practically feel in your bones!
That childhood excitement is a faint echo of what Advent is meant to stir in us.
Advent is the four week season leading up to Christmas, a time when Christians slow down long enough to remember that God’s story moves toward hope, not despair. The word Advent means arrival. It looks back at Jesus being born in Bethlehem, and forward to Jesus returning again. It is waiting, but not the bored kind. Advent is the waiting of someone who knows something good is coming.
Throughout the season, many churches light candles that mark the themes found in Scripture. Each theme tells part of a bigger story.
Hope
Hope is more than wishful thinking. Biblical hope rests on God’s track record, not our mood. Israel cried out under oppression, and God heard them. We hope for the same reason our spiritual ancestors hoped. God is faithful. God keeps His promises. When you feel stuck, God invites you to lift your eyes again because hope has a name, and His name is Jesus!
Peace
Peace in the Bible is not just the absence of conflict. It is the presence of wholeness, what Scripture calls shalom. It is life the way it is supposed to be. Jesus came as the Prince of Peace to mend what is broken in us and around us. If you feel tired, fragmented, or stretched thin, Advent reminds you that God is committed to making you whole again.
Joy
Joy is not a mood. It is a settled confidence that God is at work, even when life feels heavy. The angels announced good news of great joy because the arrival of Jesus changed everything. Joy grows as we remember what God has done, and it strengthens us in suffering. Advent invites us to choose joy, to practice joy, and to remember the joy that comes from knowing Christ!
Love
Love is God’s very nature. The Christmas story is the ultimate expression of that love. Jesus came not because we earned it, but because mercy moved Him toward us. Advent reminds us that love costs something, love sacrifices something, and love imitates the heart of God for the world. When we love others, we reflect the God who loved us first.
All of this leads to the final candle.
The Christ Candle
On Christmas Eve, we light the fifth candle. It represents Jesus Himself, the fulfillment of every longing. Hope finds its anchor in Him. Peace finds its source in Him. Joy finds its strength in Him. Love finds its definition in Him. The Christ candle declares that the waiting is over. The Light has come, and the darkness cannot overcome it!
A Closing Thought
Advent invites us to slow down, breathe deeply, and remember that God has not forgotten us. Whatever your year has held, there is hope for you, peace for you, joy for you, and love for you in Jesus.
If you do not have a church family to walk through this season with, we would love for you to join us at Alinea Church. Our services meet every Sunday at 9 and 10:30 AM, and we will celebrate Christmas Eve together at 4:30 PM.
Come expectant. Come hopeful. Come ready to experience Advent.
