I enjoy the Christmas season. I enjoy celebrating Advent.

The first week of Advent is traditionally seen as being a time for looking at hope and faith, having an expectation of the coming Savior. This year, I am using some of the readings from the Revised Common Lectionary.

Let’s get into

Week One of Advent

The world was full of sin, separation, and violence. Israel and Judah were God’s chosen people to spread His glory, but they had essentially failed at being faithful. Israel was already taken into exile, and Jeremiah was living during the time of Judah going into exile.

Jeremiah reminded us that God had established His covenant with King David, that an eternal Kingdom was coming with a descendant of David ruling forever. When this King comes, salvation and peace shall come. The next two verses even include that there will also be an eternal Priest.

This Priestly King will be called “The Lord is our righteousness.” As 1 Corinthians 1:30 reminds us, Christ is our righteousness and redemption, the Lord who sanctifies us.

We now know who this Priestly King is, and we must submit ourselves to His rule. And our hope is for eternity, knowing that Christ will come again. As said in Luke 21:25-36, this world will pass away, but He and His word will last forever, so we must prepare ourselves for His next coming.

The Hope of mankind has come and is coming, so let us repent of our sins, changing the way we think and act, worshiping the Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity of the Godhead, that we may be ready when He returns. We have hope only if we are found in Christ.

Believe in the coming Son.

Prayer:

Lord, we have sinned against You and You alone. You are our only hope. Grant us the grace to repent, the strength to follow You, and the will to love others through the gospel and serving each other until You return. Show us the hope we have in Your life, death, and resurrection, and by the power of the Holy Spirit guide us in all truth until You return.