Galatians 4:4-5

Philippians 1:9-11

Advent begins today; Christmas season is here once again.

So what about Advent? Every time we talk about Advent, we talk about a moment of waiting. Advent, generally speaking, is waiting for something that’s coming.

As we adopt that general description for Advent, isn’t it true that all of life is about waiting?

Isn’t our life marked by several waits, both mundane and serious ones?

We are waiting for that elusive diploma.
We are waiting for a delayed parcel.
We are waiting for news from the surgery room.
We are waiting to be noticed by someone we like.
We are waiting for a good compensation.
We are waiting to get pregnant.
We are waiting for an approved working visa.
We are waiting for the weekend to come.
We are waiting for a joyful marriage.
We are waiting for the details of our new direction.
We are waiting for a new car or a new home.

Indeed, all of life is about waiting. We are always waiting.

As we reflect upon these, have you given thought about the emotions evoked every time we wait? If we are honest enough, we would say that normally, we wait rather anxiously and fearfully, sometimes in unbelief. Why is that so? Because the truth is, we are never good at waiting. We love tossing the words, “worshiping while waiting”, when in reality, we are actually sinning while waiting. History tells us humans are never good at waiting.

We did say that Advent is waiting. But we have to be careful not to use those two words interchangeably because Advent is used exclusively. While we wait for cars, jobs, and diplomas that may or may never come, Advent always points to something that is surely coming. So Advent really is waiting for that which is truly coming. Advent doesn’t shut the door on hope. Advent infuses hope; it arouses excitement and joy for the lonely hope-deferred individuals.

This is what this season is all about. Advent consists of the weeks leading towards Christmas—the day Christ was born, manifested in the flesh, as decided in eternity past all for the purpose of saving unworthy perpetual sinners like us. And for us Christians, this is a season that demands deep thought and reflection. We start rethinking where our joy is really latched. Is it on something temporal or something eternal? Is there anything weightier than the salvation of our souls? Is there a greater news than Christ born in a manger? Is there any greater involvement than witnessing this great news of great joy?

Beloved, if today you are broken, troubled, and anxious because your wait seems endless, then let this season teach you that you may not find all that you are wishing for in the vicinity of your home, but the ultimate gift this world could ever have is in your possession. Can anything be greater than Christ with us and us being in Christ?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.”

Moreover, Advent is actually two-pronged. Advent is not just all about the celebration of Christmas. There is also an upcoming advent, a time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth, a time when Jesus will make all things new! Advent then is not merely about the birth of Christ, but it is about everything since the birth of Jesus. We are in this period; we are in a season of waiting. As believers, we all wait for Jesus’ coming again in glory, when His reign shall be on earth as it is in heaven. The glory of that day far outweighs the agony of this present day.

We are always in advent.

Devotional Questions

What are some things you are currently waiting for? Simply describe your emotions as you wait for these things.

How excited are you for the Second Coming of Christ? How does that reality change your perspective about life today?

Prayer

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Luke 2:8-14

Isaiah 6:3

The employment of three repetitions is a literary formula used to show a great emphasis on a certain subject. Among the many attributes of God, Isaiah 6:3 records one description using this formula; it reads, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty”.

Just how holy is “Holy, Holy, Holy” though?

There are many ways to answer that, but an easy way to understand this is by looking into people's tangible experiences with God recorded in Scriptures called theophanies. Theophanies are simply God-visits. Many of these divine theophanies are seen in the Old Testament.

The Lord's visit to Abraham was culminated by a proclamation of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. A vile Jacob came out limping after an encounter with the Lord. Whether it’s a burning bush, a pillar of cloud and fire, or the rumblings of thunder at the foot of Sinai, one thing is quite clear: In these recorded visits by the Lord, people aren't seen coming out apathetic or giggling in laughter. They are nothing close to those chill afternoons of ours doing quiet time at coffee shops. People would crouch down in holy fear every time the Lord showed up.

As seen in the Bible, the absolute holiness of God rouses terror, and during His visits, no one dares to come too close, lest they be overwhelmed and consumed by His holiness. So yes, these God-visits can be comforting, but at the same time, they are terrifying.

Think about it. For the Israelites, God’s presence during the exodus brought great comfort, but it also came with a great sense of fear and reverence. Even the place of God’s presence in the temple was called "the holy of holies." People knew there is a certain danger to the holiness of God.

But why do divine theophanies happen anyway? Usually, many of these God-visits are covenant-driven. God shows up in the midst and on behalf of His people.

So, where is Christmas in all of these?

Here it is: Because these God-visits are covenant-driven, Jesus was born as a fulfillment of God’s promise to His people. And so, in Bethlehem, God shows up once again. But this time around, it is no longer merely a visitation! In the Incarnation, God's intent was not just to visit man, but to actually dwell with man! We are now in the permanence of the divine.

Christmas, then, should be thought of as a holy moment. Christmas is a divine moment.

We have to be careful not to get caught up with just a sentimentalized celebration of Christmas, but we have to understand that an utterly holy moment such as this requires divine prostration—it deserves worship!

Beloved, every time you celebrate Christmas, always have this in mind, you are celebrating the birth of Deity, and your humanity should shiver.

Yes, of course, this season is a season to celebrate. It is a season of merry-making too. But let us be aware not to go circling in the secular trappings of Christmas, for celebrating it without understanding the holiness of the moment will mute its power.

There is a seriousness to Christmas. It is a divine moment. In Luke 2:8-14, the news about Jesus’ birth brought fright first before joy. We have become accustomed to the idea of a happy celebration devoid of holiness. Let us not be indifferent to the message of Christmas. Let us approach Christ the same way the pagan wise men did, the same way the shepherds did—in fear and reverence.

Christmas is both merry and holy.

Devotional Questions

If Christmas is a holy moment, how do you think should you celebrate it?

What will you incorporate into your celebration to remind you of its holiness?

Prayer

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Romans 5:10-11

Colossians 1:21-22

We love to celebrate Christmas together with our family and friends.

We hold numerous Christmas parties. Each one for the different groups of friends we have. We practice our Christmas performances with our workmates and desperately try to buy those last-minute gifts for them. We go back to our hometowns and experience a reunion of sorts with friends and relatives we have not seen in a long time. We reconcile and reconnect with those we have become distant. And we wait for the strike of midnight while having our Noche Buena with our family.

The bottom line is, this season brings out our love for others. It reminds us how valuable relationships are.

This should come as no surprise because we are designed for relationships. No matter how introverted we may be, no person can live on his own. We all yearn for love, friendship, acceptance — all of which are only possible through relationships.

But what is it in this season that causes us to show love to others so much? Why do we go the extra mile to extend generosity, compassion, and forgiveness? Is it merely the built-up hype of the holidays that has become a yearly tradition? The warm fuzzy feelings we get when we post about it online? Or is it the self-imposed pressure to get everything right for Christmas?

No, none of them are reason enough. If we are moved only by the hype of the holidays, then this season will only exhaust us. We must look into the heart of why this season is so worth celebrating.

We must start at the beginning.

When Adam and Eve were created, they enjoyed having perfect communion with God. They were in paradise, but when they sinned against Him, that communion was severed. That could have been the end to our story. Man sinned against God, was eternally separated from Him, and was destined to be condemned because of the sins he has committed. Forever trying to fix what he can never restore.

But in His mercy and grace, God did not abandon man. Though there was no need, no reason for God to extend His grace and fix the mess mankind had done, God would restore and rescue humanity Himself. He promised that a savior would come, a savior who would take away the sins of the world.

This Savior is the reason why we celebrate Christmas. This season is first and foremost, a celebration of the coming of that promised Savior. A centuries-long promise finally fulfilled, God dwelling among us, in the flesh as Jesus Christ. Like Moses, David, and many others had a mission to save people, so too did Jesus — to rescue humanity from slavery to sin. A mission He would fulfill by dying on the cross for our sins.

In doing so, He would assure us of our salvation and reconciliation with God. What man could not fix, Christ did. Through Christ, the veil had been torn, the broken communion between God and man was now restored. And those who received Christ and believed in His name became children of God. We who were once enemies of God had been reconciled to Him. A grand reunion had happened.

When we look back at this when we pause to contemplate on the immense love God has done for us, we cannot help ourselves but show love and kindness to others as well. This, friends, is where we should draw upon our love for others — God’s love.

We may have heard of that phrase many times, but I hope we do not become overfamiliar with the vastness and depth of God’s love. For it was God's love on full display when He sent His one and only Son to die on the cross for our sins. A death we should have died.

And so, being recipients of this ultimate act of love given to humanity, let us live lives that reflect God's love. Lives that have become a tangible example of God's love for people.

Devotional Questions

How does Jesus' sacrifice affect your relationships?

Are there people in your life who have been a great blessing to you this year? What are some simple ways you could do to show your appreciation to them?

Are there people in your life that you need to reconnect or reconcile with? What are some steps that you could do?

Prayer

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Waiting

Colossians 1:21-22

We love to celebrate Christmas together with our family and friends.

We hold numerous Christmas parties. Each one for the different groups of friends we have. We practice our Christmas performances with our workmates and desperately try to buy those last-minute gifts for them. We go back to our hometowns and experience a reunion of sorts with friends and relatives we have not seen in a long time. We reconcile and reconnect with those we have become distant. And we wait for the strike of midnight while having our Noche Buena with our family.

The bottom line is, this season brings out our love for others. It reminds us how valuable relationships are.

This should come as no surprise because we are designed for relationships. No matter how introverted we may be, no person can live on his own. We all yearn for love, friendship, acceptance — all of which are only possible through relationships.

But what is it in this season that causes us to show love to others so much? Why do we go the extra mile to extend generosity, compassion, and forgiveness? Is it merely the built-up hype of the holidays that has become a yearly tradition? The warm fuzzy feelings we get when we post about it online? Or is it the self-imposed pressure to get everything right for Christmas?

No, none of them are reason enough. If we are moved only by the hype of the holidays, then this season will only exhaust us. We must look into the heart of why this season is so worth celebrating.

We must start at the beginning.

When Adam and Eve were created, they enjoyed having perfect communion with God. They were in paradise, but when they sinned against Him, that communion was severed. That could have been the end to our story. Man sinned against God, was eternally separated from Him, and was destined to be condemned because of the sins he has committed. Forever trying to fix what he can never restore.

But in His mercy and grace, God did not abandon man. Though there was no need, no reason for God to extend His grace and fix the mess mankind had done, God would restore and rescue humanity Himself. He promised that a savior would come, a savior who would take away the sins of the world.

This Savior is the reason why we celebrate Christmas. This season is first and foremost, a celebration of the coming of that promised Savior. A centuries-long promise finally fulfilled, God dwelling among us, in the flesh as Jesus Christ. Like Moses, David, and many others had a mission to save people, so too did Jesus — to rescue humanity from slavery to sin. A mission He would fulfill by dying on the cross for our sins.

In doing so, He would assure us of our salvation and reconciliation with God. What man could not fix, Christ did. Through Christ, the veil had been torn, the broken communion between God and man was now restored. And those who received Christ and believed in His name became children of God. We who were once enemies of God had been reconciled to Him. A grand reunion had happened.

When we look back at this when we pause to contemplate on the immense love God has done for us, we cannot help ourselves but show love and kindness to others as well. This, friends, is where we should draw upon our love for others — God’s love.

We may have heard of that phrase many times, but I hope we do not become overfamiliar with the vastness and depth of God’s love. For it was God's love on full display when He sent His one and only Son to die on the cross for our sins. A death we should have died.

And so, being recipients of this ultimate act of love given to humanity, let us live lives that reflect God's love. Lives that have become a tangible example of God's love for people.

Devotional Questions

How does Jesus' sacrifice affect your relationships?

Are there people in your life who have been a great blessing to you this year? What are some simple ways you could do to show your appreciation to them?

Are there people in your life that you need to reconnect or reconcile with? What are some steps that you could do?

Prayer

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