In Faith We Remember, In Hope We Anticipate
Advent is upon us. Happens every year, so you would think that we would get bored with it or take it for granted or even forget about it. But, given what Advent means, what it leads to, it is quite a blessing that it comes around every year.
Advent is Latin for “the coming”. The essence of the season is the anticipation, the eagerness for what is yet ahead. Advent is the period of time when Christians are looking forward to the coming of Christ, when our thoughts are straining ahead to that time where we mark Christ's appearing, when the closer it comes the more we yearn for its fulfillment.
But, what “coming of Christ” are we talking about here? Given the way our calendar works, Advent leads up to Christmas—the celebration of when Christ was born. But, historically in the Church, Advent anticipated, not the birth of Jesus, but His second coming, His coming in glory at the end of the age. Christians focused on the promise that Jesus was coming again to rule in power, conquering Satan, judging sin, restoring the world. Advent was not a time of preparing for the Christmas season, but preparing for the future victorious return of the Lord to His world.
Over time, Advent shifted to include our anticipation of the celebration of Jesus' first coming, His birth on Christmas day. We remember, even re-enact, the time before His birth where God's people eagerly awaited the Messiah. In the Old Testament, the Israelites had been told by the Lord that He would act to save them. For centuries they awaited that fulfillment, resting in God's Word.
And so, Advent is a time of building on the past promises of God; and, resting on those promises, we lean into the future. In the Old Testament, God's people trusted His Word and anticipated the coming of the Messiah. Today, the Church looks back on the first coming of Jesus and eagerly expects His return in glory. Advent is not wishful thinking, but a faithful anticipation of the fulfillment of the promises of God.
This week we begin to go through the Advent Season together. For four Sundays we will together be expecting the Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy of our Lord, all leading up to the coming of Jesus. For this Sunday, anticipating the hope of the Messiah, please read Psalm 33.
1. What is the author’s main goal in this psalm? If you had to summarize this psalm, say, to a ten-year-old, how would you do it?
2. What are the reasons the psalmist gives for worshipping God? How often do they influence/impact you?
3. In verse 18, what does it mean to fear the Lord? How does this verse help explain what the phrase means?
4. In verse 18, what is the connection between fear of the Lord, God’s love, and our hope?
5. The psalmist identifies the end goal/result of our hope as listed in verse 19—how is that reflected in your life?
6. In verse 20, how are the two phrases connected? We wait for the Lord… He is our help and shield. What connects them?
7. This section describes not only truths about God, but also how we are to respond to those truths. How so?
