The Lodestar

The chilly winds of winter are signalling the arrival of the most wonderful time of the year, and it’s too hard to contain all the excitement. With November closing in at the finish line, Christians all over the globe have started decking up their houses to mark the beginning of the Advent season.

This term, “Advent”, has become so familiar within Christian circles that most of us use it casually every year without understanding its meaning and significance. The general notion behind the term “Advent” is that it marks the period of anticipation of Christ’s birth leading up to Christmas. This is only the tip of the iceberg! Advent holds a greater spiritual and theological value that you must understand to make your celebration more meaningful.

The Advent season is celebrated worldwide among Christians to ignite the spirit of Christmas. In Western Christianity, it also marks the beginning of the New Liturgical Year. According to the liturgical calendars of the Western Rite of the Orthodox Church, Lutheran, Moravian, Presbyterian, Anglican, and Methodist congregations, the Advent season begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and continues till the end of Christmas Eve on December 24. On the other hand, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the Advent season from the Sunday's first Evening Prayer (First Vespers), which falls on November 30 or is the closest to it. It ends before the First Evening Prayer of Christmas.

The English term “Advent” is derived from the Latin word “Adventus”, which is a compound verb made of “ad” (to) and “venire” (come). The Old Latin word “Advenire” later transitioned into “Adventus” which means arrival. It was rendered from the Greek word “Parousia, " meaning “coming.” The New Testament writers have used this word to refer to the “Second Coming of Christ” or the “Eschatological Return” of Christ. Originally, it referred to signal the arrival of the Roman emperor with all his splendour after a victory in battle. It also signified the birthday of the Royal Leader.

Later, the term came to be associated with a period of preparation before the Christmas day. In the late fifth century A.D., Bishop Perpetuus of Tours reportedly inaugurated a fast before Christmas, commencing on November 11, which is Saint Martin’s Day. Later, in 567, the Council of Tours also mentioned an “Advent Season.” While it is unclear when the Church observed the first Advent season, the above-mentioned events are what led to its traditional formation.

Considering the meaning of the term “Advent” and the traditional aspects revolving around it, there are three major theological implications related to it:

Celebrating the Incarnated Christ: First and foremost, the Advent season directs all attention to celebrating the historical birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, which unfolded dramatically as several Messianic prophecies from the Old Testament came to pass. The Gospel writers perfectly record this period of anticipation as significant characters in the narrative receive the Good News in varied forms. The Fourth Gospel writer knits together a beautiful expression in his prologue to refer to the Incarnated Christ, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 NIV).

Celebrating the Indwelling Christ: Advent not only remembers the birth of Christ in history but also signifies His arrival in the hearts of the believers. In His High-Priestly Prayer, recorded in John 17, Jesus prayed for his believers and those who were to come to faith upon hearing the message of the disciples. He petitioned the Father that “…they (believers) may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity.” Thus, Advent is also observed as a period of great spiritual preparation to invite Jesus into your heart.

Celebrating the Eschatological Christ: The third aspect of Advent focuses on the Second Coming of Christ. “Eschaton” stands for the end of times or the last days when Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. It is one of the pillars of Christian beliefs. Thus, while celebrating the Advent season, a believer also looks forward to the coming of the Eschatological Christ.

(Ishi Dass is from Delhi and works as a freelance Content Writer. He is a Bachelor of Divinity graduate from the Luther W New Jr. Theological College. He is zealous for the Scriptural truth, and it is his vision to take this truth to as many people of God as possible through exegetical research.)