LUKE 1:26-30: In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”

By this time in the story, God’s promise of this Redeemer, King, and Savior has been coming for a very long time. However, in God’s book that he wrote for us there is a really big pause between part one and part two. In fact, this pause is for 400 years! For 400 years, God was silent towards His people. There were no more great prophets like Jeremiah, Isaiah, or Micah as we read about last week. There were no more kings from within God’s people to reign over Israel. Instead, they were ruled by foreign kings. In the midst of this change, God’s people seem to have forgotten about their special and unique relationship with God. When we read this story we have to wonder, is God really going to keep this promise? After all, it is has been so long since he promised a Savior to Adam and Eve, all the way back in the beginning of time. It has been so long since he promised, it seems like he has forgotten all about this!
But quickly and suddenly, God breaks his silence to his people. And he breaks His silence in a mighty way! God shows up and communicates to two people: Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah. He tells them through an angel named Gabriel that they are going to have a baby, but not just any baby- a son that would prepare the people of God for the long awaited Messiah and Savior! This is the very son we read about at the end of last week. This baby was to be named John, and he was going to be full of the Holy Spirit, and he would teach and proclaim about this Savior that was to come during his lifetime. God hasn’t given up on his promises after all! He knew all along exactly when he would fulfill this promise, and who He would use to prepare the way. God is a good Father who keeps his promises and who knows exactly what He is doing, even when we have a hard time understanding what He is doing. This week, we will look at the building anticipation as God sets the stage for his promise to finally be fulfilled.

ISAIAH 40:3-5: A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

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ISAIAH 9:6-7: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

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MICAH 5:2: But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

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ISAIAH 7:14: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel

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JEREMIAH 23:5-6: Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

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Think of a time in your life when you had to wait on something very im- portant... How did that make you feel? Were you patient for this very important thing, or did you have a hard time waiting? How did you feel once you finally got to experience what had been promised?
The hope of all humanity is based on a very important promise from God. This promise comes from a very, very long time ago. All the way back at the beginning of the world, yes the very beginning, God created Adam and Eve. These first two humans on the earth had the choice whether or not to obey God or to disobey him. Unfortunately, they chose to disobey their Creator, and the world that we live in has never been the same. As a result of their actions, things are not the way they were supposed to be!
Despite this reality, God has had a plan all along- and not just any plan, but an incredible promise about a person that would return things to the way they are supposed to be. Humanity would have to wait a very long time for this promise and this person to come, however. In fact, they would have to wait thousands of years! But God is a good Father who keeps his promises.
The promise about this coming person is contained in a book- a book that God himself has written for our benefit. The first part of this book (The Old Testament) is full of hints, clues, and insights of what exactly this promise that is to come is all about. This week, we will take a look at some of these clues and hints, as we build excitement and anticipation for what exactly we are celebrating this Christmas season.

The word adventus is a Latin term meaning “coming.” Early Christians spoke of “The advent of our Lord” in reference to the incarnation (God becoming flesh). As time went on, advent was designated as the period leading up to Christmas Day when Christians prepared for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. The specific celebrations began as early as the 4th century AD. This time period was marked by prayer and fasting with a focused attention on the wonder of the incarnation as well as the hopeful return of Christ at His second coming.

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