As we move into the season of Advent, it might be worthwhile to re-visit the reason we go through this particular season before Christmas. In Latin, adventus means a “coming, approach, or arrival”. In our Christian context, in Advent we wait for the coming, approach, or arrival of Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity: the Messiah who has come to redeem, forgive, and judge. Two Advents But wait — that is not all — there are two Advents. The first Advent was the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem. The second Advent is yet to come. On some day in the future, we will see the Son of Man arriving (adventus) in glory (Mk. 14:62) to judge the world and to make all things new. Both arrivals bring us salvation in their own way. Salvation is the great hope we have as Christians; but these arrivals — these advents — also evoke in us great awe of the Creator who speaks creation into being while redeeming and remaking it by His will. If you’re like me, this particular…
