The Coming Messiah Part One-Our Blessed Hope

 As we begin the season of Advent, we wait for the celebration of the birth of the Messiah.  During these set of devotionals, I’m not in per se going to keep up with what is normally taught in some form of catechism or tradition.  In fact, I’m rather distraught on how the Church has recently been teaching Advent and has made it more a “rigid traditional” system that really loses all meaning when it is taught like that.  It has become something that has limited itself to only defined reading and some archaic worship centered around a wreath of evergreen and colored candles or even just some chocolates that your kids get to eat every day. It just becomes another ordinance and becomes stale to the Christian sadly enough.  Now, if your church recognized that, please don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that your church is wrong.  Those things would be fine if the subject was expounded and taught properly by more and more churches, hopefully it is taught well in your church, for the majority of churches however, it is not. Most of the time it has become, “just something you do around Christmas”.   During my conversations around Christmas, I find very much an ignorance when it comes to the season of Advent.   In fact, I wonder if today’s church has become more like the church in Sardis which Jesus gave this harsh warning in Revelation 3:1-

 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,

‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

We can appear alive and vibrant in our worship through vain practices but can be dead inside.  That is why I really want to focus and teach on the true meaning of Advent.  It truly is a blessed season and one that will go on with us every single day of our lives when we truly understand its meaning.  Before we begin, I want to touch base on what the term, “advent” even means.

The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia.  So, Advent has to do everything with Jesus’ coming.  Not just his First though, but His Second Coming as well.  During this Christmas season, I am going to be teaching both about the prophecies of Jesus’ first coming in the Old Testament, the account of His birth as documented in gospels,  and will be teaching about Jesus’ second coming from both the Old and New Testament.  

The Christmas season is widely known for being a “season of hope.”  Truly, it is a season of hope.  It is a season of hope because we not only remember the first coming and the hope that we have in Jesus, but looking for a blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ as stated in Titus 2:13

13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

It’s important for us as Christians to understand the prophecies about Jesus’ birth and how amazing it was that they were all fulfilled in one man.  In fact, the birth of Jesus is miraculous in and of itself through a virgin birth.  I will be teaching on why a virgin birth is absolutely necessary and if there is any adherence to any other teaching, it is completely heretical and in fact negates and denies the salvation and Lordship of Jesus Christ.  So, understanding Jesus’ first coming is a very big deal.  Not something we can just set back to a Rankin Bass Christmas special.  

As we will be learning about Christ’s first coming, again, I will go over some of the Old Testament prophecies concerning His first coming.  While I will be touching on some familiar prophecies as those found in Isaiah and Micah, I’m going to be going over some of those that are sometimes skipped over and not paid as much attention to.  I really want us to dive deep and see how God kept His promise alive to the Israelites and encouraged them to keep looking, because their Messiah was coming!

This message is still true for the Church today!  We have promises in Scripture and the promise of Jesus Himself that He will return!  A lot of folks are afraid to go over eschatology or “the study of end times” out of fear because of the message and out of fear of understanding.  When most Christians begin to dive into the prophecies of Daniel, Ezekiel, the Revelation, and other prophetic books, they begin to steer away because of a feeling that the language is too hard to understand.  We are going to be taking our time through it teaching it slowly and as simply as I possibly can.  I believe by the end of the teaching, you will realize that prophecy really isn’t scary at all!  In fact, you will begin to enjoy it for it’s true purpose and meaning, to bring us hope.  

The Christmas season truly is a season of hope and what better hope is there than in our Lord Jesus Christ and to know that He is coming!  The babe in a manger, the Lamb of God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  We see all of those titles during Christmas.

So, strap in, and get ready for some teaching as we look for our blessed hope.  This is not just some vain thing.  Did you realize that there is a special reward given by the Savior for those who stay excited and look forward to His coming?  

2 Timothy 4:8 says,

8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

So, get your Bibles out and let’s begin this study.  Each day, I’m going to close out with the reading for the next day.  I really would like for you as the reader to read the Scripture the day before, pray over it, absorb it, and jot down any questions you may have in regards to the Scripture.  Feel free to leave any questions in the comments section of this blog and I will try to address them as we go along this journey.  

I love the Christmas season, and I want to share this joyous, hopeful journey with you this season!

Tomorrow’s teaching will be on the prophecy found in Genesis 3:15.  Really pay attention to that specific verse, but please read all of Genesis 3 as we will be talking about the need for a Savior and why Christ had to come.