Advent Readings 2024
Advent Week 1:
READING:
This morning we light the first candle of Advent. In doing so we begin a series where we examine our
hearts as we expectantly wait for the coming of Christmas. We do this as a church family by looking at 4
characters that demonstrate postures of the heart. The first is Mary.
Mary had many reactions to her newly established role in the cosmic story of the gospel.
In response to the angel’s presence - Luke 1:29 says,
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
In response to her sister, Elizabeth’s, rejoicing - Luke 1:46-47 says
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
In response to the shepherds worship - Luke 2:16-19 says
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this
child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured
up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
In response to Simeon’s statement of joy - Luke 2:33 says
The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.
Mary’s whole life turned upside down in a few months. The first Christmas was holy, divinely orchestrated
from the beginning of time, and yet was human, complicated and crunched.
Welcome to advent season. It usually is lived out at the corner of sacred and stressed.
Today we learn from Mary, who literally carried the weight of the needs of the whole world at the first
Christmas. She did this while under financial, physical and relational stress. Yet God gave her grace that
she remained still enough in her heart to pay attention and remain curious; taking time to be aware of the
treasure of what was really happening.
PRAYER:
Father,
Grant us grace to be discerning and attentive, deeply present in every moment of this advent
season. Give us wisdom to know what to celebrate, buy, attend and participate in and when to
refrain. Please help these next few weeks be filled with quiet awareness of Your God-with-us
presence. We worship you for the treasure of Christ.
Advent Week 2:
READING:
This morning, we light the second candle of Advent, continuing our journey of examining the postures of the heart through four characters from the Christmas story. Today, we look to the Wise Men.
The Wise Men were not part of the Jewish community, yet their actions reveal a willing heart to seek Jesus. Their response to the star and the Christ child shows a posture of generosity rooted in obedience, worship, and reverence.
In response to the star’s appearance, Matthew 2:2 says: "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."
In response to their journey’s culmination, Matthew 2:10-11 says: "When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh."
The Wise Men’s posture of generosity began with their seeking. They prioritized Jesus above their own comfort and convenience. It continues in their worship, bowing low before Jesus in joyful humility. It culminates in their sacrificial giving, presenting gifts of great value, both material and symbolic.
Advent reminds us that generosity is not just a noble heart posture—it originated with God. A generous God sent His only Son, Jesus, to live among us and save us from our sin. Like the Wise Men, we are invited to respond by generously offering Christ our hearts, time, and resources. This Christmas season, let us reflect on their posture—a posture modeled after our generous God Himself. Let’s pray together.
PRAYER:
Father, You are the giver of every good gift, and You showed the ultimate generosity in sending Your Son, Jesus, to save us. This Advent season, may we mirror the posture of the Wise Men—seeking You first, worshiping with joy, and giving sacrificially from hearts of gratitude. Teach us to live generously, not only with our resources but also with our time and attention. Help us to make space in our busy lives to truly honor You. Amen.
Advent Week 3:
Reading:
This morning we light the third candle of Advent. We have looked at the heart postures of Mary and the wise men. Today we look at Joseph and his heart posture of sacrificial obedience to God. Joseph is the unsung hero of the Christmas story. He has no recorded words in the Scriptures, but his actions speak volumes about who he was. Although his role in the Christmas story might seem small, it certainly wasn’t insignificant. We can learn a lot from Joseph’s obedient heart.
After the angel had appeared to Joseph in a dream assuring Him that the child was from the Holy Spirit, Matthew 1:24-25 says,
“ When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”
And again when an angel appeared to him in a dream warning him to flee to Egypt to escape Herod who was attempting to kill Jesus, Matthew 2:14 says,
“And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt.”
And last, when Joseph returned to Israel when an angel appeared to him in a dream telling him it was safe to return, Matthew 2:21 tells us,
“And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.”
Joseph’s life was flipped upside down the moment he found out Mary was pregnant. All his expectations of what marriage would be like were thrown out the window. His early life of fatherhood was spent running from a tyrant king. Joseph had every reason to complain or give up. Yet we see Joseph time after time saying “yes” to the Lord in obedience.
This Christmas, what does it look like to give up your wants, your expectations, and your desires and sacrificially obey the Lord? The story of Joseph teaches us to talk less and listen more. It teaches us that obedience requires sacrifice, and following the Lord’s plans means giving up our own.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for this opportunity to stop and reflect on the gift you have given us in your son Jesus. Lord, give us a heart like Joseph’s, brimming with sacrificial obedience to you. God help us know and believe that your plan is so much better than anything we could ever imagine. Lead us in a way of obedience this Christmas and change our hearts to look like yours.
Advent Week 4:
Reading:
This morning we light the fourth candle of Advent. We have looked at the heart posture of Mary who, in the midst of stressful circumstances, maintained a heart of stillness and worship. We have seen the posture of the Wise Men whose worship of Christ was manifested in a spirit of generosity. And the posture of Joseph, who yielded his own agenda and plans to embrace the purposes of God for his life.
Today we look at the story of Simeon, an unknown, elderly man, encountering Jesus 40 days after the infant's birth. Simeon's appearance in Luke 2, portrays the posture of a devoted follower of God patiently waiting for God's promises to be fulfilled.
Jerusalem was filled with people who had self-absorbed agendas and demands. Simeon represents the small, godly remnant of Jews, who waited on God to bring "The ONE" who was the center of all their forefathers' hopes and longings.
He is introduced to us in Luke 2:25.
" There was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ."
By divine appointment, Simeon went to the temple on the very day that Mary and Joseph and Jesus went to fulfill their obligations to the Old Testament law of purification and offerings.
"And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation."
Advent is a season for us to accept a posture of waiting and trusting. It is a time to reflect on the significance of God's promises that Jesus' coming has already fulfilled for us, but also to rest patiently for those yet to be fulfilled.
Prayer
Father, thank you for Your promises that pointed from the Old Testament to Jesus' coming. Thank you also for those promises that we are still waiting to be fulfilled because Jesus came. May all here come to embrace Him as did Simeon, as their Consolation and Savior. Lord, we acknowledge that patient waiting is not our default mode. Please quiet our hearts, and still our minds to wait on Your promises, and to fill our gaze with your Son, our Savior and our hope.