My favorite Christmas movie is Home Alone. If you have seen it, you might agree to its description as adventurous, hilarious and sentimental. If you are not familiar with it, here is a brief synopsis: Home Alone is about an 8-year-old boy, Kevin McCallister, who through a series of events is accidently left home alone. As the rest of the family travels to France for a Christmas vacation, he must defend his home from burglars. I won’t spoil it for you so check it out at your leisure.
One of my favorite scenes from the movie is when Kevin ends up in a church building with his “scary” neighbor Marley, and finds himself sitting next to him. After a few minutes of talking and learning about each other, they found out that they were at a common place and could relate to each other. As they learned about what they were both struggling with during the holiday season, Kevin finds out that his neighbor is not as scary as rumor had it. He also finds out that old man Marley was at the church to see his granddaughter, who was in the children’s choir practicing for a show that night. Due to his estranged relationship with his son, he could not attend the show and this was the only way he could see her. It is a scene filled with two people of opposite ages being completely vulnerable to each other, and encouraging one another. After their moment of connection, they were now friends. Marley even ended up helping Kevin in a scene when the burglars came to his house that night (watch the movie to get the rest of the story). Marley’s longing to reconcile with his son and Kevin’s period of anticipation until his family returned home, can both be described as an advent. The Christmas season should remind us of the advent period that we are currently living in. We simply call this life on earth. As followers of Christ, this is the time we have been given to live gospel centered lives in anticipation of Christ’s return.
Derived from the Latin adventus, the word Advent literally means “the coming or arrival.” As Christmas approaches, we look back and remember that starry night in Bethlehem, when in an instant the entire world was changed. As believers, we look back, but we also look forward. We look back and remember that Christ has come and redeemed the world (Eph. 1:7-8, Col. 1:13-14). We look forward in hope to that day when He will come again, making all things new (Rev. 21). Ultimately, it’s not about us needing Advent. Rather, Advent is meant to point us to Christ – the One we all need. As one of my favorite Christmas carols accurately puts it, “Long lay the world in sin and error pining. ‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices…”
The first advent, which was a couple thousand years ago, was one that was filled with surprises. What if we saw this as an invitation to pay attention to what God was doing in the mundane, and not so much the “loud and spectacular”? Hopefully, we might come to experience the surprise of Christmas – the Savior our souls long for, and not all the surrounding noise. Advent, which can be translated as “coming and arrival”, is also used in the New Testament for the second coming of Christ. Since that first advent, we are now living in the second advent when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will return and make all things new. So, as we have entered this advent season, may these verses be a reminder to us of what it is all about:
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” = Isaiah 7:14
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.” = Micah 5:2
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” = Matthew 1:21
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” …He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” = Revelation 22:16, 20
This Advent, my prayer is that we might be awakened to our need for Christ, the worth of our souls. That we might find our hope in Him – whether it is for the first time, or it is a reminder to continually put our trust and hope in Him as The Light of this dark world. We are not a people who merely look to the one moment God broke into history. We await his coming again in glory, when the King’s reign shall be on earth as it is in heaven. So, as we wait in this advent season, may we remember that “Christ has come!” (Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 2:1-21). And may we also be encouraged to look forward in joyful expectation, that “Christ will come again!” (2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 1:7, 22:12).
Have a blessed Advent, my friends; and a joy filled Christmas!
Drink from The Well 
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