Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Psalm 85:10 ESV

CONSIDER
Love. The perfect “essential” to focus on this first week of Advent. To explore more about it, check out the Week 1 video, and be encouraged to continue applying the text. As you do, we’re confident that not only will the Holy Spirit empower you to share his extravagant love, but you’ll experience it for yourself as well!

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Who is God asking me to share his extravagant love with?​

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
– Luke 2:14 ESV

GREEK
εὐδοκίας/eudokias: he delights in; he highly desires

CONSIDER
Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
– Charles Wesley

Prolific hymnist Charles Wesley penned this Advent prayer after studying the Old Testament and seeing something he had overlooked for years. The prophet Haggai warned the returning exiles that focusing on their own comfort while neglecting the worship of God would lead to devastation. And yet, in the midst of this warning, Haggai announced that God would not neglect his people. Despite their sin, “The One whom all nations desire will come” (Hag. 2:7) and God’s glory would be revealed through the Messiah. Wesley’s hymn echoes the sentiment of Haggai, pleading for our long-expected Jesus to heal and restore our world.
Although we deserved to suffer the consequences of our own sinful actions, God chose to send Jesus, in part to reveal his glory and offer peace among those eudokias (he delights in, he highly desires). Does he desire us because we are perfectly behaved? Certainly not! Like those in Haggai’s day, we all are often quick to make our comfort and desires our top priority. But when God saw our desperate situation, he refused to let our sin define us and instead gave his Son to reveal his loving character.

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Who is God asking me to share his extravagant love with?

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. – Isaiah 9:6,7 ESV

CONSIDER
Where do you feel the most pressure during the holidays? Whatever the answer, that pressure brings stress, which in turn impacts our peace. And peace is an “essential” we need now more than ever! The good news is that with the arrival of Jesus, the world was introduced to the Prince of Peace himself. We can now move through this Advent season – and life – with a peace that passes understanding! To explore more about it, check out the Week 2 video.

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Where will I exchange stress for peace?

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. – Isaiah 9:6 ESV

HEBREW
שַׂר־ (śar-): chief royal captain, commander

CONSIDER
At the turn of the 19th Century, London was the world’s largest city and prided itself on being the industrial and intellectual capital of the world. Manufacturing had brought people to its many neighborhoods by the thousands, and the reputation of London’s Universities and Colleges was second to none. So it seems a bit odd to us that a ghost story would lead to mass hysteria in the Hammersmith area of the city in the winter of 1803. Several “eyewitnesses” claimed to have seen a tall man in white clothing floating around the Hammersmith churchyard. People even began claiming that the ghost attacked them, heightening the fear in the neighborhood. The hysteria came to a boil when an excise officer shot bricklayer Thomas Milwood to death, afraid he was the Hammersmith ghost because he was wearing white clothing.
This dark chapter in London’s bright history serves as a reminder that fear doesn’t have to be logical to be impactful. Young and old, rich and poor, ignorant and educated are all subject to believing the lies that distress, panic, and worry often whisper to our hearts. Thankfully, the prophet Isaiah saw a day when God would give a son who would be called the Eudokias (chief royal captain, commander) of Peace. Isaiah said that the child who would be born to us would be in charge of peace, commanding it and leveraging it for the glory of the royal line. Jesus would be born, live a sinless life, and die an undeserving death to provide this peace. We can be well-educated and attuned to the rhythm of our culture, but if we don’t recognize where the source of ultimate peace is found we will search for it in all the wrong places. Peace is an essential of Advent because every one of us is in need of the presence of the Eudokias of Peace!

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Where will I exchange stress for 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. – Isaiah 9:7 ESV

HEBREW
קֵ֗ץ/qêṣ: limiting capacity

CONSIDER
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings
– Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

When Charles Wesley penned his now famous hymn, it was originally titled “Hymn for Christmas Day” and focused on the theme of Heaven intersecting with Earth in that lowly Bethlehem manger. Over the centuries, the hymn has been altered until the version we currently sing was adopted in 1961. The first two lines of Wesley’s original song said, “HARK how all the Welkin rings “Glory to the King of Kings.” Its triumphant tone was a tribute to more than the singular event of Jesus’ birth, it was intended to point to the eternal implication of Jesus’ birth for all of creation. Wesley’s lines of hope that include “Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled” echoed the sentiment of Isaiah in today’s verse. The prophet foretold a time when the future Prince of Peace would reign, and “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no qêṣ (limiting capacity).” Isaiah’s use of this noun shows that this peace is so expansive that it can never be limited by any outside factor. The imagery is cosmic: just like the universe is only bound by the will of God, the peace Jesus provided through his coming can only be contained by his command. None of our loneliness, pain, or spiritual darkness can overcome the peace that Christ offers. Regardless of where you feel stressed or broken this season, we can take comfort in the fact that light and life to all he brings!

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Where will I exchange stress for peace?

The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. – Isaiah 52:10 ESV

CONSIDER
Christmas traditions and celebrations are typically happy and positive events, and for good reason. The birth of Jesus is Good News for all, and his arrival has significant implications for our awareness of God’s love for humanity. But if we’re not careful, we can easily confuse a gift we don’t deserve with a reward for something we’ve earned on our own. Check out the Week 3 video for more on how Advent points to God’s salvation on our behalf.

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What do I need to set aside to lean into Jesus’ saving grace?

The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.
– Isaiah 52:10 ESV

HEBREW
וְרָאוּ֙/wə·rā·’ū: will inspect and perceive

CONSIDER
When God closed the door to the ark in Genesis 7, Noah and his family inside immediately entered a state of waiting. They were helpless to rescue themselves from the flood outside the safety of their ark, and could do nothing to make the waters recede. For 150 days, the people prayed for the springs of the deep to dry up. Finally, Noah opened a window in the ark and sent out a raven and a dove to better perceive the condition of the environment. To a group of people who were keenly aware of their need of salvation, looking intently for any sign of hope was just about the best way they could spend their time.
What does Noah’s Ark have to do with Advent? Around 700 years before Jesus’ birth, Isaiah provided a clue. The prophet shared that when the Messiah would come to his people, “the ends of the earth wə·rā·’ū (will inspect and perceive) the salvation of our God.” This arrival would be good news, not just for ethnic Jews, but for all the nations of the world! Isaiah here uses a verb derived from the same word used in Genesis to describe how Noah watched intently for a sign of salvation. The coming of the Messiah is the sign that the weary world has been looking for because, if we’re honest with ourselves, we know that no effort of our own can bring about the rescue we need. Seeing the birth of Jesus for the act of grace that it is will fill our hearts with hope and our lives with joy.

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What do I need to set aside to lean into Jesus’ saving grace?

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.
– Luke 2:32 ESV

GREEK
φῶς/phōs: a source of light, a radiating illumination

CONSIDER
He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

– Annie Johnson Flint, He Giveth More Grace

What do I need to set aside to lean into Jesus’ saving grace? For hymn writer and Clifton Springs, NY resident Annie Johnson Flint, the answer might have been “the crippling pain of osteoarthritis.” As a young adult, the disease developed quickly and left her in physical agony, from twisted fingers to joints that confined her to a wheelchair. Yet she refused to allow her condition to define her and even leveraged it to shine a light on how the salvation that Jesus offers is greater than any need we could experience.
Quoting from Isaiah, Luke echoes this same sentiment when he wrote that the Advent of Jesus was, “phōs (a radiating illumination) for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” Annie Johnson Flint was familiar with the truth that the darker the night is, the brighter the light appears. Her painful reality provided the perfect backdrop to showcase the light of salvation and grace that Christ so richly provided. Luke’s point is similar: When the Gentiles were living in darkness, groping through life trying to grasp anything that would rescue them, phōs came shining through their hopelessness in the form of a Savior. Despite our shortcomings, salvation is available to all who recognize that He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater. May we be bold enough to refuse to let our pain and brokenness define us, and instead allow it to be the backdrop for others to see God’s salvation as we position ourselves in his marvelous light.

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What do I need to set aside to lean into Jesus’ saving grace?

Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. – Psalm 98:1 ESV

CONSIDER
Christmas is often a season that’s conducive to counting our blessings. The gifts, gatherings, and generosity of others can serve to remind us just how much we have. But it doesn’t always work that way. Christmas could also bring up feelings of pain and deep sadness for any number of reasons. Regardless of what this season brings, the reality of Advent is designed to lead humanity to worship. Check out this week’s video for a deeper dive into how worship is an essential part of Advent!

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What new song will I sing this week?

Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
– Psalm 98:1 ESV

HEBREW
הוֹשִֽׁיעָה־ לּ֥וֹ/hō·wō·šî·‘āh lōw: gained salvation’s victory for him

CONSIDER
In western culture, the sharing of the Nativity story is often relegated to children’s performances and live animal reenactments. There’s usually a plastic doll wrapped in a white or blue blanket, and large amounts of glitter to adorn the angel’s wings and halo. And if we’re not careful, we may even reduce the theological significance of Christmas to something elementary, a concept for little ones to grasp and then quickly move on from. But there is nothing more profound in all of human history than the truth that the omnipotent creator of the universe made the decision to enter his creation in the humblest and weakest way possible. And the Psalms give us a glimpse into the reason for this: “His right hand and his holy arm have hō·wō·šî·‘āh lōw (gained salvation’s victory for him).” Back in Genesis, God enacted a covenant with his people to remain faithful to them, despite recognizing that we were unfaithful ourselves. In our brokenness, the Father considered us worth the cost to redeem us and make us whole. So the baby born in Bethlehem was far more than the basis for a cute Christmas prop. The Son of God became a man so that by entering our world his saving power would be on full display. What a reason to worship! Regardless of how long we have lived or how much we know, the implications of Christmas have a profound impact on our lives, today and every day.

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What new song will I sing this week?

Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
– Psalm 98:1 ESV

HEBREW
חָ֭דָשׁ/ḥā·ḏāš: renewed, repaired

CONSIDER
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us Praise His Holy name
Christ is the Lord; O praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim
His power and glory evermore proclaim
– Placide Cappeau, O Holy Night

What new song will I sing this week? At first, this question may have us searching the Christian worship charts for recent releases until we recognize what this week’s text is actually commanding. The Psalmist instructs us, “Oh sing to the Lord a ḥā·ḏāš (renewed, repaired) song, for he has done marvelous things!” While there are instances when this word indicates something brand new, its root derives from a Hebrew word meaning something broken that is now fixed, or something renewed that was lost or worn out. And if we’re honest with ourselves, all of us have elements of our spiritual lives that could be refreshed, repaired, or renewed. So, at the end of another year, this verse invites us to pause to reflect on the marvelous things he has done and to renew a rhythm of worship and adoration to the Lord. The music and lyrics can be ancient or modern, but the spirit with which we sing should be ḥā·ḏāš. As we complete another Advent season, may the love, peace, salvation, and revelation that Jesus came to offer us be the catalyst for a renewed heart of worship!

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What new song will I sing this week?

The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. – Psalm 98:2 ESV

CONSIDER
As we reflect on all that Christmas means, it’s critical to remember amidst all that has been done for us, that this season is not about us. The gifts and the gatherings are mere echoes of the character of God displayed in Christ Jesus. Check out this week’s video for more on what part revelation plays in the story of Advent!

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Where in my life do I need to stop running?

The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. – Psalm 98:2 ESV

CONSIDER
As we begin the new year, there’s no better time to reflect on this week’s text and application! Not only may there be an area to stop running, but there is most certainly revelation awaiting you as you pursue God above all else. Take the rest of the week to ask the Holy Spirit for a revelation of the Father’s goodness and righteousness, and prepare your heart for a fruitful new year!

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Where in my life do I need to stop running?