Day One Advent
Sue Butler, High Wycombe
Advent, in the Church calendar, is a journey encompassing the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is about ‘the coming’ of Jesus into the world. It is about remembering and reflecting on the prophecies and events leading up to His first coming, it’s about rejoicing in His coming; and it includes looking ahead to His second coming.
In Genesis 3: 15 NIV, we read the first prophecy relating to Jesus’ coming when the LORD God said to the serpent, ‘“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel”’. We read and reflect on the work of Jesus on the cross, triumphing over the powers of sin and darkness (Col. 2: 15).
In this chapter we also read about the first migration journey. Instigated by the LORD Himself, Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden of Eden. They leave the place of familiarity and the place of walking in the garden in the cool of the evening with the LORD (v 8). They leave the place of safety and provision and are driven outside of the garden to experience a very different life (v 23-24).
Jesus Himself made many journeys. And at advent, we especially remember His journey of leaving His place next to the Father, humbling Himself and being made in human likeness (Phil. 2: 6-7). We remember the incarnation of the Son of God. He took on flesh and dwelt among us.
As we start this journey of Advent, let’s be open to new ways of understanding and pondering the Scriptures, understanding much more about the God of journeys and migrations.
Questions for reflection:
In what ways did Adam and Eve’s lives change when they were banished from the Garden of Eden?
For a refugee or person seeking asylum, what are the changes and losses they might experience as they leave their homeland and journey towards life in a new country?
Spend a few minutes in prayer, asking God to help you grow in your spiritual life this Advent.
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