There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
Wonderful Counselor” (Isa. 9:6) is the name of this child. In him the wonder of all wonders has taken place; the birth of the Savior-child has gone forth from God’s eternal counsel. In the form of a human child, God gave us his Son; God became human, the Word became flesh (John 1:14). That is the wonder of the love of God for us, and it is the unfathomably wise Counselor who wins us this love and saves us. But because this child of God is his own Wonderful Counselor, he himself is also the source of all wonder and all counsel. To those who recognize in Jesus the wonder of the Son of God, every one of his words and deeds becomes a wonder; they find in him the last, most profound, most helpful counsel for all needs and questions. Yes, before the child can open his lips, he is full of wonder and full of counsel. Go to the child in the manger. Believe him to be the Son of God, and you will find in him wonder upon wonder, counsel upon counsel.
In winter it seems that the season of Spring will never come, and in both Advent and Lent it’s the waiting that’s hard, the in-between of divine promise and its fulfillment.… Most of us find ourselves dangling in this hiatus, which in the interval may seem a waste of time.… But “the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.” With such motivation, we can wait as we sense that God is indeed with us, and at work within us, as he was with Mary as the Child within her grew. Poet Luci Shaw, in God with Us
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God. Galatians 4:4–7
Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 60–61). Westminster John Knox Press.
Mighty God” (Isa. 9:6) is the name of this child. The child in the manger is none other than God himself. Nothing greater can be said: God became a child. In the Jesus child of Mary lives the almighty God. Wait a minute! Don’t speak; stop thinking! Stand still before this statement! God became a child! Here he is, poor like us, miserable and helpless like us, a person of flesh and blood like us, our brother. And yet he is God; he is might. Where is the divinity, where is the might of the child? In the divine love in which he became like us. His poverty in the manger is his might. In the might of love he overcomes the chasm between God and humankind, he overcomes sin and death, he forgives sin and awakens from the dead. Kneel down before this miserable manger, before this child of poor people, and repeat in faith the stammering words of the prophet: “Mighty God!” And he will be your God and your might.
But now it is true that in three days, Christmas will come once again. The great transformation will once again happen. God would have it so. Out of the waiting, hoping, longing world, a world will come in which the promise is given. All crying will be stilled. No tears shall flow. No lonely sorrow shall afflict us anymore, or threaten. Sermon to a German-speaking church in Havana, Cuba, December 21, 1930
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 58–59). Westminster John Knox Press.
What kings and leaders of nations, philosophers and artists, founders of religions and teachers of morals have tried in vain to do—that now happens through a newborn child. Putting to shame the most powerful human efforts and accomplishments, a child is placed here at the midpoint of world history—a child born of human beings, a son given by God (Isa. 9:6). That is the mystery of the redemption of the world; everything past and everything future is encompassed here. The infinite mercy of the almighty God comes to us, descends to us in the form of a child, his Son. That this child is born for us, this son is given to us, that this human child and Son of God belongs to me, that I know him, have him, love him, that I am his and he is mine—on this alone my life now depends. A child has our life in his hands.…
How shall we deal with such a child? Have our hands, soiled with daily toil, become too hard and too proud to fold in prayer at the sight of this child? Has our head become too full of serious thoughts … that we cannot bow our head in humility at the wonder of this child? Can we not forget all our stress and struggles, our sense of importance, and for once worship the child, as did the shepherds and the wise men from the East, bowing before the divine child in the manger like children? “The Government upon the Shoulders of the Child,” Christmas 1940
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Romans 8:31–34
Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 56–57). Westminster John Knox Press.
Moses died on the mountain from which he was permitted to view from a distance the promised land (Deut. 32:48–52). When the Bible speaks of God’s promises, it’s a matter of life and death.… The language that reports this ancient history is clear. Anyone who has seen God must die; the sinner dies before the promise of God. Let’s understand what that means for us so close to Christmas. The great promise of God—a promise that is infinitely more important than the promise of the promised land—is supposed to be fulfilled at Christmas.… The Bible is full of the proclamation that the great miracle has happened as an act of God, without any human doing.… What happened? God had seen the misery of the world and had come himself in order to help. Now he was there, not as a mighty one, but in the obscurity of humanity, where there is sinfulness, weakness, wretchedness, and misery in the world. That is where God goes, and there he lets himself be found by everyone. And this proclamation moves through the world anew, year after year, and again this year also comes to us.
We all come with different personal feelings to the Christmas festival. One comes with pure joy as he looks forward to this day of rejoicing, of friendships renewed, and of love.… Others look for a moment of peace under the Christmas tree, peace from the pressures of daily work.… Others again approach Christmas with great apprehension. It will be no festival of joy to them. Personal sorrow is painful especially on this day for those whose loneliness is deepened at Christmastime.… And despite it all, Christmas comes. Whether we wish it or not, whether we are sure or not, we must hear the words once again: Christ the Savior is here! The world that Christ comes to save is our fallen and lost world. None other. Sermon to a German-speaking church in Havana, Cuba, December 21, 1930
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:26–33
Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 54–55). Westminster John Knox Press.
JERUSALEM, Israel — During Advent, many Christians sing the beloved hymn, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”
CBN News combined the music of this hymn, played by renowned violinist Maurice Sklar, with an explanation of the background and meaning of the song from Claire Pfann, dean of Academic Affairs at University of the Holy Land.
Pfann said that most people don’t realize that this hymn was composed to be an Advent song, not a Christmas carol.
“The hymn was originally taken from a series of sayings that we call antiphons,” she explained. “An antiphon is a saying or an acclimation that is made before the reading of a psalm or a canticle. And each one is based on the titles of the Messiah found in the Old Testament.”
‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel ‘ – Emmanuel, of course, is the title given to the Messiah in Isaiah, chapter 7, where Isaiah prophesies that a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and will call His name Emmanuel. The Gospel of Matthew applies this very scripture to Jesus at His birth,” Pfann explained.
**Listen to renowned violinist Maurice Sklar play the hymn here:
Rod of Jesse
“Another one of the titles applied to the Messiah that is adapted into the song is the Rod of Jesse. ‘O Come thou Rod of Jesse, come,’ she said.
The Rod of Jesse, Pfann noted, is referenced in chapter 11 of Isaiah.
“The Rod of Jesse refers, of course, to the kingship, to the ruling,” she said. “Jesse was the father of David. And so when we sing of the Rod of Jesse we’re singing of the descendant of David, the Messiah, Jesus.”
“One of the verses of ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’ calls for the Dayspring from on high to arise. ‘O Come thou Dayspring, come and share our hearts,'” she said.
“The Dayspring refers to Malachi, chapter 4, where we read that the Son of Righteousness shall rise with healing in His wings,” Pfann explained.
“This verse does not refer so much to the kingship of the Messiah but it refers to His tenderness, to His personal-ness, to His compassion to those who are weary, for those who suffer and toil – crying out that the Dayspring, the Son of Righteousness will come with healing not only for our bodies but for our hearts, our souls, and our spirits,” she said.
Key of David
Pfann noted that many of the titles used in the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” come from the book of Isaiah.
“Another one is the Key of David,” she said. “Come Thou Key of David, come and open up the way to our Heavenly home. The Key of David comes from Isaiah 22.”
“It speaks of that opening, that passage, that freedom of access that is echoed in the Book of Revelation when Jesus gives the Key of David, which opens doors that no man can shut,” she told CBN News.
Lord of Might
“Another very beautiful theme that is touched on in the hymn is when they refer to the Messiah as the Lord of Might,” Pfann continued.
“The Lord of Might of course comes from Isaiah when it speaks in Isaiah, chapter 11 that upon Him will rest the Spirit of counsel and wisdom and might and understanding,” she said.
“But the hymn reflects on the Lord of Might as being the One who gives the Word of the Lord – on Sinai’s height gave the law. And of course, the Word of the Lord is not simply the law but it’s really Jesus Himself. Jesus is the Word of God,” she explained.
Anticipation of His Coming
“The song ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’ is evoking that longing and expectation that we have,” Pfann said. “We celebrate that Jesus has already come. But we know that something is not yet complete.”
“So it’s a very beautiful song because it has an echo of the past but a tremendous anticipation of that glorious coming when the Rod of Jesse, the Key of David, the One Who is Almighty, God with Us, will establish His Kingdom on earth,” she continued.
“I like to think of Emmanuel, God with me today, God perfectly present,” she said. “God who brings His salvation at this moment, God who became Jesus, who showed His love for us in laying down His life, who calls me by name, who calls each of us by name, who loves us as a Father, who loves us as a Shepherd, who loves us as a king.”
“Today He cries out for the salvation of each human being,” she said. “Today is the day of salvation. We don’t have to wait until tomorrow. We can celebrate Emmanuel, God with us, today.”
When God chooses Mary as the means when God himself wants to come into the world in the manger of Bethlehem, this is not an idyllic family affair. It is instead the beginning of a complete reversal, a new ordering of all things on this earth. If we want to participate in this Advent and Christmas event, we cannot simply sit there like spectators in a theater and enjoy all the friendly pictures. Rather, we must join in the action that is taking place and be drawn into this reversal of all things ourselves. Here we too must act on the stage, for here the spectator is always a person acting in the drama. We cannot remove ourselves from the action. With whom, then, are we acting? Pious shepherds who are on their knees? Kings who bring their gifts? What is going on here, where Mary becomes the mother of God, where God comes into the world in the lowliness of the manger? World judgment and world redemption—that is what’s happening here. And it is the Christ child in the manger himself who holds world judgment and world redemption. He pushes back the high and mighty; he overturns the thrones of the powerful; he humbles the haughty; his arm exercises power over all the high and mighty; he lifts what is lowly, and makes it great and glorious in his mercy.
Close to you I waken in the dead of night,
And start with fear—are you lost to me once more?
Is it always vainly that I seek you, you, my past?
I stretch my hands out,
and I pray—
and a new thing now I hear;
“The past will come to you once more,
and be your life’s enduring part,
through thanks and repentance.
Feel in the past God’s deliverance and goodness,
Pray him to keep you today and tomorrow.”
Poem written in Tegel prison, 1944
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” John 3:16–21
Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 42–43). Westminster John Knox Press.
Let’s not deceive ourselves. “Your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28), whether we know it or not, and the only question is: Are we going to let it come to us too, or are we going to resist it? Are we going to join in this movement that comes down from heaven to earth, or are we going to close ourselves off? Christmas is coming—whether it is with us or without us depends on each and every one of us. Such a true Advent happening now creates something different from the anxious, petty, depressed, feeble Christian spirit that we see again and again, and that again and again wants to make Christianity contemptible. This becomes clear from the two powerful commands that introduce our text: “Look up and raise your heads” (Luke 21:28 RSV). Advent creates people, new people. We too are supposed to become new people in Advent. Look up, you whose gaze is fixed on this earth, who are spellbound by the little events and changes on the face of the earth. Look up to these words, you who have turned away from heaven disappointed. Look up, you whose eyes are heavy with tears and who are heavy and who are crying over the fact that the earth has gracelessly torn us away. Look up, you who, burdened with guilt, cannot lift your eyes. Look up, your redemption is drawing near. Something different from what you see daily will happen. Just be aware, be watchful, wait just another short moment. Wait and something quite new will break over you: God will come.
You know what a mine disaster is. In recent weeks we have had to read about one in the newspapers. The moment even the most courageous miner has dreaded his whole life long is here. It is no use running into the walls; the silence all around him remains.… The way out for him is blocked. He knows the people up there are working feverishly to reach the miners who are buried alive. Perhaps someone will be rescued, but here in the last shaft? An agonizing period of waiting and dying is all that remains. But suddenly a noise that sounds like tapping and breaking in the rock can be heard. Unexpectedly, voices cry out, “Where are you, help is on the way!” Then the disheartened miner picks himself up, his heart leaps, he shouts, “Here I am, come on through and help me! I’ll hold out until you come! Just come soon!” A final, desperate hammer blow to his ear, now the rescue is near, just one more step and he is free. We have spoken of Advent itself. That is how it is with the coming of Christ: “Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Bonhoeffer’s Advent sermon in a London church, December 3, 1933
Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. Luke 21:28
Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 40–41). Westminster John Knox Press.
This Advent-time we remember Mary and Joseph, giving thanks for their faithfulness, courage and obedience, stepping out into the unknown in the strength of your Spirit, playing their part in the fulfilment of your plan to bring your prodigal people home again.
We pray that their example might be the pattern of our lives, that when your gentle whisper breaks through the clamour of this world and into our small corner, we might be ready to listen, and having listened, to act. Amen
Lord, in a season when every heart should be happy and light, Many of us are struggling with the heaviness of life —burdens that steal the joy right out of our stockings. Tragedy arrives as innocent victims suffer, and an inner voice whispers, “Be afraid!”
We need your peace, Jesus. We confess that our hearts are too often filled with wonder of a different kind: Wondering when the bills will be paid, when the terror will stop, when rest will come. Will it ever? Is the message still true? In a world where worry, not peace, prevails, stir up that good news again.
This Advent, make it real in our hearts. Never have we needed Your joy and peace more than now. Thank You for the gift of Jesus, our Immanuel, the Word made flesh. We not only need Your peace and joy; Lord, we crave it. You’ve promised rest for the weary, victory for the battle-scarred, peace for the anxious, and acceptance for the broken-hearted—not just at Advent, but every day of every year.
Your name is still called “Wonderful,” “Counselor,” “The Mighty God,” “ The Everlasting Father,” and “The Prince of Peace.”
We know that peace on earth can only come when hearts find peace with You. You are still our Joy. You are still our Peace. You are no longer a babe in the manger. You are Lord of lords and King of kings. And we still celebrate You as Lord—this Christmas and always. Amen
Your prophets, called to make known your Word Proclaiming justice, convicting sin Displaying fruits of your love and grace Comfort, comfort my people, says our God And the glory of the Lord will be revealed
Your prophets, called to forth tell your Word Unfolding a vision of your eternity Making straight a highway to walk along Comfort, comfort my people, says our God And the glory of the Lord will be revealed Amen
Michael Card is one of my favorite artists. He doesn’t do the CCA circuit.
Be people of hope. Let hope live in your heart and share the hope of Christ with all you meet. Share hope by noticing someone else’s humanity. Share hope by listening to someone’s story. Share hope by praying for our world. In this Advent season, we need to see, feel, and share hope. As you go out into the wonder of God’s creations, share hope with those you meet. Amen.
For the great and powerful of this world, there are only two places in which their courage fails them, of which they are afraid deep down in their souls, from which they shy away. These are the manger and the cross of Jesus Christ. No powerful person dares to approach the manger, and this even includes King Herod. For this is where thrones shake, the mighty fall, the prominent perish, because God is with the lowly. Here the rich come to nothing, because God is with the poor and hungry, but the rich and satisfied he sends away empty. Before Mary, the maid, before the manger of Christ, before God in lowliness, the powerful come to naught; they have no right, no hope; they are judged.…
Who among us will celebrate Christmas correctly? Whoever finally lays down all power, all honor, all reputation, all vanity, all arrogance, all individualism beside the manger; whoever remains lowly and lets God alone be high; whoever looks at the child in the manger and sees the glory of God precisely in his lowliness. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” Luke 1:46–55
Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 26–27). Westminster John Knox Press.
These three central colors of Advent are endowed with profound meaning. Improve your understanding and gratitude of the Advent season by knowing what each color signifies and why it is used on the Advent wreath.
Christianity.com
Updated Dec 02, 2025
Have you ever looked at an Advent wreath and wondered why there are three different candle colors used on it? The three Advent candle colors, purple, pink, and white, have deep spiritual symbolism and are representative of the faithful anticipation that believers partake to ready their hearts and minds for the birth or second coming of Jesus Christ.
The meaning of the season of Advent is to ready one’s heart for the arrival of Christ at Christmas. Through the four weeks of Advent, Christians use a wreath, typically consisting of evergreen branches, decorated with five candles to symbolize several sacred phases of preparation. The circular shape of the wreath represents eternity and the unending cycle of God’s love. It is usually made of evergreen branches, which symbolize the enduring life and hope brought by Jesus Christ. These candles are traditionally lit on each of the four Sundays of Advent, starting on the fourth Sunday before Christmas.
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” ~ Micah 5:2
“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
These three central colors of Advent are endowed with profound themes and meaning. Improve your understanding and gratitude of the Advent season by knowing what each color signifies and why it is used on the Advent wreath.
Table of Contents
Purple Advent Candle Meaning and Symbolism
Purple has traditionally been the central color of Advent. This color signifies repentance and fasting. The Christian custom of withholding oneself food or some other desire is a practice wherein Christians demonstrate their devotion to God and sanctify their heart and body. Purple symbolizes the somber and reflective nature of this period as Christians prepare to commemorate the birth of Jesus.
Purple is also the liturgical color for Lent, which likewise incorporates a time of contemplation, repentance, and spiritual preparation. The use of purple during both Advent and Lent underscores the parallel themes of preparation and spiritual reflection.
Purple has historically been associated with royalty and kingship. The purple advent candle also symbolizes the supremacy and kingship of Christ, who is recognized as the “King of Kings.” So, purple in this use illustrates the expectation of and welcoming of our King celebrated during Advent. The following candles of the Advent wreath are traditionally purple:
The first Advent candle, known as the prophecy candle, or candle of hope.
The second Advent candle called the Bethlehem candle or the candle of peace.
The fourth Advent candle called the angel candle or the candle of love.
Get your FREE copy of 25 Days of Advent Devotionals and Readings! Print these and share them with family and friends to keep your mind’s attention and heart’s affection on Jesus this holiday season.
Pink Advent Candle Color Meaning and Symbolism
The third Advent candle color is pink, called the shepherd candle or candle of joy.
Pink is the color of Advent used during the third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday. The term “Gaudete” comes from the Latin word for “rejoice,” and it signifies a sense of joy and anticipation as Christmas approaches. Pink represents joy or triumph and this candle exhibits a transition in the season of Advent away from repentance and to a celebration. On Gaudete Sunday, a pink candle is typically lit in the Advent wreath to represent joy and the nearness of the birth of Jesus Christ.
The scripture readings for the pink candle may include passages that emphasize joy and rejoicing, such as Philippians 4:4-7 – “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The white Christ candle is lit on the fourth Sunday of Advent, representing the completion and fulfillment of the Advent season as it transitions into the Christmas celebration. It signifies the culmination of the Advent journey and the anticipation of Christ’s birth. White is the Advent candle color symbolizing purity, light, restoration, and holiness. White is also a representation of victory.
This white candle at the center of the Advent wreath, which is often called the “Christ candle.” This white candle symbolizes the purity and light of Christ. It is typically lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to represent the arrival of Jesus Christ, who is seen as the “Light of the World” and the embodiment of purity and holiness. Jesus Christ is the righteous, immaculate, pure Savior. He is the light come into a dark and depraved world. He is often described in the Bible wearing bright, profoundly white robes, like snow, and shining with the brightest of light. Daniel 7:9 is such an account:
“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.” (Daniel 7:9, ESV).
Furthermore, those who accept Jesus Christ as Savior are cleansed of their sins and made whiter than snow. White can also symbolize hope and new beginnings in the Advent season. As Christians prepare for the birth of Jesus, the white candle can serve as a reminder of the hope and promise that Christ’s coming brings, ushering in a new era of salvation and redemption.
Observing the traditions and meaning of Advent holds the importance of Christ’s birth and salvation in our hearts and minds despite the commercialization of the modern Christmas season. As Learn Religions says, “Spiritually preparing one’s heart by focusing on the colors of Advent in the weeks leading up to Christmas is a great way for Christian families to keep Christ the center of Christmas, and for parents to teach their children the true meaning of Christmas.”
Christianity.com’s editorial staff is a team of writers with a background in the Christian faith and writing experience. We work to create relevant, inspiring content for our audience and update timely articles as necessary.
This article is part of our larger Advent resource library centered around the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his Son, Jesus Christ!
Some people may know that the Advent season focuses on expectation and think that it serves as an anticipation of Christ’s birth in the season leading up to Christmas. This is part of the story, but there’s more to Advent.
The History of Advent
The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia. Scholars believe that during the 4th and 5th centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, the celebration of God’s incarnation represented by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1–2), his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (John 1:29–33), and his first miracle at Cana (John 2:1–11). During this season of preparation, Christians would spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration; originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas.
By the 6th century, however, Roman Christians had tied Advent to the coming of Christ. But the “coming” they had in mind was not Christ’s first coming in the manger in Bethlehem, but his second coming in the clouds as the judge of the world. It was not until the Middle Ages that the Advent season was explicitly linked to Christ’s first coming at Christmas.
Advent Today
Today, the Advent season, which begins on the Sunday that falls between November 27th and December 3rd, lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas. At that time, the new Christian year begins with the twelve-day celebration of Christmastide, which lasts from Christmas Eve until Epiphany on January 6.
Advent symbolizes the present situation of the church in these “last days” (Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:2), as God’s people wait for the return of Christ in glory to consummate his eternal kingdom. The church is in a similar situation to Israel at the end of the Old Testament: in exile, waiting and hoping in prayerful expectation for the coming of the Messiah. Israel looked back to God’s past gracious actions on their behalf in leading them out of Egypt in the Exodus, and on this basis they called for God once again to act for them. In the same way, the church, during Advent, looks back upon Christ’s coming in celebration while at the same time looking forward in eager anticipation to the coming of Christ’s kingdom when he returns for his people. In this light, the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” perfectly represents the church’s cry during the Advent season:
O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
While Israel would have sung the song in expectation of Christ’s first coming, the church now sings the song in commemoration of that first coming and in expectation of the second coming in the future.
Advent Liturgy and Practice
To balance the two elements of remembrance and anticipation, the first two Sundays in Advent look forward to Christ’s second coming, and the last two Sundays look backward to remember Christ’s first coming. Over the course of the four weeks, Scripture readings move from passages about Christ’s return in judgment, to Old Testament passages about the expectation of the coming Messiah, to New Testament passages about the announcements of Christ’s arrival by John the Baptist and the Angels.
While it is difficult to keep in mind in the midst of holiday celebrations, shopping, lights and decorations, and joyful carols, Advent is intended to be a season of fasting, much like Lent, and there are a variety of ways that this time of mourning works itself out in the season. Reflection on the violence and evil in the world cause us to cry out to God to make things right—to put death’s dark shadows to flight. Our exile in the present makes us look forward to our future Exodus. And our own sinfulness and need for grace leads us to pray for the Holy Spirit to renew his work in conforming us into the image of Christ.
One catechism describes Advent spirituality beautifully: “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. By celebrating the precursor’s birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’”
Advent Wreath and Candles
Three purple candles and one pink or purple candle stand around the outside of the wreath, and a white candle fills the center.
Prophecy Candle: In conjunction with the Scripture readings for the week, this purple candle represents hope and expectation for the coming Messiah. As the candle burns throughout the week and becomes smaller and smaller, it helps us remember that time continually passes and the return of Christ becomes nearer and nearer with each passing day.
Bethlehem Candle: This purple candle represents love—both God’s for us and ours for him and others—and symbolizes the manger where Jesus was born. The manger is a vivid reminder of the great lengths to which the King of Creation went, humbling himself for his people. He deserved a kingly procession into the city with much fanfare. Instead we see him born in a manger, living in poverty with no place to lay his head, and entering the city on a donkey as he makes his way to the cross. Lighting the second Advent candle reminds us of Jesus’ life of love for us.
Shepherd’s Candle or Joy Candle: This purple or pink candle represents joy, such as the joy the shepherds experienced when the angel told them that Christ was to be born. The Advent season is now half over, and Jesus’ coming—both his first coming, liturgically, and his second coming, historically—is nearer now than it was two weeks ago.
Angel Candle: This purple candle has been called the “Angel Candle” and represents the peace that Christ’s birth brings to earth. All four of the candles around the Advent Wreath are now burning, each at a different height.
Christ Candle: The white Christ Candle that is lit on Christmas Eve, representing the pure lamb of God who has come to take away the sins of the world.
Advent and the Christian Life
While Advent is certainly a time of celebration and anticipation of Christ’s birth, it is more than that. It is only in the shadow of Advent that the miracle of Christmas can be fully understood and appreciated; and it is only in the light of Christmas that the Christian life makes any sense. It is between the fulfilled promise of Christ’s first coming and the yet-to-be-fulfilled promise of his second coming that Karl Barth penned these words: “Unfulfilled and fulfilled promise are related to each other, as are dawn and sunrise. Both are promise and in fact the same promise. If anywhere at all, then it is precisely in the light of the coming of Christ that faith has become Advent faith, the expectation of future revelation. But faith knows for whom and for what it is waiting. It is fulfilled faith because it lays hold on the fulfilled promise.” The promise for Israel and the promise for the church is Jesus Christ; he has come, and he will come again. This is the essence of Advent.
“May He whose second coming in power and great glory we await, make you steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, and constant in love. Amen.” – The Book of Occasional Services, page 22.
As you focus on the manger scene with your family, encourage each other with the bigger story of Genesis to the end of time, knowing that this little baby redeemed every moment in time. May your Christmas be big as your consider the grandeur of redemptive history on both sides of the manger!
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
Bigger Than a Stable
By: Katherine Britton
“In that day you will say: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.'” – Isaiah 12:4-5
My felt Advent tree gains one velcro ornament each day until Christmas. I love this calendar, because each unique ornament tells a little bit more about the story of redemption from Genesis onward. A grey felt heart stands for the Fall into sin. A beaded crown reminds of the Prince of Peace and Wonderful Counselor foretold in Isaiah. A fuzzy lamb represents John the Baptist‘s announcement of Christ’s purpose.
The calendar is paired with devotional readings for children, which have surprised me in their simplicity and breadth. Like the ornaments, these readings tell a continuing story, in which Christ’s life is not the beginning or the end, but the event that makes sense out of both. With this bigger context, an otherwise chaotic history becomes simple enough that a child can understand.
How often do we take time to contemplate the magnitude of this story, which began in the Garden of Eden and won’t finish until Christ’s second coming?
I think my Christmas cheer is too often confined to the stable. To use a loose analogy, I’m a bit like the dwarves in C. S. Lewis’s “The Last Battle,” who convince themselves that their dingy stable-prison could not possibly hold the miracle of a whole new Narnia. And so, the dwarves get left behind in their imaginary confinement with nothing to celebrate when everyone else begins to explore the beautiful new world. Like the dwarves, I can put my little Christmas story in a little room, and forget to see the whole miracle of redemption.
Sunday’s sermon about Herod’s massacre in Bethlehem reminded me why the grander picture is so vital. You’ll remember the story – only a short while after the angels announced “peace on earth,” Herod’s blazing temper led to the mass murder of baby boys in Bethlehem. The arbitrary deaths of these little ones seems so disconnected from what we celebrate, so outside the realm of God’s grace. That event – like so many other injustices – seems to overwhelm the baby sleeping peacefully.
We can compartmentalize Christmas so it remains untainted by such events, can’t we? But that’s just it – as the grey heart on my felt Advent tree me, Christmas has to begin with an understanding of sin. We have to see the world’s desperate need for grace before we understand why a baby requires such a hullaballoo, and we have to look back at God’s plan to see how a baby can redeem even those situations. Therein lies the astonishing glory of what happened at Christmas, and the beauty of what we proclaim to the world.
As the days go by and my calendar grows fuller with symbolic ornaments, I get more and more excited about Christmas Day. Into this world with so much baggage came a child who remained in it and not of it, who knew what we are and loved us anyway. By God’s grace, my understanding of Christmas keeps getting bigger – and with it, my reasons to “let [it] be known to the all the world” what he has done, is doing, and will continue to do!
Intersection of Faith and Life: Christ’s incarnate birth makes little sense if we forget why he had to come and what he came to do. As you focus on the manger scene with your family, encourage each other with the bigger story of Genesis to the end of time, knowing that this little baby redeemed every moment in time. May your Christmas be big as your consider the grandeur of redemptive history on both sides of the manger!
The lack of mystery in our modern life is our downfall and our poverty. A human life is worth as much as the respect it holds for the mystery. We retain the child in us to the extent that we honor the mystery. Therefore, children have open, wide-awake eyes, because they know that they are surrounded by the mystery. They are not yet finished with this world; they still don’t know how to struggle along and avoid the mystery, as we do. We destroy the mystery because we sense that here we reach the boundary of our being, because we want to be lord over everything and have it at our disposal, and that’s just what we cannot do with the mystery.… Living without mystery means knowing nothing of the mystery of our own life, nothing of the mystery of another person, nothing of the mystery of the world; it means passing over our own hidden qualities and those of others and the world. It means remaining on the surface, taking the world seriously only to the extent that it can be calculated and exploited, and not going beyond the world of calculation and exploitation. Living without mystery means not seeing the crucial processes of life at all and even denying them.
Ascension joy—inwardly we must become very quiet to hear the soft sound of this phrase at all. Joy lives in its quietness and incomprehensibility. This joy is in fact incomprehensible, for the comprehensible never makes for joy. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2–3
Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 18–20). Westminster John Knox Press.
Serve the opportune time.” The most profound matter will be revealed to us only when we consider that not only does the world have its time and its hours, but also that our own life has its time and its hour of God, and that behind these times of our lives traces of God become visible, that under our paths are the deepest shafts of eternity, and every step brings back a quiet echo from eternity. It is only a matter of understanding the deep, pure form of these times and representing them in our conduct of life. Then in the middle of our time we will also encounter God’s holy present. “My times are in your hand” (Ps. 31:15). Serve your times, God’s present in your life. God has sanctified your time. Every time, rightly understood, is immediate to God, and God wants us to be fully what we are.… Only those who stand with both feet on the earth, who are and remain totally children of earth, who undertake no hopeless attempts at flight to unreachable heights, who are content with what they have and hold on to it thankfully—only they have the full power of the humanity that serves the opportune time and thus eternity.… The Lord of the ages is God. The turning point of the ages is Christ. The right spirit of the ages is the Holy Spirit.
Dear parents … I don’t need to tell you how much I long for freedom and for you all. But over the decades you have provided for us such incomparably beautiful Christmases that my thankful remembrance of them is strong enough to light up one dark Christmas. Only such times can really reveal what it means to have a past and an inner heritage that is independent of chance and the changing of the times. The awareness of a spiritual tradition that reaches through the centuries gives one a certain feeling of security in the face of all transitory difficulties. I believe that those who know they possess such reserves of strength do not need to be ashamed even of softer feelings—which in my opinion are still among the better and nobler feelings of humankind—when remembrance of a good and rich past calls them forth. Such feelings will not overwhelm those who hold fast to the values that no one can take from them. Letter to Bonhoeffer’s parents, written from Tegel prison, December 17, 1943
For I hear the whispering of many— terror all around!— as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.
But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love. Psalm 31:13–16
Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 14–15). Westminster John Knox Press.
We are silent in the early hours of each day, because God is supposed to have the first word, and we are silent before going to sleep, because to God also belongs the last word. We are silent solely for the sake of the word, not in order to show dishonor to the word but in order to honor and receive it properly. Silence ultimately means nothing but waiting for God’s word and coming away blessed by God’s word.… Silence before the word, however, will have its effect on the whole day. If we have learned to be silent before the word, we will also learn to be economical with silence and speech throughout the day. There is an impermissible self-satisfied, prideful, offensive silence. This teaches us that what is important is never silence in itself. The silence of the Christian is a listening silence, a humble silence that for the sake of humility can also be broken at any time. It is a silence in connection with the word.… In being quiet there is a miraculous power of clarification, of purification, of bringing together what is important. This is a purely profane fact. Silence before the word, however, leads to the right hearing and thus also to the right speaking of the word of God at the right time. A lot that is unnecessary remains unsaid.
Today is Remembrance Sunday. Will you have a memorial service for B. Riemer? It would be nice, but difficult. Then comes Advent, with all its happy memories for us. It was you who really opened up to me the world of music-making that we have carried on during the weeks of Advent. Life in a prison cell may well be compared to Advent: one waits, hopes, and does this, that, or the other—things that are really of no consequence—the door is shut, and can only be opened from the outside. Letter from Bonhoeffer at Tegel prison to Eberhard Bethge, November 21, 1943
For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:5–8
Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 12–13). Westminster John Knox Press.
In the midst of the deepest guilt and distress of the people, a voice speaks that is soft and mysterious but full of the blessed certainty of salvation through the birth of a divine child (Isa. 9:6–7). It is still seven hundred years until the time of fulfillment, but the prophet is so deeply immersed in God’s thought and counsel that he speaks of the future as if he saw it already, and he speaks of the salvific hour as if he already stood in adoration before the manger of Jesus. “For a child has been born for us.” What will happen one day is already real and certain in God’s eyes, and it will be not only for the salvation of future generations but already for the prophet who sees it coming and for his generation, indeed, for all generations on earth. “For a child has been born for us.” No human spirit can talk like this on its own. How are we who do not know what will happen next year supposed to understand that someone can look forward many centuries? And the times then were no more transparent than they are today. Only the Spirit of God, who encompasses the beginning and end of the world, can in such a way reveal to a chosen person the mystery of the future, so that he must prophesy for strengthening believers and warning unbelievers. This individual voice ultimately enters into the nocturnal adoration of the shepherds (Luke 2:15–20) and into the full jubilation of the Christ-believing community: “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us.”
A shaking of heads, perhaps even an evil laugh, must go through our old, smart, experienced, self-assured world, when it hears the call of salvation of believing Christians: “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:6–7
Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 10–11). Westminster John Knox Press.
When the old Christendom spoke of the coming again of the Lord Jesus, it always thought first of all of a great day of judgment. And as un-Christmas-like as this idea may appear to us, it comes from early Christianity and must be taken with utter seriousness.… The coming of God is truly not only a joyous message, but is, first, frightful news for anyone who has a conscience. And only when we have felt the frightfulness of the matter can we know the incomparable favor. God comes in the midst of evil, in the midst of death, and judges the evil in us and in the world. And in judging it, he loves us, he purifies us, he sanctifies us, he comes to us with his grace and love. He makes us happy as only children can be happy.
We have become so accustomed to the idea of divine love and of God’s coming at Christmas that we no longer feel the shiver of fear that God’s coming should arouse in us. We are indifferent to the message, taking only the pleasant and agreeable out of it and forgetting the serious aspect, that the God of the world draws near to the people of our little earth and lays claim to us. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “The Coming of Jesus in Our Midst”
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” Luke 2:8–14
Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 8–9). Westminster John Knox Press.
For many—both in the United States and all over the world—Advent is a reminder that the world is broken and in need of tremendous healing.
Every year at Advent, pastors and church leaders feel both the beauty and the weight of the Christmas season. Church services are full, the calendar is crowded, and the message of “God with us” feels more urgent than ever. Yet we know that something else is true: For many—both here in the United States and all over the world—Christmas is a reminder that the world is broken and in need of tremendous healing.
The poor, the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner (Zechariah 7:10)—those the Bible consistently call us to remember—often feel the pressures of life most intensely. Decorations and holiday cheer do very little for the millions marked by fear, displacement, loneliness, and economic struggle.
The longings of Advent echo loudly a line from Andrew Peterson’s song “Is He Worthy”: “Do you wish that you could see it all made new?”
We do. The Church does.
Seeing the First Advent From the Final Advent
Each year as churches reflect on Jesus’ birth narrative, it should be done in anticipation of the promises he will make good on upon his return. Revelation 22:1-4 gives us the vision of what Jesus’ second coming will bring the world, which will include the Tree of Life with leaves that are for “the healing of the nations.” Grounding Advent in both Jesus’ first and second coming takes us from Christmas as sentimental nostalgia to Christmas as realistic expectation of a world made new.
Our observance of Advent is the declaration that God stepped into the brokenness of the world to begin a global healing project through the Church. And if that’s true, then Advent is not only a time to remember Christ’s birth; it’s a time to participate in his work of mission—locally and globally. And pastors and church leaders have the sacred privilege of leading their churches into a world-wide endeavor that often starts with loving our neighbor.
Below are four invitations for this season, fueled by the hope, that leaders can use to remind churches that Jesus’ incarnation began a work that will be completed at his return:
1. Remind Your People That Jesus’ Coming Is God’s Answer to a Broken World
In verses 3-5, John sees a world finally healed: no curse, no night, no darkness—only the Lamb who is himself light and life. But he received that vision while still living in a world of exile, persecution, and pain.
Amid the holiday cheer, many people still feel the groaning of a world that is not yet healed—job loss, family brokenness, mental health struggles, war in the headlines, economic pressure, and the loneliness that quietly stalks so many.
One of your greatest gifts this season is to proclaim the same hope the angel gave John, “No longer will there be anything accursed” (v. 3). The Incarnation is God’s assurance that He sees every wound and has already started the work of undoing everything that is evil and a consequence of the curse in Genesis 3.
Christmas is a declaration that the healing of the nations has already begun because Christ was sent to the world. When you preach this, your people don’t just hear eschatology for the future—they hear hope for the present.
2. Lead Your Church to See the Vulnerable the Way God Sees Them
Throughout Scripture, God consistently identifies with the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner. Not as an act of charity but as an expression of his character. God doesn’t see by towering over them but by becoming one of them.
Christmas is the story of God Himself being born into poverty, in a borrowed stable, to a family who will soon have to seek asylum from King Herod. If there is any season when the vulnerable should be centered in the life of the church, it is this one.
But here’s the key: Caring for the vulnerable does not begin with strategies or programs—it begins with envisioning healing.
In Revelation 22, John sees and understands that the Tree of Life is for the “for the healing of the nations.” The Church is not the Healer, but we are the branches connected to the Vine who heals. When we see the vulnerable, we come alongside them and participate in the very work Jesus is doing to facilitate their healing.
This Christmas, consider helping your people answer these questions:
Who in our community is experiencing the weight of the season? A single mom, a senior living alone, a family struggling to buy groceries, a newcomer far from home?
Where is God already at work in our city, and how can we join Him? Food pantries, homeless ministries, foster care networks, ESL classes, community health clinics.
How do we go beyond news headlines of war and catastrophe to help people?
Organize prayer nights, connect with global churches, support relief and development efforts, participate in missions in a nation where there’s extreme poverty.
When people understand that acts of compassion are not peripheral to the gospel but intrinsic to it, a culture of Spirit-empowered mission takes root in your church’s DNA.
3. Sing Songs That Reflect God’s Heart for What’s Broken
Singing is one of the most formational elements of this season. The songs we choose do more than set a mood—they shape the imagination of our people. They teach theology. They reveal what we believe God cares about. And if Scripture is our model, then our worship must carry the same heartbeat God himself declares in Mary’s Magnificat recorded in Luke 1:51–53:
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
Mary’s song is a proclamation that the arrival of Jesus is not only personal salvation—it is social reversal. God lifts the lowly, feeds the hungry, and brings justice to the oppressed. When our churches sing songs that reflect this biblical movement toward the vulnerable, we are discipling our people into the mission of God.
Encourage your worship leaders to select songs during Advent that remind the congregation that Christ’s coming compels us outward—toward the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner. These songs anchor our celebration in the reality of God’s compassion.
A powerful contemporary example already mentioned is Andrew Peterson’s “Is He Worthy?” This call-and-response anthem echoes Revelation 22 and invites the church to affirm that Jesus is the One who heals the world’s brokenness. Singing it during Advent helps congregations remember that Christmas hope is not sentimental—it is missional.
Although not a Christmas song, Jon Guerra’s “Let Us Be the Church“ is also a powerful reminder and prayer, “May the world see Christ through his people.”
Below are a few historic and modern Christmas songs that highlight God’s care for the poor and the oppressed. Incorporating songs like these can help your church worship in a way that reflects the gospel’s heart for the vulnerable:
O Holy Night Includes the prophetic line: “Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother.” A powerful declaration of Christ’s liberating justice.
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear Calls the weary, burdened, and suffering to hear the song of peace the angels still sing.
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day A lament that turns to hope, proclaiming that God’s justice is stronger than despair.
Canticle of the Turning (a contemporary paraphrase of the Magnificat) Directly celebrates the reversal Mary sings: the lifting up of the poor, the scattering of the proud, and God’s mercy for the lowly.
When we put songs like these on the lips of our people, we are forming a church that remembers what God remembers and loves what God loves.
4. Use Advent To Form a People of Mercy and Hospitality
Christmas is one of the most formational times of the year. People are emotionally open, spiritually curious, and looking for belonging. As church leaders, Advent gives you a unique discipleship window to shape the practices and culture of your church.
Here are three formation opportunities:
Preach Hospitality as a Christian Identity
Hospitality is not entertainment—it is a gospel practice. Encourage your church to make room for people who have no room: the widow who sits alone in the pew, the child in foster care, the neighbor from another country, the family struggling quietly.
Challenge your people: Who is one person or family you can invite to your table this season?
Mobilize Your Sunday Schools or Small Groups
Coming out of Advent, encourage community and ministry groups to embark on a missional activity together. They can start with learning opportunities such as prayer walking their neighborhoods to learn about needs or start a small study about global missions such as A World on the Move or Welcoming the Stranger.
Serve in Ways That Build Long-Term Relationship
Christmas outreaches are wonderful, but the greatest work happens after the season ends. Partner with local ministries that provide ongoing care so that December compassion becomes January faithfulness.
Your church can be a living preview of Revelation 22 and experience a discipleship journey where healing happens locally and globally, even in small and simple ways.
A Final Encouragement for Pastors
This season is demanding. You carry the burdens of many, and the expectations of Christmas can feel heavy. But the angel’s vision to John is also a vision for you.
One day, you will see Jesus face to face. One day, all your labor for the healing of the world will make sense. One day, the seeds of compassion you plant will bloom into the fruit of the Tree of Life.
Until then, lead boldly and gently. Proclaim hope courageously. Love the vulnerable joyfully.
Pray for the world fervently.
And participate in what Jesus came to do: Heal the nations.
Download World Relief’s Advent devotional Light for the Journey.
Celebrating Advent means being able to wait. Waiting is an art that our impatient age has forgotten. It wants to break open the ripe fruit when it has hardly finished planting the shoot. But all too often the greedy eyes are only deceived; the fruit that seemed so precious is still green on the inside, and disrespectful hands ungratefully toss aside what has so disappointed them. Whoever does not know the austere blessedness of waiting—that is, of hopefully doing without—will never experience the full blessing of fulfillment. Those who do not know how it feels to struggle anxiously with the deepest questions of life, of their life, and to patiently look forward with anticipation until the truth is revealed, cannot even dream of the splendor of the moment in which clarity is illuminated for them. And for those who do not want to win the friendship and love of another person—who do not expectantly open up their soul to the soul of the other person, until friendship and love come, until they make their entrance—for such people the deepest blessing of the one life of two intertwined souls will remain forever hidden. For the greatest, most profound, tenderest things in the world, we must wait. It happens not here in a storm but according to the divine laws of sprouting, growing, and becoming.
Be brave for my sake, dearest Maria, even if this letter is your only token of my love this Christmas-tide. We shall both experience a few dark hours—why should we disguise that from each other? We shall ponder the incomprehensibility of our lot and be assailed by the question of why, over and above the darkness already enshrouding humanity, we should be subjected to the bitter anguish of a separation whose purpose we fail to understand.… And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us that all our ideas are wrong, and that what we take to be evil and dark is really good and light because it comes from God. Our eyes are at fault, that is all. God is in the manger, wealth in poverty, light in darkness, succor in abandonment. No evil can befall us; whatever men may do to us, they cannot but serve the God who is secretly revealed as love and rules the world and our lives. Letter to fiancée Maria von Wedemeyer from prison, December 13, 1943
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor. Isaiah 11:1–4a
Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 4–5). Westminster John Knox Press.
Jesus stands at the door knocking (Rev. 3:20). In total reality, he comes in the form of the beggar, of the dissolute human child in ragged clothes, asking for help. He confronts you in every person that you meet. As long as there are people, Christ will walk the earth as your neighbor, as the one through whom God calls you, speaks to you, makes demands on you. That is the great seriousness and great blessedness of the Advent message. Christ is standing at the door; he lives in the form of a human being among us. Do you want to close the door or open it? It may strike us as strange to see Christ in such a near face, but he said it, and those who withdraw from the serious reality of the Advent message cannot talk of the coming of Christ in their heart, either.… Christ is knocking. It’s still not Christmas, but it’s also still not the great last Advent, the last coming of Christ. Through all the Advents of our life that we celebrate runs the longing for the last Advent, when the word will be: “See, I am making all things new” (Rev. 21:5). The Advent season is a season of waiting, but our whole life is an Advent season, that is, a season of waiting for the last Advent, for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth.
We can, and should also, celebrate Christmas despite the ruins around us.… I think of you as you now sit together with the children and with all the Advent decorations—as in earlier years you did with us. We must do all this, even more intensively because we do not know how much longer we have. Letter to Bonhoeffer’s parents, November 29, 1943, written from Tegel prison camp
Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. Revelation 3:20
Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 1–3). Westminster John Knox Press.
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