Advent - Photos and Reflections

Advent means "coming," or "arrival." Specifically, the coming of Christ. We celebrate it every December with lights, candles, ornaments, red and green, festive foods (peppermint bark, anyone?), beautiful music, presents... and most importantly, praise to God, who sent us the Savior. Christmas is the celebration of Jesus's coming -- Jesus's "advent."

A Christmas tree is a tradition for my family. It is also a treasure trove for a photographer. Beautiful branches, lights, ornaments...

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches!

Lights are difficult but fascinating to photograph.

Deck the halls piano with boughs of holly!

Hark! hear the bells

Advent.

It was something the Jews had awaited for years -- Christ's first coming. It's something that we celebrate at this time every year. It's something that we await now -- Christ's second coming. 

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.

The people of Israel awaited their Messiah with eagerness. Held under the relentless thumb of the Romans, they hoped the Savior would be a conquering King, one who would shake off the Romans and bring them peace. After all, why else would the prophet Isaiah tell them that the Messiah was the Prince of Peace? The Son of David, a shoot from the stump of Jesse, a branch from the line of David, was coming to bring them peace!

O come, O come, thou Lord of Light,

Who to thy tribes on Sinai's height,

In ancient times didst give the law,

In cloud and majesty and awe.

Yes, he was coming to bring them peace, but not quite in the way they expected. God's purposes are always perfect, but they are not always the way we perceive them. Jesus came to the Israelites, just as the prophecies said. The people of Jerusalem welcomed him triumphantly to Jerusalem, shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David!"

 O come, thou rod of Jesse, free,

Thine own from Satan's tyranny,

From depths of hell thy people save,

And give them victory o'er the grave.

Notice: they thought of him only as a glorious King and Deliverer. Of course, Jesus is, but he's also the Lamb -- the sacrifice without blemish or spot. He came to give the people victory over the grave and everlasting peace, not earthly deliverance from the Romans. He gives those who believe that eternal life and everlasting peace.

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer

Our spirits by thine advent here,

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

He came. He died. He rose. He came humbly, conquered death, and lives now. Even as the people of Israel anticipated their Savior, we look forward to him, too. We look forward to the peace he promises. And that is what we await in Christ's second coming: a perfect and everlasting peace far greater than was experienced during David's reign.

O come, thou Key of David, come,

And open wide our heav'nly home.
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

So we celebrate his Advent. For he will open wide our heavenly home, he will close the path to misery, and he will give us everlasting peace. We have a truly glorious inheritance, and a truly glorious King.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

All images by me.