Advent Devotional  |  November 29, 2020

 “…I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”  John 10:10b

Advent is formed from a Latin word meaning “coming” or “arrival”.

It was fifty years ago that this famous line was spoken by Astronaut Jim Lovell: “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” In short, here is how the Earth-based flight director responded to the crew nearly 205,000 miles away: “Let’s solve the problem but let’s not make it any worse by guessing.” 

Like Lovell, we are aware that “we’ve had a problem.” And there are plenty of guesses out there about what the problem is and what solution is needed. God does not need to guess at our pain; He knows. And like a Divine mission control, He sent Word about the answer: Jesus. From the very first encounter with sin, God began paving the way for the Messiah. Enter Advent. 

We are going to take a deep dive into the Bible during this Advent Season. Keep in mind that we live in a time long after Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection. Many people lived before Jesus’ first coming and had only a bread crumb trail to follow in anticipation. Looking back, we see the entire picture the same way the astronauts glimpsed the Earth from far above. Humanity has experienced a problem, sin. God did not leave us alone. However, He took action. Jesus was and is the (un)expected solution. As you read through this devotion, praise God for Advent, the coming of Christ! Look at the texts with wonder, but don’t wonder about God’s solution. In this season of uncertainty, be sure that Jesus has come and is coming again.

Pastor Dave Mergens

1. Approach Advent with Wonder.
2. Watch this video for inspiration.