Advent 2017: Anticipating Christ's Coming

Anticipation is evident in the voice of a child in the back of a car on the way to the beach, asking, “Are we there yet? How much longer?” That same voice of longing, hope, and eagerness is sounded throughout the Old Testament anticipating the arrival of the Christ, the Messiah. One Old Testament source in particular is the prophet Isaiah who builds hopeful anticipation and sincere longings for the first arrival of the Messiah, Jesus, throughout his prophetic ministry. It is a perfect place for our attention this Advent season as we too seek to grow in our anticipation and longings for Jesus’ second advent, his triumphant return. During Advent, as we hear from Isaiah and sing carols of longing such as O Come, O Come, Emmanuel and Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus, may we become more and more like the child in the car who eagerly asks, “How much longer until our dear Savior returns and brings joy to the world, fully, finally, and forever?”