Remembering When God Stepped Into Time
The Longing and the Waiting
Tomorrow begins Advent. For some believers, that word feels “Catholic” or “high church,” something that belongs to other traditions and not to ordinary evangelical Christians. But at its core, Advent is not about candles or calendars. It is about something every true Christian treasures: Waiting for Christ, remembering His first coming, and longing for His return.
Scripture tells us that “when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son” (Galatians 4:4–5). History is not random. God stepped into time at just the right moment. Titus 2:11–13 reminds us that the grace of God has appeared in Christ’s first coming, and that now we “look for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”
when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son
Galatians 4:4–5
We live between two Advents: the first in Bethlehem, the second still ahead when Christ stands once more on the Mount of Olives. Advent, rightly understood, helps us pay attention to both. It invites us to pause in a noisy, distracted season and remember what matters most — the coming of Christ.
The Wonder of the Incarnation: Fully God, Fully Man
If Advent means anything, it means we refuse to treat the Incarnation as a small thing. John begins his Gospel not with a manger, but with eternity: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Then he reveals the Word as Christ himself: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
The eternal Son did not begin in Bethlehem. He has always been. But there, in the womb of a virgin and in a humble stable, He became what He had never been before — truly human. He did not cease to be what He always was — truly God. In one Person, without confusion or mixture, we have the full deity of God and full humanity. We have tried wrapping our heads around this ever since. It is more than we can grasp.
Philippians 2:5–8 says He “made himself of no reputation… and was made in the likeness of men.” He humbled Himself, not by laying aside His deity, but by taking on our humanity and embracing the path of a servant. Colossians 2:9 declares that “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” That is Advent truth.
Why does this matter? Because only such a Savior can stand between a holy God and sinful people. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Advent points us back to that miracle — the God-Man stepping into our world to save those who could never save themselves.
Advent and the Storyline of Scripture: Promise and Fulfillment
Advent is not just a church tradition added on top of Scripture. It flows from the Bible’s own storyline. From the third chapter of Genesis, God promised a coming Redeemer. After Adam and Eve fell, God spoke of a future Seed of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). That promise runs like a thread through the whole Old Testament. (See our article: The First Gospel in the Garden)
The prophets filled in more detail. Isaiah speaks of a child born and a Son given, who would be called “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6–7). He also foretells a virgin conceiving and bearing a son called Immanuel, “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14). Micah tells us the exact town — little Bethlehem — from which the Ruler of Israel would come (Micah 5:2).
When we arrive in Luke’s Gospel and hear Gabriel’s words to Mary, we realize the waiting is over. This Child will receive “the throne of his father David” and “of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:30–33). Advent gives us a chance to consider again this story of promise and fulfillment. It reminds us that God is faithful. He made promises and He has proven Himself to be a promise keeper. He can rest assured will keep the rest as well.
Why Advent Matters for All Bible-Believing Christians
You do not need a liturgical background to appreciate Advent. You only need a Bible and a heart that loves Christ. In fact, Advent can be especially helpful for evangelicals who want to keep their focus clear in a season where Christmas can easily be reduced to nostalgia, family routines, consumerism, and sentiment.
Properly used, Advent guards us from two common errors. One is turning Christmas into a vague “spirit of the season” with a baby in a manger off to the side. The other is talking about Bethlehem without ever considering the Second Coming. The New Testament never lets us pull those apart. The One who came in humility will come again in glory.
Luke 2:10–11 tells us that the angel brought “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people,” because “unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Matthew 1:21 is clear about why He came — “for he shall save his people from their sins.” Romans 5:6–8 tells us that “when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”
Hebrews 2:14–17 explains that He took on flesh and blood so that He might destroy the devil and deliver those who were enslaved by the fear of death. Advent, then, is a gospel season. It confronts us with our sin and inability, and with God’s gracious love and provision in sending His Son.
For those who believe in inerrant Scripture, salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, and the necessity of new birth, Advent is not foreign. It is a focused time to celebrate exactly those truths.
Living Between the Two Advents: Looking Back and Looking Ahead
The Christian life is lived looking in two directions. We look back in faith, and we look ahead in hope. Hebrews 9:26–28 says Christ has already appeared “to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” That is His first coming. But the same passage promises that He “shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation” for those who eagerly wait for Him.
Peter describes believers as people who love an unseen Christ and rejoice in Him now, while setting their hope fully on the grace that will be brought at His revelation (1 Peter 1:8–13). Paul notes that the Thessalonians turned from idols “to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven” (1 Thessalonians 1:9–10).
The Christian life is lived looking in two directions. We look back in faith, and we look ahead in hope.
Advent reminds us that we really are waiting. We are not just marking time until the next holiday. We are looking for a Person, a King who will appear in the clouds. That should shape how we live. Peter writes, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be…?” (2 Peter 3:11–14). Holiness, watchfulness, comfort in suffering, and urgency in evangelism all grow where the hope of Christ’s return is real.
Simple Ways to “Practice” Advent Without Becoming Ritual-Driven
Advent is not about adding empty forms. It is about building habits that help us remember Christ. A few simple practices can serve this purpose, without tying the conscience in knots.
- Read a short passage each day that traces the story of Christ’s coming. You might walk through key prophecies in Isaiah and Micah, then read Luke 1–2 and Matthew 1–2.
- In personal or family prayer, thank God specifically that He sent His Son “in the fulness of the time” and ask Him to renew your longing for Christ’s return.
- Use Advent conversations as natural openings to share the gospel. When others talk about Christmas, gently move to why Jesus had to come at all — our sin and His saving work on the cross.
- Guard your heart from making December a month of distraction and excess. Colossians 3:1–4 calls us to set our affection on things above, where Christ is seated. Ask the Lord to keep your focus on His “unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
These are not laws. They are simple ways to keep Christ central while the world rushes in other directions.
Advent as an Invitation
In the end, Advent is not mainly about candles or colors. It is an invitation. For believers, it is a call to slow down, to remember the God-Man who came for us, and to renew our love for Him as we wait for His return.
For those who do not yet know Christ, Advent is a gracious summons. The Savior who stepped into time still speaks through His Word: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28–30). John 3:16–17 reminds us that the Father sent the Son not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Advent says God has not stayed distant. He came near. He entered our world, bore our sin, rose again, and will come once more in glory. The question this season presses on every heart is simple. Will you receive the One who stepped down into time for you?
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