Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”

Matthew 1:23

In looking back at some traditions established in the Body of Christ, to train and impart foundations of our faith, I took a look into what is called the season of Advent.

Advent is a season that encapsulates the four Sundays leading up to Christmas.  Advent is meant to be a time of joyful anticipation, where God’s love is made visible in His Son Jesus. The word “Advent” is a Latin word (adventus) and it means “coming.” or “arriving”

During Advent, Christians celebrate the coming of the Lord into the world through the birth of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Advent it is also a season of preparation for his final coming at the end of time. The season of Advent was intended to remind us of the three-fold comings of Christ:

1. The first advent, the birth of Jesus
2. The re-birth of Jesus in our own lives
3. The second advent, the final coming of Jesus Christ

These weeks leading up to Christmas is intended to be a recognizing and celebrating of God’s self-disclosure in Jesus Christ, our eternal Emmanuel – The same God who was with the people in the past, is the same God who is with us now and for all time to come.

As you make preparation for your Christmas celebration, remember the real reason for the season. He came to earth as our Emmanuel to be “with us.” Are you taking the time to be “with Him?”

2 Corinthians 6:16b   As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.