The Season of Advent

Yesterday marked the beginning of Advent. I grew up going to church, but we did not celebrate Advent the way many people do now, and the way many churches have for years. Advent simply means the arrival of a notable or important person. (There is a beautiful printable that has the definition of advent that I will link to at the end of the post.) Pinterest is filled with beautiful, fun advent calendars to countdown to Christmas and reading plans to focus our hearts toward Him. You may want to explore some of those and find the perfect fit for you and your family.

I am going to be adding some information as well so feel free to come along with me, offer your own thoughts and reflections, and just be in His presence.

My goal this advent season is to truly focus on Jesus’ birth. I plan to read the story of His birth multiple times and really dig in deep into specific aspects of the story and perspectives from which the beautiful story is told.

The birth of Jesus is recorded in the gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John. Mark does not record the birth of Jesus but instead jumps right into Jesus’ ministry with John the Baptist announcing His coming. Here is a breakdown of the Gospels, which is interesting and important to keep in mind when reading them.

Matthew:

• Written to the Jews
• Bridges the Old Testament and New Testament
• Shows how Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecy
• Goal is to prove that Jesus is the Messiah
• Jesus as King

Mark:

• Written to the Roman Christians
• Fast-paced, chronological
• Portrays Jesus as a man who used actions to constantly back up His teachings
• Goal is to show who Jesus is, His work, and His teachings
• Jesus as Servant

Luke:

• Written to the Gentiles (from a Gentiles perspective)
• Emphasizes Jesus’ divinity but focuses more on Jesus’ humanity
• Most detailed of the Gospels (especially the account of Jesus’ birth)
• Goal is to present an accurate, historical account of Christ’s perfect life
• Jesus as Son of Man

John:

• Written to new Christians and non-Christians
• Emphasizes Jesus being God
• John’s account of the birth of Jesus is given differently than Matthew and Luke-he focuses on the fact that His birth did not mark the beginning of His being because He is eternal
• Goal is to prove that Jesus is the Son of God and that all who believe will be saved
• Jesus as Son of God

Over the next three days, let’s look at each Gospel and read them with the audience and author in mind as we read about our Savior’s birth. Then we will explore different parts of these accounts. This is going to be fun-grab your Bible and a cup of coffee and draw close to Him.

Matthew 1-2

Luke1-2:20

John 1:1-18

 

Shared with love,

Lindsay

 

Advent printable

Advent Reading Plans