Advent: The Three Comings of Jesus Christ

Throughout the ages, purple has been a primary color of the Advent
season. Not all churches observe the Advent season, but for those
that do purple represents both repentance and royalty. In many
churches, especially those that are Roman Catholic and Anglican, pur-
ple is a primary color of suffering that is the foundation of Lent and
Holy Week.

This has enabled me to be sensitive to the intimate connection be-
tween Christmas and Good Friday, that Jesus was born to die on the
Cross for the forgiveness of our sins. How often I need to be remind-
ed of that! During the Advent season I have always been reminded
that the Son of God's birth as a baby boy could not be separated from
His redeeming death on the Cross of Calvary. Although it is some-
what lost in these days, Advent has traditionally been a season of pen-
itence and fasting. Because Advent and Lent were linked together as
times of penitence, the two seasons shared the color of repentance,
purple. Jesus, the Word made flesh, came into the world in order to
reveal God and God's tenderloving mercy through His suffering, death,
and resurrection.

To this day many churches have used an advent wreath with five can-
dles to help people reflect on Advent. The wreath is a circle of ever-
green branches laid flat in order to symbolize eternal life. The circular
aspect reminds us of God and God's loving forgiveness, of which there
is neither beginning nor end. The green aspect points to the hope of
newness, renewal, and life eternal that we have in Jesus Christ. There
are three purple candles on the wreath representing hope, peace, and
love. A fourth candle is rose colored, and represents joy, It is lit on the
third Sunday of Advent while the other three are lit on the first, second,
and fourth Sundays of Advent. The ancient and more historical churches
have tended to associate the the lighting of the candles to be a gradual
process from repentance to rejoicing. Younger churches have exchanged
the theme of repentance for the themes of hope and anticipation. On
Christmas Day a fifth candle, a white candle, is lit, representing the birth
of Jesus Christ. There are other variations of the colors and the order of
lighting of the candles. Regardless of the differences, they all remind us
of the hope, peace, and love that we have in Jesus Christ, when He came
and dewelt among us and died on the Cross on our behalf.

If I listen carefully to the Advent season, especially to various Scripture
passages that are read, I hear of another Advent, Christ's future second
coming. Through the ages Christians have confessed that Christ will come
again. They meditated on the realities of death, judgment, heaven, and
hell. Men and women of faith throughout the Christian centuries have
eagerly awaited His coming again when He will judge and put every-
thing right. And so, I believe it is proper for us to do the same.

I also believe it is right and proper to speak of a third coming of Jesus
Christ; then He is present with us, we are God's people, and God is our
God. During past Advents I have been aware that I constantly wander
from God's presence, hide myself from God, and seek to do my will rath-
er than God's. Advent is therefore a season in which I not only celebrate
Christ's coming into the world and eagerly await His coming again, but
also yield more and more of my life to Him.

My prayer for you is that you would know the joy of the three comings
of Jesus Christ and the blessings that He brings to the world.