“Before the Manger: The Purpose Behind Advent”

Growing up Catholic, I always heard the term, “Advent.” But just don’t ask me what it meant. I have since come to know and appreciate the Advent calendar.

Simply stated, Advent is a time of preparation for Christians as they prepare their hearts for the coming celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is also a time in anticipating when He comes again. (The Second Advent or Second Coming.)

It is a time for prayer, reflection, and acts of kindness, focusing on the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love.

So Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation. In fact, all through the Bible, beginning in Genesis, leading up to that moment, God was preparing hearts through the prophesies of the coming Messiah. 

In fact, the stage is actually set 400 years before Christ, with the closing of the Old Testament— with the mention of God sending the prophet Elijah. This was actually a prophesy about John the Baptist, who came in the spirit of Elijah. This appears in the book of Malachi— the last book in the Old Testament. ““Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers…” Malachi 4:5-6.

Luke 1:17 quotes that verse, and adds: “to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.””The mention of Elijah in Malachi was to announce the Messiah’s arrival. 

Though the nation of Israel was in a state of rampant sin and idolatry, a time will come when reconciliation will occur, when the Lord will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children; as the prophet also wrote…to close out the book. 

So the nation was being positioned for a time of hope.Those words of Malachi would also be the last words they would read before another prophet would arrive with a message from God. That would come from John the Baptist—who would exclaim: “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” 

And it is in that setting 400 years later that God breaks His silence.To get things started, He sends a message to a humble priest, named Zechariah.

We read that account in Luke 1:5. “In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.”

Just to give this event some perspective— up until that time: 

-It had been 400 years since the last prophet.

-500 years since the last appearance of a heavenly visitor (an angel).

-500 years at least since the last recorded miraculous act of God—the rescuing of the friends of Daniel from the fiery furnace. 

So now at this time something dramatic happens. And all of a sudden God starts to speak and reveal His Word—and miracles begin to happen. And all of this leading up to the greatest miracle, the virgin birth. 

So to get things started, the angel appears with an announcement to a priest that he and his (barren) wife will be birth parents. 

Luke 1:6 tells us “And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.” 

So simply, this couple lived rightly— visibly before God and men. But I believe this couple also knew how short they fell. So they were humble. They did what they could do in the way of obedience, but understood that it is all by God’s grace. 

So from these first few verses, let’s say this couple did what was expected of them. The only thing, they had no children.

Luke 1:7-9 says, “But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.” 

So they had no children. Not a big deal today, but in the first century, not having children was considered not to be favored by God. I’m sure they figured a long time ago, the child-bearing ship had sailed. So Zechariah was going about his business— remaining faithful, as was Elizabeth. They were common, faithful people…which was the perfect setting for God to intervene. 

And intervene He did.

Luke 12-14, “And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him (the angel), and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.” 

But how did he react when the angel appeared? Was he was relieved? No. It doesn’t say that. "He was troubled when he saw him and fear fell upon him." 

A normal reaction, I’d say. So Gabriel would calm Zechariah’s fears by first telling him not to fear. 

Zechariah knew this birth would be more far-reaching than just within their own family. 

Gabriel continues: “For he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”” (Luke 1:15-17.) 

So no ordinary birth for sure. In fact, this sets the stage for the next announcement to a young virgin girl from Nazareth, named Mary. But it had to start with this announcement to this ordinary, humble priest and his wife. 

God is about to once again intervene in the nation and advance His plan of salvation! And John is chosen to proclaim that! 

So the messianic story begins and is inaugurated with the birth of the forerunner, John the Baptist, and it’s Gabriel who shows up to make the announcement to this humble priest. And, of course it was Gabriel who came later in verse 26 to Mary with the announcement that she would bear the Messiah. 

As so we begin this awesome Christmas season, just as God prepared the hearts of Zechariah and Elizabeth for the news of the coming Messiah that their son John would proclaim, this is a time to ask God to prepare your heart as you anticipate the coming King, the Lord Jesus Christ.