At Jesus’ first advent, He was proclaimed as “Savior.” As the angels announced to the Shepherds, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11). In His second advent, He will return as King and will gather all those as Paul says who “have longed for His appearing.” We live now between the two advents, the two comings… waiting… in anticipation of Christ’s return.

Do you remember the sense of anticipation you felt when you were a child at the approach of Christmas Day? Many today live lives of hopelessness. They don’t really have anything to look forward to. The Advent season is an invitation for us to step back from the busyness of our daily lives and to slow down and remember that Jesus has come and that Jesus is coming again. God has given us reason to hope, but our hope is not dependent on a wishful feeling. Our hope is in the person of Jesus! In the book of Titus chapter 2, the apostle Paul reminded his disciple Titus that the hope he had in Christ was a blessed hope. We can be reminded that the hope we have in Christ is a blessed hope.