Week One Advent Devotional
The Rise of Hope – Jesus the Wonderful Counselor
Isaiah 9:1-2 1
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
God chose Nazareth of Galilee to announce to Mary that she, virgin would give birth to God’s Son, Jesus. The peoples of Galilee, where Nazareth is located reflects the hope of all nations for God to step into the darkness and light our lives with His salvation.
Isaiah 9:6 6
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
A child born + a Son given.
Child in Hebrew is “Yeled” = male child. God announced ahead of time that His Son was coming to be born as a human child. Fully human experiencing all that we do in both joy and sorrow.
But He is also the Son of God who already existed who was given for us. For God so loved you and so loved your family, and so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son so that anyone who believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
The Son who is given is both God and Everlasting therefore his identity can only be Divine. Only of Christ Jesus can it be said that neither his birth nor his conception in the womb signaled the beginning of his existence. Prior to His birth, he had existed for all eternity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus, with the Father and the Sprit is everlastingly the living one.
Long before the manger, Jesus the Wonderful Counselor, created the universe in all its vastness, and continually sustains it by his own mighty power.
This prophecy was an announcement 700 years in advance that God was doing something incredible. He promised to come to us, to be with us, to rescue us and make us His own.
Hear the promise of the Lord, our hope…
Psalms 33:18
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,19 that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. 22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
Today we light the candle representing the hope we have in Jesus Christ. May the truth of God with us, Immanuel bring hope to our hearts and empower us to live a life of faith and obedience.
Light the candle representing Jesus our Hope
Pray Romans 15:13 (ESV)
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.