When it comes to celebrating Advent, I’m a relative newbie. I grew up in a Christian home that believed in the Gospel, but we were not part of a tradition that celebrated Advent. Although we did not celebrate Advent specifically, December was always a time to focus on the birth of Jesus, our Savior. We celebrated through church services: Christmas plays with manger scenes, reading Luke 2 on Christmas morning, and so much more. 

If you are new(er) to Advent, like me, you may be wondering what it is or if it matters. Advent is a time of waiting and preparing. It’s a time of waiting for the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus, remembering that for most of history, the whole world was waiting for his birth. It’s also a time to prepare our hearts to celebrate his birth. The birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are key moments in history, central to the Christian faith. They demand to be celebrated. It is important to prepare our hearts to celebrate Jesus’s birth so that we can approach Christmas with Jesus as our primary focus. 

Jesus’s birth was not just some random event that occurred when God finally felt like getting around to saving the world. Jesus’s birth was one that carefully planned and prophesied from the very beginning. From the beginning of time, Jesus’s coming was part of the plan. When God laid out the foundation of the world, Jesus was placed as the Chief Cornerstone. 

God did not leave us in the dark about his plan. From the moment of the Fall, he promised to bring a Messiah who would save his people from their sins. And he continued making this promise until it was fulfilled. That is why I chose to focus on nine of God’s covenants for Advent this year. God’s covenants with his people provide a framework for our understanding of the birth of Jesus. 

From the Garden to the Cross: How the Covenants Point Us to Jesus uses short chapters to cover the story behind each covenant and how it connects to the coming of Jesus. Each chapter contains a black and white illustration for you to color in that provides you with a visual connection to the covenant the chapter covers. (If you would like to interact with other believers as you study theses covenants, there’s even an option to join a guided discussion group on Facebook.) 

Each chapter builds on the last one, continuing God’s story of the world. They show how God narrows in on the identity of the promised Messiah, until you can’t help but see that he is Jesus. You will begin in Eden, when God declares war on the serpent, proclaiming that evil will not win: 

“In this declaration, God makes the first covenant that promises a Messiah. And he makes it with a serpent? Why would God make a promise like this to a serpent? This first covenant is not just any ordinary promise: it’s a declaration of war. It is a promise to the serpent that the serpent will not win. It is a promise from God that evil will not prevail. The serpent may be able to do some damage, but someone is coming that will crush the serpent’s head under his feet” (p. 5).

When God promised someone was coming that would crush the serpent’s head, thus defeating him forever, he had a specific person in mind. That person was Jesus. The very first promise whispered a hopeful phrase that would echo through every generation of the world: Jesus is coming. 

God’s covenant with Abraham identifies the family that God used to bring the Messiah into the world. God promised for many years that Abraham would have a son and that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. In the giving of this covenant, God also promised Abraham that through him, all the families of the earth would be blessed. 

“Although God made his covenant specifically with Abraham, this covenant was not just for Abraham. The Abrahamic Covenant was a special promise to Abraham and all of his descendants. The promises of God would hold fast for every person that could trace his or her heritage all the way back to Abraham. Even more beautifully, the promise, “I will…be God to you and your descendants,” holds true for every believer” (p. 17). 

God’s promise to Abraham was more than a promise to give him a child. It was a promise to bring about salvation not just for Abraham’s family, but for all of God’s people. When Abraham looked up at the stars and remembered God’s promises, they whispered back to him: Jesus is coming.

Through the giving of the Law in the Mosaic Covenant, the Israelites learned that they were not sufficient to save themselves. They could not obey all of the Law all of the time. It was impossible! 

“God gave Israel the law because he knew not a single person could keep it perfectly. God gave Israel an advocate in Moses and later, the Levites. These human priests and the impossible Law that are part of the Mosaic covenant were all established to point Israel’s gaze forward to the coming future. Their faith in God saved them, and their desire to obey came as a result of their faith. For hundreds of years, generations upon generations would strive to obey the law, as imperfect as they were. Generation after generation would turn to priests to make sacrifices and advocate for them. Their striving, their failure, and their need for an advocate was all intentional. The Law was meant to show sinful Israel (and anyone who believed) that they could not save themselves” (p. 26). 

Although the law made for a terrible god, it made for an excellent teacher. Through their constant failure, Israel saw its constant need. Their works could never save them, but there was Someone coming who could. In all of their trying, failing, and trying again, hope echoed in their hearts and minds: Jesus is coming. 

Jesus is all over the Old Testament. He is in the Garden of Eden, in the ark with Noah, and in the temple with the Levites. He is found in every covenant God makes with his people. Everything that happened in the Old Testament was for a purpose. Every event, every promise God makes, and every important figure all point to the moment of Jesus’s birth. The Old Testament and God’s covenants with his people are brimming with hope, as they whisper to us all: Jesus is coming. 

I hope you’ll join me for Advent. 

From the Garden to the Cross: How the Covenants Point Us to Jesus is a ten-day Advent Bible study. It is available on Etsy right now for purchase. A guided discussion with Rose Elliott, the author of the study, begins on December 15, 2019. 

Photo by Drew Mills