Every year Christmas seems to arrive faster, like a train thundering into the station before we’ve even packed our bags. We rush, we shop, we scroll and then sigh, "Did I really encounter Christ this Christmas?"

Pause. Prepare. Pay attention.

That’s why we have Advent. Advent is the church’s gentle yet insistent whisper: Pause. Prepare. Pay attention.

It’s not a dull countdown; it’s a divine wake-up call, a reminder that Someone is coming. Advent is God’s way of saying, "Don’t just rush to the cradle—prepare your heart for the King."

1. Advent is preparation for the coming King

The word "Advent" means "coming". It looks back to Bethlehem where Jesus came as a baby, and forward to the day he will return as King. It prepares us spiritually and emotionally to receive Christ again. John the Baptist cried, "Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him" (Mark 1:3 NIV). Advent is that call. It clears the clutter and tunes the heart and soul before the Christmas song begins.

Advent isn’t a countdown, it’s a call-up.

Every great celebration requires preparation. You wouldn’t host a wedding without planning; how much more should we prepare for the arrival of the Bridegroom, Jesus? Advent isn’t a countdown, it’s a call-up.

2. Advent is protection for the heart of Christmas

Let’s be honest, Christmas can easily lose Christ. The so-called "festive season" bulldozes its way through December until we collapse wondering what just happened.

Advent stands guard at the door of December. It slows the pace and centers the heart. It reminds us that the greatest gift isn’t under the tree, it’s the One who hung upon the tree.

Paul wrote, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2 NIV). Advent renews us so that Christmas doesn’t just happen around us, it happens within us.

Don’t just decorate your home, dedicate your heart.

The world decorates for Christmas; disciples prepare for Christ. Don’t just decorate your home, dedicate your heart.

3. Advent is proclamation—heaven’s great announcement

In every shopping center there are endless announcements about sales or parking. But one announcement often goes unheard: "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." (Luke 2:11 NIV)

Advent is heaven’s loudspeaker.

Advent is heaven’s loudspeaker saying, "Listen – the King is coming!" It reminds us that the baby in the manger was not merely born to bring peace but to bear a cross, and that he will come again.

Advent declares both comfort and challenge:

Be comforted—he came.Be challenged—he’s coming again.The first coming was in humility; the next will be in majesty.The first was in mercy; the next will be in glory.The first was to save; the next will be to reign.

The manger makes sense only when we remember the throne.