In the last two weeks of Advent we begin to focus not so much on the coming of Christ as judge at the end of time, or on his appearance in Galilee to begin his ministry after John the Baptist had prepared the way, but on his coming as the new-born child at Bethlehem.
The Church’s liturgical prayers express this beautifully, e.g., ‘By the long awaited coming of your Son Lord, free us from the ancient bondage of sin and death.’
Advent culminates in Christmas. If we want to know what God is like we can learn a great deal from the Christmas crib: we see there that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, born of Mary, to be our Saviour and our Lord.
Advent Collect
Lord Jesus, light of the world,
born in David’s city of Bethlehem,
born like him to be a king:
be born in our hearts at Christmas,
be King of our lives today. Amen.
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