Olive Tree Blog
Seasonal

What is Advent?

If you would have said the word ‘Advent’ to me when I was a kid, my first thought would have been some sort of calendar. Specially, the one with doors and candy, and found in my friends’ homes. Advent – in any form – was not a part of my family tradition. When my wife and I married, we were a part of a church that did Advent readings and candle lighting.

I began to explore the tradition more fully. Over time, I grew to really appreciate the Biblical context it brought to the Christmas season.

Now, we have made Advent one of the ways that our family seeks to keep the focus on Jesus during the Christmas season. In a culture that makes Christmas about gifts, we have found Advent readings and times of reflection as a family to be a beautiful centerpiece of the way we celebrate.

What is Advent?

Maybe like me your understanding of this season was limited or non-existent and you’re just wondering what it is.  Advent comes from the Latin word adventus. It means “coming” or “arrival.” For Christians it is the time of year when we specifically look to the coming of Jesus Christ, first in his coming to bring our salvation and then his subsequent return to reign in glory. This season begins four Sundays before December 25, so the start date varies from year to year. This year Advent begins Sunday, December 1. For four weeks, the idea is to meditate on Christ’s coming. This is much like God’s people waiting the thousands of years for him to arrive.

Advent Reading

If you are looking for a way to personally observe Advent we have created a reading plan! Starting on December 1, this plan will guide you through 24 days of select scripture that will end on Christmas Eve.

Additional Christmas Season Resources

If you’re looking for further Advent resources such as devotionals, study guides, or eBooks here are few that can be used in the Olive Tree Bible App.

Related Posts

15 Comments

  1. Annie Myers

    This looks good. I will take time to digest it via the app.

    • John

      Do you live in Poland? I’m wanting to connect with believers in Jesus that live in Poland.

  3. Scott

    When I went to it, it appears that it is 36 days and if started today it takes me to Dec 28? Just curious if I have the wrong plan or not, thanks!

    • Andrew F.

      Scott, you may have started the older pre-installed reading plan. The one you want is the Advent 2016 Reading Plan. You have to tap on the ‘More Reading Plans’ button to see it.

  4. Frans J.M. Hendriks

    True Christians would do wise to study the history about ‘christmas’ and its pagan roots. The internet is full of studies that prove that ‘christmas’ is a pagan holiday.

    • janet

      correct dec 25 is based on a pagan holiday. however, celebrating the birth of christ as a man made tradition is not pagan. and choosing to do that on the 25th is not sin. judge your own heart.

      • Jonathan Mark Foster

        Only 2 birthdays are celebrated in the bible. Pharoh and Herod. Both ended in deaths. Yeshua was born in September or October. December 25 is the birthday of the Sun god and would not have been celebrated by the disciples, or the early Christians. Only his death is importance taking the sins of the world.

  5. janet

    i cannot find anything with this app, can’t organize notes, can’t find the reading plan and there is not alot of support from this site.

  6. Robert Smith

    the apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 11:26 wrote about remembering the Lords death. In other places he wrote of remembering Christ burial and his resurrection. Although many present day observations surrounding Christmas and celebrating the birth of Christ are associated with an event found in scripture, authority to create a date and ordain it as Christ birthdate did not come from God. From heaven or from men, is still the question to answer for ourselves.

  7. Darrin Harding

    CHRISTmas, a man made tradition? Yes, of course. I was a missionary in India for 8 years and very content being absent from such man made traditions. In India CHRISTmas is about Christ still. Hindu’s for the most part don’t observe it. So I have wrestled with being a bit of a Scrooge here in America this time of year. However, the Scriptures do say to be thankful in “ everything” even the birth of Christ; 1 Thessalonians 5:18
    18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
    So I don’t see where it’s a heresy to be thankful for the birth of Christ! After all our God is a redeemer, a reclaimer of what has been lost, is he not? Let’s just make CHRISTmas about Christ,shall we.

  8. Jane Sadowski

    I am not ableto locate the advent study app.

    • Cierra Loux

      You can find the advent reading plan inside our app, the Olive Tree Bible App. 🙂