The Advent season has always had a dual focus. We prepare for Christmas, the celebration of Christ’s first coming. But we also think about the second coming of Christ, when God’s kingdom will finally be fulfilled and God’s plan of salvation for the whole of creation will reach its ultimate completion.
Today’s Gospel reminds us how much we need a Savior – someone who can turn the most desolate of situations into a victory. Someone who can help us survive any worst-case scenario. Someone who can provide salvation when we most need it. Of course, that person is Jesus Christ. Even the prophet Jeremiah, speaking about six hundred years before Jesus was born, recognized that this Savior would come. So we begin this Advent aware of our need for a Savior and looking forward to the celebration of His coming at Christmas.