First Sunday of Advent 2025

Before the world began, God was already unfolding his plan of salvation. 

In the beginning, Scripture tells us, the world was “formless and empty,” (Gen. 1:2 NLT) and darkness covered everything, a heavy cloak hanging over the watery expanse. 

Even before God separated the light from the darkness, before he spoke the sky into existence or separated the earth from the water, God knew the story he was writing. 

He would create a beautiful garden full of everything his creation would need, and, in it, he would place the crown of that creation: humanity. Unlike the animals of the field or the birds of the sky, humans would be made in his image, a reflection, made to know him and live in loving relationship with him. It was a place of beauty and light, love and wholeness. A place to be fully known and fully loved, where there was no need to hide or cower in the darkness because shame and sin and regret didn’t exist. 

Yet. 

But even as he spoke the world into being, God knew that the beloved people he had created would one day choose sin. And in doing so, they would plunge themselves into darkness again. He knew he would have to rescue them, so he began to reveal bits and pieces of the bigger story of redemption he was writing. 

A flaming sword that guarded the garden. A Savior who would one day deliver a death blow to the enemy, ending his lies and deceit forever. A burning bush in the wilderness, and a flawed man who would rescue his people. A pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night, guiding the people as they wandered in the wilderness. Prophets who promised a Messiah—a Savior, who would rescue the people once and for all. 

“Some day,” they would whisper, “Some day,” even when it must have seemed like some day would never come. 

For a long, long time, it must have seemed like the darkness was winning. There were all these points of light and bits of hope, but nothing seemed to change. Doesn’t it seem that way now, sometimes, too? 

But even as he called forth the birds and created the animals to populate the world, God was looking forward to the day when he would ultimately bring a light into the world that the darkness could not overcome. 

As you light the first candle of Advent this year, watch the flame flicker to life and see how it chases the darkness from the room. Before the world had shape or form, before waters and sky, earth and sea existed, God was unfolding his plan of redemption. The light would come. Redemption and freedom from sin were possible because he himself would enter into our darkness with a light that cannot be extinguished. 

The light of the world, Jesus.