Christmas is more than an overly commercialized holiday invented by marketing agencies to sell more stuff. It’s a time of hope. It is an undeniably good day that brings the promise of good gifts and good cheer in the middle of a dreary season. We live in a fallen and broken world, for sure, but a world in which Jesus, the true King, has arrived. At Christmas, we remember the history altering truth that Jesus, the true king, came bringing with Him hope. There is good news. There is light in the darkness. There is a reason to celebrate. 

That’s the heart of Advent. It is standing in the middle of the winter with a smile on your face and hope in your heart, saying, “Winter is here, but Christmas is coming.”