Advent Series Part 2 …..The Prophet’s Candle
Speakers: Pastors Josh and Carey Tanzola
Scripture References: Matthew 4:16, Jeremiah 33:14-16, Psalm 34, 16:9, Proverbs 16:9
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What was your overall reaction to the sermon and review?
2. In what ways do you anticipate remembering and celebrating Advent?
3. Why is it important to acknowledge and anticipate the second coming of Jesus?
4. Why is the first candle of Advent also called, “The Prophet's Candle.?
5. What constitutes HOPE in your life today?
6. What is a false dawn? How can we guard against a false dawn as we await the true dawn?
7. The people of Israel were made to lament as they endured inexpressible suffering. This
is where the intersection of longing and hope come together. How can we avoid getting
stuck In a season of lament?
8. Jeremiah’s prophecy of a “Righteous Branch sprouting from David’s line,” The Messiah,
would take 600 years to be fulfilled. What is your response to this fact?
SERMON RECAP:
First, a little background information for those unfamiliar with Advent. ADVENT is a Latin word,
which means ARRIVAL. It’s part of the 4 week season in the Christian Calendar Inviting us to
remember and celebrate the arrival of Jesus, to reconnect with a sense of longing for our King
and for us to prepare for His Second Coming. Four candles representing HOPE, LOVE, JOY
and PEACE, are lit each successive Sunday. The four candles are representative of the
Scripture in Matthew that reads,
“The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the
land of the shadow of death on them a light has dawned. (Matthew 4:16).
The candle, representing HOPE, is the topic of the first Advent Sunday. (It’s also known as the
Prophet’s Candle). It speaks of the intersection between longing and hope. As Believers in
Christ, we prepare our hearts to receive what His coming actually means. Jesus came down
from the splendors of heaven into a broken world. With Advent there is an invitation for us to
surrender expectations of how we hoped things would be and to grasp the reality of Jesus in the
messiness of what is.
The anchoring Scripture comes from Jeremiah 33:14- 16 wherein Jeremiah warns the people of
Israel that judgment is coming upon them because of their sins and their stubborn refusal to
repent. Jeremiah passionately implored the people of God to face the suffering that they were
enduring, repent and embrace the hope of Jesus that would come.(though some 600 years
later!) This would be a time of lament, a time of intense suffering and grief over what is
happening. No amount of platitudes or niceties would be able to placate their suffering.
Suffering is still around us. But Jesus entered this world in all its brokenness and suffering; that
is why we call him Emmanuel, God with us. Now, as then, we need truths that can stand the test
of time. When we slow down and come to that quiet place before our Savior, emotional pain is
the first thing that breaks through. It’s at that point that our soul begins working through the pain
and we begin to experience renewal. God is faithful to meet us in that place and bring us to a
deeper level of fellowship with Him.
As we sit in a place of longing for the dawn, be mindful that there can be a false dawn; a dawn
that rises, but soon fades, leaving the night darker than ever. Wait for the true dawn that no
darkness can snuff out. The dawn of HOPE in Christ Jesus.