From Darkest of Dark to Whitest of White. A Spring Advent Study

Day 2/30 Spring Advent

Loads of snow fell on us in the last 24 hours and the world is beautiful! We aren’t prone to heavy snow fall here in the lower Midwest, but this winter we’ve had two snowfalls that I would call “abundant” (today’s total is nearly 12 INCHES!)  and it makes my heart jump for joy!

Everything is beautiful! The ugliest piles, scraggliest bushes, and brown dead garden plants have disappeared into a world of fresh, perfect, glowing stainless white.

Advent Study

A snow covered bush dotted with tiny red berries features a quote from Isaiah 1:18, symbolizing purity and transformation.

Even the unsightly backyard piles of gardening tools and supplies, set aside for warmer days, have been transformed into pieces of sparkling art.. A

My husband’s entire black car disappeared overnight.

The darkest of dark turned the whitest of white.

I'm am always struck with awe at how the world is transformed when the snow covers it. The imperfections, the dull and dusty, all the broken things get a few days of perfection. Their blemishes hidden, their stains covered, and their dirty transformed.

The scene always reminds me of

Isaiah 1:18 (NASB 1995)

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

That’s why He came. That's why he, "advented". . Advent Study

That’s why before time He knew what was required to redeem a blood-soaked world.

He saw it set in motion in the garden. When Eve handed the only fruit they were commanded not to eat to her husband it was sealed. The creation that He so painstakingly dreamed up, every minute detail designed and knit together was handed over to His greatest enemy.

The Father planned, the Word was spoken, and the Spirit moved. But now, It was all going to Hell.

He must die. His blood must be given freely to give the world a way out.

The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,

Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” Genesis 3:12-15 (NASB 1995)

But first He must be born. He must be a perfect substitute for those who betrayed Him. He must become fully human.

“…although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:6-8 (NASB 1995)

So, He came. From the womb of a woman, born of water and blood to die in water and blood for the whole wide wicked world. Most would and do and will reject Him. But He came none-the-less.

So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.  But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-5 (NASB 1995)

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18 (NASB 1995)

His mother we know as, Mary was likely named Miriam or Maria, a name from the Hebrew word that means to be rebellious, or to resist. It’s clear as Gabriel greeted her in Luke 1:28 as “charitoó”, meaning having been covered with God’s grace and favor, that Mary was certainly not rebellious in the eyes of God.

Definition of "Meri" showcased with a dramatic torn paper background, highlighting its meaning as "rebellious."

Yet, from that moment forward, she chose a path that would lead her to resist and even rebel against many of the traditions and religious laws to which she had obediently followed throughout her life.

An act of rebellion led by a woman against God had ignited a different rebellion. A rebellion, led by God, born of a woman named “rebellious” was to take back what had been handed over to the dark one.

He would come to turn the darkest of dark to the whitest of white.

Every Hebrew knew who to look for.

Messiah.

It had been foretold for millennia, down to the very detail. There are between 300 and 500 Old Testament prophecies that speak of the advent of Messiah.

They knew where He was to be born,

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.” (Micah 5:2)

They knew how He was to be born.

“Behold, the virgin will be with child and give birth to a son and will call Him Immanuel.”

They knew, God with us was to come. He was to advent.

They knew.

And most of them missed it.

In fact, those who knew best were those who crucified Him.

And He came. Anyway.

Papa, Jesus, Holy Spirit. I say, “yes”. I don’t want to miss you. Even as my life takes unexpected turns and you ask of me things I wonder if I’m prepared for, I say “yes”. Raise up in me your Spirit, your strength to rebel against the dark world, to resist the temptation to betray your commands, and to stand firm with you as you devastate the kingdom of darkness that rules the world. Unveil the hearts and minds of the world to the revelation of your beautiful light that they will know your love, mercy, grace, and redemption. Turn the darkest of dark into the whitest of white.