Advent Week 2 | The Road from Rebellion to Redemption

Welcome to the second week of Advent as we celebrate the arrival of Jesus! We’re using a passage from the book of Jeremiah to walk through this season:

“Although our sins testify against us,
do something, Lord, for the sake of your name.
For we have often rebelled;
we have sinned against you.
You who are the hope of Israel,
its Savior in times of distress,
why are you like a stranger in the land,
like a traveler who stays only a night?
Why are you like a man taken by surprise,
like a warrior powerless to save?
You are among us, Lord,
and we bear your name;
do not forsake us!”
-Jeremiah 14:7-9

Let me momentarily comment on the connection between a few obscure Old Testament verses and the Christmas story. The story of Advent has two parts (four, actually): the waiting and the arrival.

The Old Testament, in part, is a story of waiting on God, and the New Testament is a story of Jesus’ arrival. However, a new bit of waiting enters the picture when Jesus ascends to heaven. Once again, we wait for Jesus’ arrival to set everything right, so the Old Testament helps us frame the waiting and understand the depth of joy in Jesus’ return (the third and fourth parts of Advent).

So, we celebrate Jesus’ birth thousands of years ago, but we also remember he is coming again. Last week, we reflected on how, collectively, the people of Israel waited for thousands of years for the Messiah; this week, we see how Jesus did indeed come! To do this, we turn to one woman in the Old Testament and another in the New Testament, each representing a phrase from Jeremiah’s writing.

The Rebellion of Humanity

Eve (along with her husband, Adam) introduced sin into the world. At the beginning of time, standing in a Garden, an innocent and virtuous Eve was presented with a choice. Thank God, He always gives you a choice. You can either obey him or walk your own path. God never forces you to do anything against your will, and Eve was no different.

As Jeremiah wrote:

Eve, visited by an “angel,” was tempted to eat of the forbidden tree (Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:14 that Satan often masquerades as an “angel of light”). This temptation wasn’t about fruit, but it was a choice of whether to rebel against God or not. Questioning the goodness of God, Eve ate the fruit and introduced sin to the world.

Choices always carry consequences. If your choice is good, it produces good things in your life, but if it is bad, it will lead to bad things. This is a fundamental principle in how God designed the world.

Eve’s choice led to the worst consequences — a chaotic, sinful world. So, now, you and I also claim Jeremiah’s statement: we have rebelled and sinned against God.

A Picture of Redemption

Eve’s choice necessitated a Savior, but God waited. He initiated his plan, but its fruition took thousands of years until another angel suddenly visited a different, innocent, virtuous woman—Mary, the mother of Jesus.

God also gave Mary a choice. The angel, Gabriel, told her that she, like a tree in the Garden of God, would bear the fruit of God himself. He let her know she had been chosen to give birth to the Son of God. This visitation began the fulfillment of what Jeremiah declared about the nature of God:

With a heart full of faith, Mary declared: “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”3 Mary’s obedient act of faith introduced us to the one who broke the curse of sin. This means the sin that seems to have a hold on you can be broken because of Jesus’ perfect life, death, and resurrection.

Thank God, we don’t have to wait — the Messiah came, and God is no longer silent!

This Advent season, remember why we celebrate. The Savior of the world has come!

Group Questions:

Ice Breaker Questions:

1. What is the longest you’ve ever waited in line for something (anything: tech product, amusement ride, concert/event, etc)? If you had to do it all over again, would you wait in that line? Was it worth it?
2. How does the concept of waiting in Advent (waiting for the Messiah in the Old Testament and the waiting for Jesus’ return) resonate with your spiritual journey? In what areas of your life are you waiting for God to move or answer prayers?

Read Genesis 3:1-13 and Luke 1:26-38:

1. Choice: In the story of Eve, we see how one choice led to consequences that impacted all of humanity. How do our own choices affect our lives and the lives of those around us? How can we make better choices that align with God’s will?
2. Temptation: Eve was tempted to rebel against God’s command. In what ways are we tempted today to question God’s goodness or make choices that lead us away from His will? How can we resist these temptations, especially amid difficult circumstances?
3. Obedience: Eve’s choice led to the fall of humanity, while Mary’s obedience led to the birth of the Savior. What does this contrast teach us about the power of obedience to God? How does Mary’s example challenge you in your faith and obedience?
4. Faith: Mary responded to God’s call with faith and obedience, saying, “I am the Lord’s servant.” What does this teach us about responding to God’s call? How can we cultivate a heart of obedience like Mary’s in Advent?

Read Jeremiah 14:7-9:

1. Confession: Jeremiah’s words in the passage, “We have often rebelled; we have sinned against you,” highlight the reality of sin. How do you view the role of confession in your relationship with God? What does it mean to honestly confess and turn from our sins in this season of Advent?
2. Hope: In Jeremiah, God is described as the “hope of Israel” and the “Savior in times of distress.” How do you find hope in times of distress? How does the coming of Jesus offer hope to a broken and sinful world, and how does that hope impact your own life today?

Read Devotion:

1. Celebration: The season of Advent is a reminder that the world’s Savior has come, breaking the silence of waiting. How does the arrival of Jesus change the way you celebrate Christmas? What practical ways can you focus more on His arrival and its significance during this season?