Advent Series 2025
This year, we’re calling our Advent series “On the Incarnation,” borrowing the title of a famous work by the early Christian pastor and theologian Athanasius of Alexandria.
In this series, we’ll root ourselves first and foremost in Scripture—walking through key biblical passages that explain Jesus’ coming to us as the God-Man. We’ll explore prophecies from Isaiah, the Christmas narratives in Luke 1–2, the Word made flesh in John 1, and several other texts that help us marvel at the mystery of the Incarnation.
Alongside these passages, each week we will also pair our sermon with a quotation from an ancient Christian teacher who defended the truth about Christ in their own generation. We’ll hear the voices of Cyril, Irenaeus, Gregory, and Athanasius.
These men lived only a short time after Jesus rose from the dead. While they might look scrupulous or stuffy to us—perhaps causing some to picture the kind of religious figures we see today walking around the Vatican—they were nothing of the sort. They lived long before most of the church traditions and controversies we have today.
They are often called “Church Fathers” because, historically, they lived close to the time of Jesus’ ministry and the testimony of the apostles. In fact, Irenaeus was discipled by a man who had been discipled by the apostle John.
These early pastors had to confront a variety of false teachers who tried to deny that the Word truly became flesh. One particularly influential figure was Arius, who rejected the divinity of Jesus and taught that He was merely a supreme man—not the God-Man. In response, these faithful leaders wrote letters, preached sermons, formed creeds, and fought for the truth of doctrines like the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and the bodily resurrection.
Of course, if you read them extensively, you will find places where you disagree with them. They were not perfect—and they never claimed to be. We are not saying these men are infallible; only Scripture is infallible. And we’re not saying they were holier or more saintly than any believer today. In Christ, all who believe are called saints. These men are not to be idolized.
But we can appreciate the role they played in preserving and clarifying the gospel for generations to come. And it’s remarkable to see that the truths they cherished are the same truths we proclaim today.
For example, consider this line from Athanasius…
What is he saying? That Jesus is God. Jesus is Creator. Jesus is a member of the Trinity. And through His work—the cross and resurrection—He is renewing all things. That’s the very gospel we believe!
Seeing how Christians throughout history have held tightly to these truths only strengthens our love for the gospel today.
We want everyone to know two things this Advent:
The gospel is ancient.
The gospel is global.
This matters deeply, because we live in a cultural moment where many young people are deconstructing their faith, often out of frustration with the American church. While we should always examine our frustrations and guard our hearts from pride—recognizing that the church would still have problems even if we were leading it—we must also remember that our disappointments with the modern church cannot undo the timeless truths about Jesus.
Christian doctrine didn’t originate in our cultural moment. It has been preached for millennia—taught, affirmed, and preserved across Asia, Africa, and Europe before it reached America.
Church history reminds us that just as Jesus pierced time and space to enter our world, He also pierces through our frustrations and disappointments, revealing Himself as He truly is.
So this Advent, as we consider ancient words about His first coming, we also lift our eyes and welcome the hope of His second coming—whenever He is ready to return.
We are grateful to celebrate Advent together: opening the Scriptures, learning from our Christian family across history, and worshiping the newborn King!
