17 Bible Verses about Advent

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah happened in this way. When his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, before they lived together she was discovered to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to disgrace her, decided to divorce her secretly. After he had thought about it, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," he said, "don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. read more.
She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he is the one who will save his people from their sins." Now all this happened to fulfill what was declared by the Lord through the prophet when he said, "See, a virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel," which means, "God with us." When Joseph got up from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary as his wife. He did not have marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son; and he named him Jesus.

Now in the sixth month of her pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!" read more.
Startled by his statement, she tried to figure out what his greeting meant. Then the angel told her, "Stop being afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. Listen! You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end." Mary asked the angel, "How can this happen, since I have not had relations with a man?" The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will surround you. Therefore, the child will be holy and will be called the Son of God. And listen! Elizabeth, your relative, has herself conceived a son in her old age, this woman who was rumored to be barren is in her sixth month. Nothing is impossible with respect to any of God's promises." Then Mary said, "Truly I am the Lord's servant. Let everything you have said happen to me." Then the angel left her.

"A shoot will come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch will bear fruit from his roots. The Spirit of the LORD will rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and power, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD. His delight will be in the fear of the LORD. He won't judge by what his eyes see, nor decide disputes by what his ears hear,read more.
but with righteousness he will judge the needy, and decide with equity for earth's poor. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and the wicked will be killed with the breath of his lips. Righteousness will be the sash around his loins, and faithfulness the belt around his waist." "The wolf will live with the lamb; the leopard will lie down with the young goat. The calf and the lion will graze together, and a little child will lead them. The cow and the bear will graze, and their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on vipers' dens. They will neither harm nor destroy on my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." At that time, as to the root of Jesse, who will be standing as a banner for the nations, the nations will rally to him, and his resting place is glorious.

"As for you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah, even though you remain least among the clans of Judah, nevertheless, the one who rules in Israel for me will emerge from you. His existence has been from antiquity, even from eternity.

"Therefore the LORD himself will give you a sign. Watch! The virgin is conceiving a child, and will give birth to a son, and his name will be called Immanuel.

Now in those days an order was published by Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be registered. This was the first registration taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all the people went to their hometowns to be registered.read more.
Joseph, too, went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the City of David (called Bethlehem), because he was a descendant of the household and family of David. He went there to be registered with Mary, who had been promised to him in marriage and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to have her baby, and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no place for them in the guest quarters. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, watching their flock during the night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Then the angel told them, "Stop being afraid! Listen! I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people. Today your Savior, the Lord Messiah, was born in the City of David. And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a feeding trough." Suddenly, a multitude of the Heavenly Army appeared with the angel, praising God by saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to people who enjoy his favor!" When the angels had left them and gone back to heaven, the shepherds told one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see what has taken place that the Lord has told us about." So they went quickly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby, who was lying in the feeding trough. When they saw this, they repeated what they had been told about this child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. However, Mary continued to treasure all these things in her heart and to ponder them. Then the shepherds returned to their flock, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

While they were there, the time came for her to have her baby, and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no place for them in the guest quarters.

After Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judea during the reign of King Herod, wise men arrived in Jerusalem from the east and asked, "Where is the one who was born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

And again, Isaiah says, "There will be a Root from Jesse. He will rise up to rule the gentiles, and the gentiles will hope in him." Now may God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace as you believe, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Later on, the LORD spoke to Ahaz again: "Ask a sign from the LORD your God. Make it as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven above." But Ahaz replied, "I won't ask! I won't put the LORD to the test."read more.
In reply, the LORD announced, "Please listen, you household of David. Is it such a minor thing for you to try the patience of men? Must you also try the patience of my God? "Therefore the LORD himself will give you a sign. Watch! The virgin is conceiving a child, and will give birth to a son, and his name will be called Immanuel.

""Look, the time is coming,' declares the LORD, "when I'll fulfill the good promise that I spoke concerning the house of Israel and Judah. In those days and at that time I'll cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he will uphold justice and righteousness in the land. At that time Judah will be delivered and Jerusalem will dwell in safety. And this is the name people will call it, "The LORD is Our Righteousness."'

For everything that was written long ago was written to instruct us, so that we might have hope through the endurance and encouragement that the Scriptures give us. Now may God, the source of endurance and encouragement, allow you to live in harmony with each other as you follow the Messiah Jesus, so that with one mind and one voice you might glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.read more.
Therefore, accept one another, just as the Messiah accepted you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that the Messiah became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God's truth in order to confirm the promises given to our ancestors, so that the gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "That is why I will praise you among the gentiles; I will sing praises to your name." Again he says, "Rejoice, you gentiles, with his people!" And again, "Praise the Lord, all you gentiles! Let all the nations praise him." And again, Isaiah says, "There will be a Root from Jesse. He will rise up to rule the gentiles, and the gentiles will hope in him." Now may God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace as you believe, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

About this time, John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the Judean wilderness, "Repent, because the kingdom from heaven is near!" He was the one the prophet Isaiah was referring to when he said, "He is a voice calling out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight!'"read more.
John had clothing made of camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted of grasshoppers and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem, all Judea, and the entire region along the Jordan began flocking to him, being baptized by him in the Jordan River while they confessed their sins. But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he told them, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! Don't think you can say to yourselves, "We have father Abraham!' because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree that isn't producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water as evidence of repentance, but the one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand. He will clean up his threshing floor and gather his grain into the barn, but he will burn the chaff with inextinguishable fire."

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, watching their flock during the night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Then the angel told them, "Stop being afraid! Listen! I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people. read more.
Today your Savior, the Lord Messiah, was born in the City of David. And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a feeding trough." Suddenly, a multitude of the Heavenly Army appeared with the angel, praising God by saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to people who enjoy his favor!" When the angels had left them and gone back to heaven, the shepherds told one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see what has taken place that the Lord has told us about." So they went quickly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby, who was lying in the feeding trough. When they saw this, they repeated what they had been told about this child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. However, Mary continued to treasure all these things in her heart and to ponder them. Then the shepherds returned to their flock, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

Suddenly, a multitude of the Heavenly Army appeared with the angel, praising God by saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to people who enjoy his favor!"

This is necessary because you know the times it's already time for you to wake up from sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we became believers. The night is almost over, and the day is near. Let's therefore put aside the actions of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let's behave decently, as people who live in the light of day. No wild parties, drunkenness, sexual immorality, promiscuity, quarreling, or jealousy! read more.
Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and do not obey your flesh and its desires.

"Comfort! Yes, comfort my people," says your God. "Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her heavy service has been completed, that her penalty has been paid, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins." A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; and in the desert a straight highway for our God.'read more.
Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be lowered; the rough ground will become level, and the mountain ridges made a plain. Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all humanity will see it at once; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." A voice says, "Cry out!" So I asked, "What am I to cry out?" "All humanity is grass, and all its loyalty is like the flowers of the field. Grass withers and flowers fade away when the LORD's breath blows on them; surely the people are like grass. Grass withers and flowers fade away, when the LORD's breath blows on them, but the word of our God will stand forever." "Climb up a high mountain, you messenger of good news to Zion! Lift up your voice with strength, you messenger to Jerusalem! Lift it up! Don't be afraid! Say to the towns of Judah, "Here is your God!' Look! The Lord GOD comes with strength, and his arm rules for him. Look! His reward is with him, and his payment accompanies him. Like a shepherd, he tends his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to his heart, and gently leads the mother sheep."