11 Bible Verses about Advent

Now these were the circumstances of the birth of Jesus Christ. Mary, his mother, was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married it was found that she was about to become a mother through the influence of the holy Spirit. But her husband, Joseph, was an upright man and did not wish to disgrace her, and he decided to break off the engagement privately. But while he was thinking of doing this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, and said, "Joseph, descendant of David, do not fear to take Mary, your wife, to your home, for it is through the influence of the holy Spirit that she is to become a mother.read more.
She will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for it is he who is to save his people from their sins." All this happened in fulfilment of what the Lord said through the prophet, "The maiden will be pregnant and will have a son, And they will name him Immanuel."?? word which means "God with us." So when Joseph awoke from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had directed him, and took his wife to his home. But he did not live with her as a husband until she had had a son, and he named the child Jesus.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a maiden there who was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The maiden's name was Mary. And the angel went into the town and said to her, "Good morning, favored woman! The Lord be with you!"read more.
But she was startled at what he said, and wondered what this greeting meant. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have gained God's approval. You are to become a mother and you will 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. The Lord God will give him the throne of his forefather David, and he will reign over Jacob's house forever; his reign will have no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, when I have no husband?" The angel answered, "The holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. For that reason your child will be called holy, and the Son of God. And your relative, Elizabeth, although she is old, is going to give birth to a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was said to be barren. For nothing is ever impossible for God." And Mary said, "I am the Lord's slave. Let it be as you say." Then the angel left her.

In those days an edict was issued by the Emperor Augustus that a census of the whole world should be taken. It was the first census, taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So everyone went to his own town to register.read more.
And Joseph went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he belonged to the house and family of David, to register with Mary, who was engaged to him and who was soon to become a mother. While they were there, the time came for her child to be born, and she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped him up, and laid him in a manger, for there was no room for them at the inn. There were some shepherds in that neighborhood keeping watch through the night over their flock in the open fields. And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. The angel said to them, "Do not be frightened, for I bring you good news of a great joy that is to be felt by all the people, for today, in the town of David, a Savior for you has been born who is your Messiah and Lord. And this will prove it to you: You will find a baby wrapped up and lying in a manger." Suddenly there appeared with the angel a throng of the heavenly army, praising God, saying, "Glory to God in heaven and on earth! Peace to the men he favors!" When the angels left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Come! Let us go over to Bethlehem, and see this thing that has happened, that the Lord has told us of!" And they hurried there, and found Mary and Joseph, with the baby lying in the manger. When they saw this, they told what had been said to them about this child. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, but Mary treasured up all they had said, and pondered over it. And the shepherds went back glorifying God and praising him for all that they had heard and seen in fulfilment of what they had been told.

While they were there, the time came for her child to be born, and she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped him up, and laid him in a manger, for there was no room for them at the inn.

Now after the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem in Judea, in the days of King Herod, astrologers from the east arrived at Jerusalem, and asked, "Where is the newly born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star rise and we have come to do homage to him."

Again Isaiah says, "The descendant of Jesse will come, The one who is to rise to rule the heathen; The heathen will set their hopes on him." May God, the source of hope, fill you with perfect happiness and peace in your faith, so that you may have overflowing hope through the power of the holy Spirit.

For everything that was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that by being steadfast and through the encouragement the Scriptures give, we might hold our hope fast. May God, from whom steadfastness and encouragement come, give you such harmony with one another, in following the example of Christ Jesus, that you may praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one accord and one voice.read more.
Therefore, treat one another like brothers, in God's honor, just as Christ has treated you. I hold that Christ has become an agent of circumcision to show God's truthfulness in carrying out the promises made to our forefathers, and causing the heathen to praise God for his mercy; as the Scripture says, "I will give thanks to you for this among the heathen, And sing in honor of your name." And again, "Rejoice, you heathen, with his people!" And again, "Praise the Lord, all you heathen, And let all nations sing his praises." Again Isaiah says, "The descendant of Jesse will come, The one who is to rise to rule the heathen; The heathen will set their hopes on him." May God, the source of hope, fill you with perfect happiness and peace in your faith, so that you may have overflowing hope through the power of the holy Spirit.

In those days John the Baptist appeared, and preached in the desert of Judea. "Repent!" he said, "for the Kingdom of Heaven is coming!" It was he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, when he said, "Hark! Someone is shouting in the desert, 'Get the Lord's way ready! Make his paths straight!' "read more.
John wore clothing made of hair cloth, and he had a leather belt around his waist, and he lived on dried locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole Jordan valley went out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, in acknowledgment of their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the wrath that is coming? Then produce fruit that will be consistent with your professed repentance! Do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our forefather,' for I tell you God can produce descendants for Abraham right out of these stones! But the axe is already lying at the roots of the trees. Any tree that fails to produce good fruit is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you in water in token of your repentance, but he who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not fit to carry his shoes. He will baptize you in the holy Spirit and in fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clean up his threshing-floor, and store his wheat in his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with inextinguishable fire."

There were some shepherds in that neighborhood keeping watch through the night over their flock in the open fields. And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. The angel said to them, "Do not be frightened, for I bring you good news of a great joy that is to be felt by all the people,read more.
for today, in the town of David, a Savior for you has been born who is your Messiah and Lord. And this will prove it to you: You will find a baby wrapped up and lying in a manger." Suddenly there appeared with the angel a throng of the heavenly army, praising God, saying, "Glory to God in heaven and on earth! Peace to the men he favors!" When the angels left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Come! Let us go over to Bethlehem, and see this thing that has happened, that the Lord has told us of!" And they hurried there, and found Mary and Joseph, with the baby lying in the manger. When they saw this, they told what had been said to them about this child. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, but Mary treasured up all they had said, and pondered over it. And the shepherds went back glorifying God and praising him for all that they had heard and seen in fulfilment of what they had been told.

Suddenly there appeared with the angel a throng of the heavenly army, praising God, saying, "Glory to God in heaven and on earth! Peace to the men he favors!"

All this especially, because you know this critical time and that it is time for you to wake from your sleep, for our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is at hand. So let us throw aside the deeds of darkness, and put on the armor of light. Let us live honorably, as in the light of day, not in carousing and drunkenness, or in immorality and indecency, or in quarreling and jealousy.read more.
But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about gratifying your physical cravings.