Although I grew up a low-church Baptist, I am growing ever more appreciative of the church calendar and of resources that help me to grow in ways related to the season’s holy events. In this new book Anticipating the Advent, William Varner wants to help us grow during Advent in our understanding of the Messianic prophesies, their fulfillment, and our devotion to the newborn King.
Summary
But this book is somewhat unique. First, it’s not a daily devotional. Rather, it’s laid out like a biblical-theology of Messiahship, tracing the Old Testament promises of One to come to reverse the curse and defeat the devil. Second, it focuses not on the light and happy moments of Christmas, but on its “dark side.” Varner contends that it’s against this dark side of Christmas that the Light can shine most brightly.
The Old Testament chapters look at classic texts considered Messianic, including Gen 3, Gen 49, Num 24, Micah 5, and Dan 7-12. Varner explains the context and meaning of the passages in a homiletic manner, all with the intent on showing how the Messiah was foretold. This first half of the book would be useful for anyone during Advent season who wanted to better understand the Old Testament roots of Jesus’ incarnation, including why he was coming.
The second half of the book opens with Luke 2 and Varner’s unique take on the angels who gathered to sing “glory to God in the highest.” We have merry-sounding Christmas songs about that night, but Varner argues that the heavenly “host” should be understood as God’s heavenly “army” (the Hebrew word can certainly be translated either way and is often used to mean “army”).
As contradictory as it may sound to Christmas being a time of peace (we will mention that later), the Advent included the assembling of the heavenly host for a war, one that would be fought in spiritual fields, not earthly ones. Jesus came to destroy the works of the Devil (1 John 3:8), and Satan reciprocated with his own spiritual assaults on Jesus. (p. 63)
A chapter on Zechariah and Elizabeth again roots Jesus’ coming with the redemption of Israel, but the next chapter brings us back again to the darker side of Christmas: Herod. Varner gives a helpful background on Herod and his accomplishments, but does not brush over his brutal side. His slaughter of the young children in Bethlehem as an attempt to wipe out his rival “king of the Jews” is one of the darkest moments in history. But once again, Varner shows how this darkness helps the coming Light to shine all the brighter.
In some other chapters, Varner has some fun myth-busting. “A Mythology of the Magi” lists seven erroneous assumptions about the Magi and then gives a more biblically and historically accurate picture of them. And what about the “star?” Varner does not buy into astronomical theories, and instead suggests that the Magi were expecting something because of Daniel’s prophecies. What they saw and described as a “star” was the visible manifestation of the glory of God “a supernatural and visible token seen only by a selected number (the shepherds and the Magi)” (p. 88).
The final two chapters place Jesus firmly within first-century Judaism. Varner explains the sects of Judaism and how Jesus came not only for them, but also for the Gentiles, much to the chagrin of the Jewish leadership. A chapter on the title “Son of God” explains its Jewish background, especially its divine connotations.
The epilogue gives a fascinating history of how the Jewish people have thought about the Messiah (or decided not to think about him) and how many pretenders have arisen throughout the centuries. Varner then gives a clear list of characteristics that the Messiah must have in order to prove genuine. “Only one individual fits the above description, and that is Jesus of Nazareth” (p. 120).
Evaluation
One of my favorite things about this book is that each chapter ends with a prayer composed by Varner, based on the contents of the chapter. In this he follows his practice from his other “church calendar” book, Passionate about the Passion Week (Fontes, 2020). While Varner intends to educate readers, he also aims to ignite their passion for the Messiah.
Another positive focus of the book is on contemporary Judaism and common views of the Messiah. Varner includes some fascinating discussions with Jewish religious leaders and gives real insight into the Jewish conception of Messiah in the final chapter when tracing the many Messianic pretenders throughout the centuries and across different areas of the world. Varner is passionate about helping the Jewish people to see Jesus as the Messiah.
His emphasis on the “dark side” of Christmas is well-taken. Our holiday festivities and traditions tend to color how we read the biblical Advent accounts. Our merry songs, beautiful lights, sweet aromas, and precious time with family lead us to focus on hope and joy. But Varner reminds us that the coming of Messiah was part of a cosmic battle, one with massive losses on both sides. There is a tragic side of Christmas, and we do well to remember this dark side before we move too quickly onto lighter, more joyous things.
If one had to critique the book, one might wish for more chapters on Old Testament prophecy. However, the would have expanded it far beyond its scope, and at the end of the book Varner gives a list of “Further Reading on the Messiah.” After working through Anticipating the Advent, the curious reader may move on to tackle some of the more academic works on the Messiah, and Varner gives us plenty to start with.
Overall, Varner should be commended for writing another book “for the rest of us.” His writing is a model of taking complex academic discussions and explaining them simply with a steady passion that bleeds through his paragraphs. Grab your family a copy this season and sharpen your understanding of how Jesus’ coming is rooted in the Old Testament, how it spurred cosmic resistance, and how the divine Son of God overcome.
Buy It Online
Buy Anticipating the Advent at FontesPress.com for only $15.95 (Paperback); $24.95 (Hardback); or $8.99 (epub). Find it also on Amazon.
