What are Advent Readings? Meaning and Examples for Each Week

Today, the season of Advent lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Advent begins on Sunday that falls between November 27th and December 3rd each year) Advent 2024 begins on Sunday, December 1st, and ends on Tuesday, December 24. It is a time to reflect on the prophecies of a Savior and to prepare your heart to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas.

“The Nativity of Christ.—He has come upon earth, He Who in the beginning created us from earth and breathed His Divine breath into us; He has come Who “giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25) ~ John of Kronstadt

What are Advent Readings?

Advent readings are themed Scripture readings for each Sunday of Advent. These readings are used while lighting the candles on the Advent wreath. The four weeks of Advent are broken down into the themes:

Hope (or promise)
Preparation (waiting or prophecy)
Joy (peace)
Love (adoration)

Get your FREE copy of 25 Days of Advent Devotionals and Readings! Print these and share them with family and friends to keep your mind's attention and heart's affection for Jesus this holiday season.

The Importance of Advent Readings

Advent symbolizes the present situation of the church in these “last days” (Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:2), as God’s people wait for the return of Christ in glory to consummate his eternal kingdom. The church is in a similar situation to Israel at the end of the Old Testament: in exile, waiting and hoping in prayerful expectation for the coming of the Messiah. Israel looked back to God’s past gracious actions on their behalf in leading them out of Egypt in the Exodus, and on this basis, they called for God once again to act for them. In the same way, the church, during Advent, looks back upon Christ’s coming in celebration while at the same time looking forward in eager anticipation to the coming of Christ’s kingdom when he returns for his people. In this light, the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” perfectly represents the church’s cry during the Advent season:

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

While Israel would have sung the song in expectation of Christ’s first coming, the church now sings the song in commemoration of that first coming and in expectation of the second coming in the future. (Excerpt from What is Advent?)

The importance of weekly Advent readings is to bring our attention and reverence to the Bible story of Jesus' Nativity and the true meaning of the Christmas season. Let us give thanks and rejoice for the coming of Christ to save mankind from sin, death, and eternal severance from God.

Advent Readings to Prepare for Christmas

As a traditional practice in church services, the Advent wreath is usually lit at the beginning of the weekly service with its accompanying Advent reading from the Bible. However, many families choose to create an Advent wreath and set it on the dinner table or mantel, lighting the candles and using that family time to remind themselves and their children that the Christmas season is first and foremost about Jesus. Find a reading from the Bible for each of the four weeks of Advent along with alternative scriptures and Christmas hymns to enjoy afterward!

Advent Reading Week 1 - Hope

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. […] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

Alternate readings: Psalm 122; Isaiah 2:2-5; Romans 13:11-14
Suggested hymns: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, Silent Night

Advent Reading Week 2 - Preparation

Isaiah 40:3-5: “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’”

Alternate readings: Psalm 72:18; Isaiah 11:1-10; Luke 1:26-38
Suggested hymns: O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Advent Reading Week 3 - Joy

Matthew 2:10-11: “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” (NIV)

Alternate readings: Psalm 146:5-10; Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 2:8-14
Suggested hymns: Joy to the World, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Advent Reading Week 4 - Love

John 3:16-19: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”

Alternate readings: Psalm 24:1-10; Isaiah 7:10-14; Luke 2:8-20; John 1:14; 1 John 4:10
Suggested hymns: Away in a Manger, O Little Town of Bethlehem

Liturgical "O Antiphons"

The Advent "O Antiphons" are a set of seven antiphons, or short liturgical verses, that are chanted or recited in Christian liturgy during the Advent season. They are used in the evening prayer service known as Vespers, specifically from December 17th to December 23rd, leading up to Christmas Eve. Each of these antiphons addresses Jesus Christ with a different Old Testament title or prophecy, emphasizing various aspects of His identity and role as the Messiah.

Here are the Advent O Antiphons, along with their traditional Latin titles and English translations:

O Sapientia (O Wisdom): "O Wisdom, who came forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly, come and teach us the way of prudence."
O Adonai (O Lord): "O Lord and Ruler of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai, come and redeem us with outstretched arm."
O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse): "O Root of Jesse, who stands as a sign for the peoples, before whom kings shall shut their mouths, whom the nations shall invoke, come to deliver us, do not tarry."
O Clavis David (O Key of David): "O Key of David and Scepter of the house of Israel; you open and no one can shut; you shut and no one can open: come and lead the prisoners from the prison house, those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death."
O Oriens (O Dayspring): "O Dayspring, radiant of the light eternal and sun of justice: come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death."
O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations): "O King of the nations, and their desire, the cornerstone making both one: come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay."
O Emmanuel (O God with Us): "O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the One whom the nations long for and their Savior: come and save us, O Lord our God."

These O Antiphons serve as a way for Christians to reflect on the various aspects of Jesus Christ's identity and His role as the promised Messiah in the days leading up to the celebration of His birth on Christmas. Additionally, the first letter of each antiphon, when read in reverse order, forms the Latin phrase "Ero cras," which means "I will be [there] tomorrow," emphasizing the anticipation of Christ's coming.

For more about Advent, read:

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Advent Readings for Each Week of Advent 2024