Anticipation. What does it mean to anticipate the coming of the Messiah–of Jesus? We know that it means expectation of some future event. But the word actually means more than that. To anticipate further means to live today and make decisions today based on the high probability or belief that something will happen in the future. It’s like when I’m about to undertake a home improvement project, I look ahead and anticipate that I’ll need a certain set of tools. I go to my toolbox in the garage and gather all the tools that I anticipate that I’ll need.
Yesterday I pondered the tension of living in the present while anticipating the future. I wondered how you get yourself into the proper mood of focusing on Jesus–wondering if it’s easier to anticipate the coming of Santa. Today I’m diving deeper into the word.
Advent merely reminds us that we should live in anticipation of Jesus’ coming. This should really be our lifestyle year ’round. We place special emphasis at this time of year, partly because we need a “feast day” or time of celebration in our corporate worship life to remember and celebrate Jesus’ coming. Corporate celebration is actually one of the classic spiritual disciplines.
Back to anticipate. We live in anticipation of Jesus breaking through into our lives and our world by ordering our life believing it will happen. I decide today to pray where I haven’t. I decide today to serve someone in Jesus’ name in anticipation of Jesus’ coming. I celebrate today that Jesus came.
I mentioned “mood” in the beginning of this meditation. In reality, it’s not an emotion, it’s an action. There is an old praise song that says, “Love is something you do.” That is the meaning of anticipate. Advent reminds us to live in anticipation, that is, to live as though Jesus were coming to live with us this month. It’s something we do, not something we feel.
Faith Venture 
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