Reading Advent Bible verses during the Advent season is a cherished tradition for many Christians around the world.
These carefully chosen passages from the Bible help believers reflect on the significance of Jesus Christ’s birth and prepare their hearts for the celebration of Christmas.
The practice of reading Advent Bible verses serves as a spiritual guide, leading individuals through a journey of hope, anticipation, and contemplation during this special time of the year.
Advent is a time of spiritual reflection and preparation.
Many Christians use this period for prayer, meditation, and acts of charity as they seek to deepen their faith and strengthen their connection to the story of Jesus’ birth.
It’s also a time of heightened anticipation, akin to the excitement and expectation that surrounded the first Christmas.
Overall, Advent provides believers with a meaningful opportunity to pause amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, focusing on the spiritual significance of Christmas and the profound message of hope, peace, joy, and love that it brings to the world.
With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, crowned with materialism and want lists, the idea of a time of reflection and Bible study feels like a healing balm.
These Advent Scriptures are perfect for preparing your heart for the coming of the king.
Join me this holiday season as we embrace a much-needed calming of the spirit through the peace and hope we find in scripture.
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Advent Bible Verses
Advent is a season of anticipation and preparation in the Christian liturgical calendar, observed in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
The word “Advent” derives from the Latin word “adventus,” meaning “coming” or “arrival,” and it signifies the period in which Christians prepare their hearts and minds for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Advent typically begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which can fall anywhere from November 27th to December 3rd, and lasts until Christmas Eve.
This season is an integral part of the Christian tradition, serving as a time of reflection, hope, and spiritual growth.
Related: Jesus as Wonderful Counselor
You won’t find the word advent in the Bible, nor the practice of lighting candles and counting down to the celebration of Christ’s birth. This practice began in the 5th century with an emphasis on fasting and penitence.
Advent refers to an arrival or coming. As we prepare for the advent season and celebrate Christ’s first coming, may we look continually forward to his second coming.
It seems as if different denominations celebrate advent in slightly different ways. The most common today is special Bible reading and traditions on each of the four Sundays leading up to December 25th.
Related: The Weary World Rejoice – An Advent Bible Study
The Advent Bible verses typically focus on the prophetic announcements and promises related to the coming of the Messiah found in the Old Testament. These verses emphasize themes of hope and anticipation, emphasizing the long-awaited arrival of the Savior.
As the Advent season progresses, the selected Bible verses may shift to passages in the New Testament, particularly those that recount the events leading up to the birth of Jesus, such as the angel’s announcement to Mary, the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, and the shepherds’ encounter with the heavenly host.
These readings bring the Nativity story to life, reminding believers of the humble circumstances of Jesus’ birth and the message of peace and salvation that it carries.
Day 1: Isaiah 40:9-11
You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,[a]
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
Day 2: John 1:9
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
Day 3: Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you[a] a sign: The virgin[b] will conceive and give birth to a son, and[c] will call him Immanuel.
Day 4: Numbers 24:17
“I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
a scepter will rise out of Israel.
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,
the skulls[a] of[b] all the people of Sheth.
Day 5: 1 Peter 1:19-20
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
Day 6: Galatians 4:4-5
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
Day 7: Micah 5:2
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans[a] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
Day 8: John 7:42
Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?”
Day 9: Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring[a] and hers;
he will crush[b] your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
Day 10: Isaiah 40:3-5
A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord[a];
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.[b]
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Day 11: Isaiah 11:1-5
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
Day 12: Zechariah 6:12-13
Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord. 13 It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he[a] will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’
Day 13: John 1:10-13
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
Day 14: John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Day 15: Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Day 16: Luke 1:39-45
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Day 17: Luke 1:46-56
And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
Day 18: Luke 1:57-66
When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”
61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”
62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
Day 19: Matthew 1:18-21
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[b] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”
Day 20: Matthew 1:22-23
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[a] (which means “God with us”).
Day 21: Luke 2:4-7
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Day 22: Matthew 2:1-2
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Day 23: Luke 2:25-35
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss[a] your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Day 24: Isaiah 9:2-5
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
Day 25: Isaiah 9:6
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.
Related: The Story of Christmas and Love
Incorporating Advent Bible verses into daily or weekly devotions allows individuals and families to connect with and develop and deeper understanding of the true meaning of the Christmas season.
It fosters a sense of anticipation and wonder, serving as a reminder that the birth of Jesus is the culmination of centuries of prophecy and fulfillment – and the ultimate expression of God’s love for humanity.
Reading Advent scripture to tell the true Christmas story is a cherished tradition that allows Christian families to revisit and share the remarkable events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ.
Advent scriptures offer a structured and profound way to recount this pivotal moment in history, emphasizing the significance of Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah and the embodiment of God’s love and salvation.
What Advent traditions do you celebrate? Which of these themes do you need most in your life right now?
I’d love for you to share which of these Advent Bible verses speaks to your heart today in the comments below!
Also, be sure to check out these other wonderful readings about the Advent Season:
