Advent Word Study Guide
Advent: Yakhal / Hope
How does hope arrive in the world through Jesus?
Watch and Discuss Together
To help facilitate an approachable and engaging
learning environment for your group, check out
our Facilitator Discussion Tips.
Watch the Video: Yakhal / Hope
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1. Read Genesis 8:6-12 (note the mention of 40 days of waiting). After the earth
suffers long under humanity’s violence, God resolves to wash away corruption
while preserving Noah and his family. The rain pours down, and for months Noah
sways back and forth in an ark. He needs to yakhal (wait) in the middle of animal
waste and landless seas. So what assurance is Noah waiting to receive? And how
does the dove deliver that assurance?
2. Read Psalm 130 aloud together. The psalmist is sure that if God preserved a
record of sin, everyone would be washed out—it’s a scary thought. What specific
things about God bring the psalmist relief? What does he yakhal (wait) to receive
from God?
3. Keep Psalm 130 in mind. What do you think the psalmist would do if he did not
wait on God for healing and forgiveness? How do you think despair might lead
to violence and corruption? Consider how the process of forgiveness removes
corruption while preserving life. How is this similar and different from the flood
and Noah’s long wait on the ark?
4. Read Luke 2:22-33 and pay special attention to details about the setting. Then,
check out Leviticus 12:1-8 and note the mention of 40 days of waiting (33+7).
Why do Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and Simeon go to the temple that day? What is
Simeon waiting on God to do for Israel?
5. Let’s examine a few key verses, starting with Luke 3:15-16. Who does John the
Baptist say the people have been waiting for? Now, read Luke 3:21-22 and compare
the message that accompanied the Spirit (appearing as a dove) with the message
of Noah’s dove. What similarities and differences do you notice?
6. How does the arrival of Jesus bring relief and assurance? Take time to discuss
this and any other themes, questions, or key takeaways from what you
learned together.
Would you and your group like to learn more about what it means to wait for God’s
assurance that he will heal and restore creation? Download the BibleProject app and
explore the Advent study, where we explore how hope, peace, love, and joy arrive in
the world through Jesus.
Keep Exploring
Listen to the Podcast Episode or Series: The Meaning of Hope
Read the Blog Post: The Birth of Jesus
Download the Poster
Advent: Shalom / Peace
How does peace arrive in the world through Jesus?
Watch and Discuss Together
To help facilitate an approachable and engaging
learning environment for your group, check out
our Facilitator Discussion Tips.
Watch the Video: Shalom / Peace
Get the Script Reference PDF
1. The prophet Isaiah looked forward to the arrival of a future king who would make
a covenant of shalom (peace, well-being) with his people. This king would set the
world right and heal all that has been harmed. Read Isaiah 9:6-7 aloud together.
What specific words or phrases stand out to you as you observe this passage
and why?
2. The prophet Isaiah looked forward to the arrival of the Prince of Peace, whose
reign would lead to eternal shalom. Jesus’ arrival fulfilled Isaiah’s words. Read and
reflect on Luke 2:9-15 as a group. Why do you think God announced the king’s
arrival to no-name shepherds? What does this tell you about the nature of God
and his Kingdom?
3. The biblical story shows how humanity often chooses a way of life apart from God
and suffers as a result. According to Colossians 1:19-23, what did God want to do
to remedy this pain, and how did he accomplish his desire through Jesus?
4. Jesus offers his peace to all people as a gift. How did Jesus make peace between
two sharply divided people groups (Jews and Gentiles), and why did he do it
(see Eph. 2:11-16)?
5. Now, let’s carefully read Ephesians 4:1-3. How can humility, gentleness, patience,
and love help maintain the unity Jesus calls his followers to? What happens to
unity when one of these virtues is missing?
Would you and your group like to learn more about God’s shalom? Download the
BibleProject app and explore the Advent study, where we explore how hope, peace,
love, and joy arrive in the world through Jesus.
Keep Exploring
Read the Blog Post: Isaiah and the Messianic King
Download the Poster
Advent: Agape / Love
How does love arrive in the world through Jesus?
Watch and Discuss Together
To help facilitate an approachable and engaging
learning environment for your group, check out
our Facilitator Discussion Tips.
Watch the Video: Agape / Love
Get the Script Reference PDF
1. When Jesus arrived, God’s love became an embodied reality in our world. The
God of the Bible doesn’t merely express love through Jesus; he is love. As a triune
God—Father, Son, and Spirit—he always has been and forever will be an others-
centered, self-giving, communal being who thinks, feels, and acts with pure love.
Read 1 John 4:16 and John 15:9-13, taking note of the triune relationship and the
theme of living and abiding. What do you observe?
2. Read Mark 12:29-31 and take note of how Jesus quotes the Hebrew Bible (Deut.
6:4-6; Lev. 19:34). How does loving God relate to loving other people?
3. The Hebrew Bible records the history of the ancient Israelites as they struggle
to follow the commandment to love God and others. If Israel had difficulty with
this, how can we hope to do any better? Jesus helps us when he adds a new
commandment to empower the greatest commandment. Compare John 13:34
with Mark 12:29-31. What is the difference between these two commands? How
does Jesus enable us to follow the greatest commandment?
4. Agape love is not primarily a feeling that happens to people. This kind of love is
a choice to act in ways that offer well-being to others. Using Paul’s definition of
love from 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, consider how Jesus loves us. How is Jesus patient,
kind, humble, and selfless toward us? How does this kind of love challenge more
popular modern notions?
5. Jesus says that the ultimate standard of authentic love is how well you treat the
person you can’t stand—your enemy. Let that settle in as you read Luke 6:27-36.
Notice how God shows kindness to ungrateful, dishonest, and violent people.
What does this say about God’s character? Consider how verse 36 describes God.
How do you think love and mercy relate to one another?
Would you and your group like to learn more about God’s love? Download the
BibleProject app and explore the Advent study, where we explore how hope, peace,
love, and joy arrive in the world through Jesus.
Keep Exploring
Hear the Podcast Episode or Series: Love Is Not a Black Hole
Read the Blog Post: A Close Look at the Meaning of God's Love in the Bible
Watch the Video: Loyal Love
Download the Poster
Advent: Chara / Joy
How does joy arrive in the world through Jesus?
Watch and Discuss Together
To help facilitate an approachable and engaging
learning environment for your group, check out
our Facilitator Discussion Tips.
Watch the Video: Chara / Joy
Get the Script Reference PDF
1. The Israelites choose a path apart from God. As a result, they get exiled from their
land and dominated by foreign nations. But the prophet Isaiah knew that sorrow
would not have the final word with these people. He looked forward to the day
when Yahweh would end pain and corruption to lead them into endless, joyful
living. Read Isaiah 49:13 and Isaiah 51:11. What does Isaiah tell us about God’s
character in these passages? What does Isaiah say will happen to God’s people?
2. The prophet Isaiah looked forward to the coming of Israel’s redeemer. His
prophecies were fulfilled with the arrival of Jesus. Read Luke 2:9-11. Why were the
shepherds afraid? What reasons did the angels give for them to rejoice instead?
3. Joy can persist in the harshest of circumstances because it depends on God and
his promises. Read Matthew 5:11-12, Acts 13:50-52, and Hebrews 12:1-3. According
to these passages, what specific truths about God can sustain joy even through
painful or dire situations?
4. When we see how Jesus’ loving way of life has overcome death itself, joy starts
to become strangely reasonable. But this doesn’t mean it is wise to ignore or
suppress sorrow. Read 2 Corinthians 6:3-10. How did Paul integrate both joy
and sorrow?
5. Take time to discuss any other themes, questions, or key takeaways from what you
learned together.
Would you and your group like to learn more about joy? Download the BibleProject
app and explore the Advent study, where we explore how hope, peace, love, and joy
arrive in the world through Jesus.
Keep Exploring
Read the Blog Post: How God’s Wisdom Leads to Joy
Download the Poster
Facilitator Discussion Tips
Now that you’ve gathered your community together, what’s next? We’ve prepared
four tips to support you as you facilitate an approachable and engaging learning
environment for your group.
1. Send the Bible Study Early
Many learners appreciate the opportunity to watch the video and think through
the questions before the group discussion. Consider giving your group this option
by sending them a link to the Bible study ahead of time.
2. Welcome Your Group
You may find biblical discussions are more engaging after everyone has
a chance to know each other more. Invite everyone to share their
names and/or a response to a fun question to help your group build up to
the discussion.
3. Watch the Video Together
We encourage you to watch the video all together after the welcome. Even if your
group watched the video beforehand, reviewing it again will prepare everyone for
the discussion. If you cannot watch the video together, summarize in your own
words, read, or ask for a volunteer to read the Script Reference from the Bible
study instead.
4. Read and Discuss
• Create enough time and space for each person to share by encouraging the
group to do the same. (e.g. “Before we begin a generous, thoughtful, and
humble discussion, can we agree to work together to make sure everyone has
a chance to share?”)
• Encourage participation by asking for volunteers to read the Scripture
passage(s) aloud to the group. Take note that not everyone is comfortable
reading aloud, so it’s thoughtful to ask permission before inviting a guest
to read.
• Many learners appreciate when discussion questions are visible for them to
read on their own, so consider having them available digitally or in print.
• The questions were designed in order (e.g., chronological, known to unknown,
or parts to the whole, etc.), so we encourage you to introduce each discussion
question in order and discuss as many as you think are beneficial for
your community.
