I hope you all had the merriest of Christmases, and you were able to spend some time with Jesus:)
When I was a kid, I got really excited for Christmas! My anticipation for Christmas started when we set up our tree. We had one of those old white flocked trees that shed white bits, dust, gunk and crumbs every year until the twigs and branches were almost naked wires. We also did some of the festive decorations like wreaths on the door and over the fireplace. My dad was in charge of wrapping the presents, as he had a keen interest in precision and beautiful packages with ornate ribbons.
My anticipation grew every day, as I would check under the tree, at least once to count the packages, check for new ones, organize them by recipient, size or colorful array. Naturally, I would shake my packages, in an attempt to guess what might be inside, as the days seemed to never end as I anticipated Christmas!
I’ll never forget one Christmas when I discovered my parents secret stash for our Christmas presents! Of course, I was snooping around and looking for this hideaway, and when I found it, I still remember my overflowing excitement! I saw some of the gifts I’d requested, including the most important one, a video game that was number one on my list – oh the joy!! I snuck back to the stash a few more times just to check out the gifts that I’d unwrap in some days, reading the packaging label and what batteries I’d need so that I could play my video game when I opened it.
Pretty soon, my excitement wore off and I began thinking about how I’d have to fake being surprised and excited when I opened my presents, since I didn’t want my parents to know that I’d found their hiding spot well before present opening. I began to regret finding my presents and sabotaging the anticipation and joy of opening my presents at the appropriate time. When Christmas came around that year, I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t as enthusiastic about my presents as I’d been in previous years. Maybe my parents could tell that something was amiss, but what I most remember was my decision to never again sabotage my anticipation with looking for my gifts before Christmas.
This lesson taught me the importance of anticipation along with the hazards of premature discovery. There is much to be said for things coming to full fruition before we muddle the development with our meddling. So timing is an essential ingredient for anticipation, along with self-control.
In thinking about these lessons for Christmas and the anticipation of Jesus’ second coming, let’s be careful to respect God’s timing. Indeed, God organized the times, events, people and scenarios for Jesus’ birth, as we read in Galatians 4:4. I would suggest that God likely has another “fullness of time” for Jesus’ second coming.
Indeed, Jesus told us in Luke 17:22-24, “. . . ’The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. They will say to you, ‘Look there! Look here!’ Do not go away, and do not run after them. For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day.’”
With this awareness, let’s value our anticipation of Jesus’ future return by cultivating our current love for Him, particularly during the Christmas season.
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
