“Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!” (Isaiah 40:3-5 NLT)
Are you ready for Christmas?
House decorated – check.
Gifts wrapped – check.
Cards written and sent – check
Cookies baked – check.
Shopping finished – check – uh…wait.
Driveway shoveled – check.
Gained 10 pounds – check, check, and double check.
No, really are you ready for Christmas?
But Christmas is mostly about waiting. It’s about anticipation, right? We wait for it the whole year don’t we? When it comes we make comments like “I can’t believe it’s already Christmas. It seems like it was just summer time.”
So much work, so many gifts and planning and Christmas lunches and get-togethers and on the 26th it’s all over. The waiting is all over for another year.
In the Bible there are many people waiting, but not ready for Christmas. Things just were not going well for the nation of Israel. They had not heard from God in many years. They had come under Roman rule. They had lost their political independence. They were living in fear of the capable, crafty and cruel King Herod. Many people were wondering if Messiah would ever come. They were waiting but not ready to see the miracle of Christmas. The people had all but given up hope. They wanted forgiveness. They wanted comfort, but they were looking in the wrong place.
Do we still see the miracle or Christmas?
Are we too caught up in the busyness and stress of the season?
Have we been running around because of the Holidays, or are we taking the time to make Christmas a “holy” day?
Has Christmas become too predictable, too familiar?
Have we heard the Christmas story so much that it is no longer about the birth of the Savior and has become a myth or legend or a “story?”
Are we looking in the wrong place for Christmas?
There were those who were prepared and waiting for Jesus. Every one of the individuals God chose to have a part in the birth of Jesus responded to the God’s leading. Yes even Herod.
Mary was ready to move when she said to the angel, “May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 2:38)
Joseph demonstrated that he was ready when he woke up from his dream and “did what the angel of the Lord had commanded and took Mary home as his wife.” (Matthew 1:24)
The Shepherds were ready as well when they said, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened...” (Luke 2:15)
Are you ready for the birth of THE Savior?
It might mean salvation for some of you or someone close to us.
It might mean full surrender to what God has prepared us for many years to do.
Or, maybe God wants us to be more involved in serving people.
We miss opportunities all the time.
We miss an opportunity to get a certain job because we are not prepared.
We miss an opportunity to minister to our spouse or our families because we are too preoccupied.
We miss an opportunity to make an eternal difference in a person’s life because we didn’t seize the opportunity.
Do not miss the opportunity of Christmas.
We do not want to miss the opportunity to make a positive difference in someone’s life with the Miracle of Christmas.
We do not want to miss the opportunity to be a blessing to someone by sharing the miracle of Christmas with someone who is hurting.
We do not want to miss the opportunity to Witness to a Lost Friend.
Has an opportunity ever knocked on the door we were so caught up in other things that it slipped through our fingers?
The people of Noah’s time had the chance to get on the Ark.
The people of Sodom and Gomorrah had the chance to repent.
Both thieves crucified with Jesus had the Savior right between them and only one accepted Him. The other missed the opportunity.
The miracle of the birth of Jesus is that He was born to die. He was born so that you and I could have the opportunity of New and Eternal life.
This Baby is the Son of God.
This Baby is the Savior of the World.
This Baby came to Redeem Mankind.
This Baby came to offer us Life.
The Baby came to Reconcile us back to God.
This Baby came to offer us Eternal Life.
This Baby came to be our Light.
Now our opportunity:
We are redeemed.
We are adopted into God’s Kingdom.
We are reconciled.
We have the greatest news in the world.
Jesus Christ offers us Eternal Life!
We must believe in what we are telling!
We must realize that Jesus Christ though us can make a difference in a person’s life.
We are the Light.
We are the Salt.
And we are here to reflect God’s love and glory.
The sad truth is that people are dying without knowing Jesus Christ as Savior. Jesus was born to die. Jesus died that all may have eternal life.
We must understand NOW is our opportunity to reach out.
Are you ready for Christmas?
Hello Again!!
7 years ago
