Are you prepared for Christmas? I am. Are you wondering why you go through all this effort for just one day out of the year? Is it all worth it? Will it make your friends and family better off? Will everyone be happy with their gift? Will the dinner be perfect? Will the tree make it to Christmas before the pine needles start falling off or turning brown? Will you be all stressed out because you want everything to be perfect? Let me share with you what I learned about how preparation brings hope.
But I know a lot of my friends who are not, in fact I was shocked when I talked to a friend who actually just started shopping today. He usually waits until Christmas eve. But there are a lot of things to prepare. Decorations to put up, stocking to put up, cookies to bake, dinner plans to make, parties to attend or host, Christmas cards to send, presents to buy, presents to wrap, Christmas tree to find, the list seems to go on and on there seems to be unending. But we must be prepared correct. Yes, and we must not forget the most important thing, put up the Nativity Scene, after all that is what Christmas is all about is it not. Celebrating the birth of the Messiah Jesus of Nazareth.
So, since Christmas is all about the celebration of the greatest gift that has ever been given to man, the birth of God’s Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ. How were the Jews prepared for the Messiah. Well just like most of us they were not totally prepared. Many of the scoffed at the thought that the Messiah would be born in a lowly manger. They were not prepared even though there were passages that pointed to the exact time of His birth. Daniel 9 lays out the timetable. Isaiah 7:14 told them how it says, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (ESV) Micah 5:2 told them where, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” (ESV) Isaiah 9:6-7 describes Him, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.” (ESV) Isaiah 53:5 tells of His purpose, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (ESV)
Now I have learned that I need to be prepared for the next time Jesus comes. “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’” Acts 1:9-11 (ESV) That preparation starts with accepting Jesus and continues in building a relationship with him by studying the scriptures both Old and New Testaments and learning who Jesus is and what He wants us to be like. This is the preparation that leads to hope.
I pray you that you will join me in being prepared to remember the greatest gift given to man and accept it. You see a gift that is given and not accepted has no benefit. Well accepting this gift has more value than all the other gifts ever given for all of time the gift of eternal life. This was God’s perfect plan to redeem all of mankind. The only way to accept this gift is to seek Jesus for He is the only opportunity there is to have a relationship with God for all eternity. This is to me the greatest source of hope. In doing so, I believe we will have hope and joy in our everyday lives. Understanding how Jesus Christ grants us access to eternal life, allows us to live in hope. “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3 (ESV) At the same time understanding you will live eternally knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ will also bring you the greatest hope. Because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, all of our sins were satisfied and the penalty for them was paid. His payment satisfies all my sins from the past, the present and in the future. My penalty and yours was satisfied on the cross by the death of Jesus, God’s greatest act of love and wrath, who became sin for me and you. It was also God’s greatest act of faithfulness because “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV) Because holiness shows us, we need to believe in Jesus. I hope that you join me in helping others to choose Jesus.
If you have not read my previous blogs, you can find them here. You can watch a book trailer about my book. You can find my book, Hope Amid Hopelessness: Our Abba Father Provides a Way Through Mental Illness here. eBook or Audiobook versions can be found at Westbow Press or Christianbook.com at Amazon or Google.
I mentioned that I was going through a difficult time right now. If you are interested in what I am going through, you can read about it here.
