“The people who walked in darkness
n
have seen a great light;
n
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
n
on them has light shone.”
n(Isaiah 9:2, ESV)
Finishing up finals this week for seminary so this blog post will be short and sweet.n
n
I have met very few people who don’t look forward to and enjoy the Christmas season. Both American and non seem to enjoy and find themselves immersed in this time of year. Regardless of religious affiliation or political views or social agenda most people enjoy the happiness, giving, and overall good cheer that comes with this season. Hence the lights and the decorations and the movies (except for Elf) and the songs. There is not much to dislike about the season. (Though some always find a way)
n
n
With that in mind it’s easy to see how our culture and our nature is one built on anticipation. We love to have something to look forward to. We anticipate the arrival of this season every year and every year we are sad when it’s over. Legitimately I get the Christmas blues on December 26th. The fact that we anticipate this time of year is only magnified by events like black Friday, the appearance of Christmas lights in the middle of October, and our overall desire to begin this season earlier. I am of the opinion that before I die we will be celebrating Christmas in the middle of July. Though there are many who have a bad taste in their mouth for Christmas music (especially the dag gum Christmas shoes song) there is something we all enjoy about what it indicates for the season.
n
n
That anticipation is what this season is all about. Christmas, as many churches and believers will note over the next month, is all about the arrival of our Savior. However, what many miss is how much anticipation went into that arrival. For thousands of years the Hebrew culture waited and waited in anticipation for the arrival of their King. That’s why when Jesus showed up in Bethlehem, born in the middle of a barn as a man familiar with poverty, there were many Jewish people who found themselves either disappointed or in disbelief that this was their “conquering King”. However for believers today we know that that baby who arrived under the strangest of circumstances and in the most unlikely situation was our conquering King. The season of Christmas (really Advent) still remind us of that anticipation. The Hebrews waited in anticipation for the arrival of their king. Today we still wait in anticipation for the second coming of our Redeemr. I always like to remind people smack in the middle of their shopping and decorating to remember that this season is more than about gifts and a baby who came in a manger. It’s the season to remind us that we are waiting in anticipation for the return of that King. Only this time He’s coming sword in hand to redeem us from a broken world.
n
n
So much for short blog post… I just like to remind myself and thus remind y’all of what I am waiting for and where my greatest hope lies.