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This is the time of year that we all look forward to the arrival of Christmas…The Advent season. In my home growing up, with few exceptions, the day after Thanksgiving the tree went up, the lights went on and Bing, Perry, Frank and Dean were crooning. Throughout the entire year no other season held even a sliver of the excitement that Christmas season did. Christmas was coming and we couldn’t wait. I know, I know, we all saw the twinkle of lights and the Jolly ‘Ole Elf dressed in red sometime in mid October this year. It seems to get earlier every year… I believe if we look at the biblical Christmas narrative we will find people who waited with expectancy that far exceeds the retail driven frenzy we now call the Christmas season. Through the likes of those whose hope it was that the Messiah would indeed appear, I think we will see the heart of worship displayed at the glorious advent of the Christ-child Jesus.

Consider Simeon (Lk 2:25)…He was an old man who held to one promise in his old age…That he would see the Messiah. He waited and daily expected that this would be the day he would see the Messiah. Can you imagine the sustaining power such a promise held? Imagine the flow of emotions from morning till night. When Simeon woke in the morning he believed the promise…that this could be the day. When the evening came and there was no sign, he didn’t give up hope. At nightfall he laid his head to rest disappointed yet knowing that he would indeed wake the next morning to hope again. (That was a part of the promise you see…He would not die until his eyes laid to rest on the Messiah.) Every day of his life was the “Christmas season”. The more years that passed the more intense and imminent the promise seemed. Can you imagine…? You should. Simeon’s promise is ours too! We will, indeed, see the Messiah with our own eyes! The promise given Simeon is the one given to us by Christ himself! He said, “Behold, I am coming soon!” and “…At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Our promise is better than Simeon’s though. It is the mirror image of Simeon’s promise but far greater. Simeon’s promise was that he would not die UNTIL he saw the Messiah. Ours is that when we see Him, truly behold Him and receive Him as Savior that we will never die. So, whether we see Him coming in the clouds or we see Him after this life on earth is done, we must look, wait, and search expectantly to see Him. We must seek with the expectancy of a child at play trying to find his friends who are hiding…one behind a tree…another in some bushes…yet another laying low in a ditch. There is nervous determination on behalf of the seeker and utter joy and exuberance when the One who is hidden is revealed.

The Shepherds…The blue-collar folks. They were the first to hear the angelic birth announcement. They were the first evangelists…(Lk 2:16-18) “When they had seen him (Jesus), they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” Isn’t there something about Jesus that stirs us to tell others about Him…To tell of His goodness, grace, mercy and love? And then to be clamorous in praise…!? (vs 20) “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen…” If we look closely we also see that the shepherds lead us in an order of worship… They received the news with trembling and reverent gratitude (vs 9). Their faith was kindled so they went after the star to behold Jesus. They sought Him and found Him, but only after He had found them and greeted them with an angelic announcement (vs 15-16). They spread the word about Him (vs 17-18). Then they came together to glorify and praise God (vs 20). We would be wise to follow their example in this manner as well. When we receive the Good News we bow to it and submit our lives to it (Him). We seek Him with all of our hearts until we find him. Then, can we help going out during our week and doing the work of the ministry telling everyone we know about the wonderful Jesus that we have seen and know? What else, then, is left but to gather corporately to celebrate, glorify, and praise God for his working in our lives; for the seeds sown and the harvest reaped for His kingdom.

The Wisemen…The intellectuals with informed ambition. They received their announcement from the heavens as well, though at the sight of HIS star, years or perhaps decades of study and survey of the heavens was fulfilled. (That gives another perspective when we say with the Psalmist, “The heavens declare the glory of God…” One unique star told of the glory of God at the coming of His son.) Then with faith and certitude they journeyed to see with their eyes the truth of what they had discovered. They did not stop at the heavens (Creation) for their answer and consolation but traveled to find the Maker of the heavens and see Him with their own eyes and offer worship to Him.

Simeon watched for him daily. The shepherds heard the news, expectantly followed a star (Lk. 2) and came to see Him. Wise men, who studied the heavens, recognized HIS star from all others in the heavens and came bearing gifts from the East (Mt. 2). Those with expectant hearts will go to any length to see Jesus. Although each “sighting” of Jesus was characteristically different the result was the same. Worship. Simeon exulted in song. The shepherds rejoiced, glorifying and praising God… The Wise Men bowed and offered gifts… The only appropriate response to beholding Jesus is…worship. These men displayed an outward expression of an inward unction. Their expectancy was met when they saw the Child and their response merely reflected the posture of their hearts. Are we looking to behold our promise with the same fervency we see in these at Jesus’ first coming? Is His (second) coming our hope in the morning and our yearning in the night? Does His promise to us have any bearing on the way we live out our days? All of these are questions that a monthly article certainly cannot answer, your pastor cannot answer, and a great evangelist cannot answer. The answer is hidden in your relationship with Jesus. Is the sight of His face the primary goal of our lives? Or is it something else…

Throughout the Christmas narrative there are many parallels to how we live right now. By the example of Simeon we watch and wait and hold to the promise that is ours…The promise that we WILL see Jesus. Simeon lived in anticipation of seeing Christ. He even says, “…You may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation…” Seeing Jesus was the pinnacle of his life. The shepherds teach us to see Him and rejoice and then tell others the good news. The Wisemen charge us to come and bow down…Or perhaps to “go” with a courageous faith seeking to serve Jesus in a foreign land. His worth demands our worship, allegiance and adoration. How many people (Christian people) have you known or do you know that just live out their days looking toward their end…? Retirement and eventually their own death. What about the promise? What about His coming again? What about living out our lives daily looking toward the skies to see if this is the day? If our bodies wear down and give out from work for the Kingdom of God on earth, we echo the words of Paul, “To live is Christ…To die is gain.”

The Advent season is the time we prepare for the big day of Christmas. Shopping, decorating, caroling, card sending, Salvation Army bell-ringing, etc… I say go ahead retailers; put your Christmas decorations up in September…August even! It is all in the spirit of Advent or looking toward the celebration of the (1st) coming of Jesus…It is in the spirit of John the Baptist. Every piece of tinsel and garland, every carol and choir, every red-dressed fellow with a jolly laugh, with their very action and presence shout “PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD!!!” So should we heed the prophetic advice of John. Prepare the way! Not just with our “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” pins or contributions to the Salvation Army bucket but with our passion for living in Christ Jesus and seeing his return. Our actions, our worship, the fruit of our lives should be pre-occupied with the soon return of Jesus. I’m not just speaking of a personal readiness but also being busy making others ready as well. Be salt and light. Sprinkle salt on the slippery path your friends and loved ones might be walking on. Shine a light in the dark way for them. Let the path you lay for them and the light you shine lead directly to Jesus for it is his grace, his mercy, and his love that is salvation for all who believe.

Reader Comments

Diane...
Thanks for your dedicated response. To answer your question, that is why we must be salt and light. The commercalization of Christmas is a great conversation starter and it happens all the time. People bring it up throughout the Fall. Some non-Christian folks are very vocal about their disdain for all of the fuss. That is a great time to put a positive spin on things and communicate your faith. It is great really b/c you get to start and the beginning and tell the whole story. People are likely more apt to listen to the story about the humble beginnings of the baby Jesus. You begin with the story of a humble birth and by the time you get to the death of a Savior they just might understand the reality of the person of Jesus and, who knows, by the work of the Holy Spirit just might experience a new birth of their own during the Christmas season.

Mich1999 (???)...
Thank you for your comments. They are quite insightful. Simeon (and Anna) is often just kind of left out of the Christmas story but he is such an important example of the sustaining power of the Promise of God...

Lane,
Thanks for your comment! I agree that my comment on Christmas decorations in August was extreme and I don't think I would want that either but as you said it was the premise I was getting at. The strange thing is those in Christian circles seem to be some of the hardest to convey this message to... Some think Santa Claus is the Devil (rearrange the letters in Santa to spell Satan...) but you better not mess with the "baby Jesus" either... Know what I mean? It is like we (Christians) are sometimes blinded to the fact that the first advent of Christ is eternally significant... Sometimes I think it is literally just a birthday party for Jesus. We all pat ourselves on the back for putting a couple bucks in the Salvation Army bucket and our extravagant gift giving while true benevolence is the farthest thing from the intent of our hearts. True generosity and benevolence is rare. We both are acquatinted w/ a family that is both of those things and their gifts are obvious and special. To quote Vince Guaraldi "...Oh that we could always see such spirit through the year..."

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