There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:25-28
“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36
Jewish festivals/holidays generally have a three-pronged thrust – looking back at something that happened in the past (as Passover looks at the freeing of the people from slavery in Egypt), considering the meaning to those celebrating here and now (“We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt. But our God took us out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Had the Holy One, Blessed is He, not taken our fathers out of Egypt, then we, our children, and our children’s children would still be enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt”), and looking ahead to the coming of the promised Messiah.
That’s true for us today, as well. At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Christ. Throughout Advent, we look forward to His birth, which took place over 2,000 years ago. But what does that mean for us today? Is it just something nice to look back on, or does it have more significance? What about the future?
Sadly, for many the Christmas season is just a time for special foods, gift-giving and receiving, decorations and lights, and not much more. True, it is a family time, which is a good thing. But there isn’t much beyond that. It is, and should be, so much more than that. We could leave all that out, and it still would have meaning and significance (and for many in the world less affluent than we, still does). I have no problem with secular celebrations of Christmas – the message of peace, giving, love, etc. does weigh in – but Christians who profess belief should not limit themselves to a secular Christmas.
Advent is a time to look back, to consider what BC really means. “Before Christ” people were unable to go directly before God; they could offer sacrifices to atone for unknown sin, but had no assurance of forgiveness for deliberate sin, for doing what they knew they shouldn’t or failing to do what they knew they should. Of course God in his mercy could forgive, but they had no assurance of that. They had the Law as their guide, but the harsh interpretations by their leaders made it onerous, rather than liberating. Had Jesus not come, we’d still be in the same situation. We’d still be slaves to sin; we’d still have no assurance of redemption. As we look at Christmas, we should seriously consider just what his birth meant, both at the time when it occurred and for what it means for us today. We are forgiven. We have been redeemed. We have the assurance of our salvation. We can go before God without trepidation, resting in His love and mercy. We should always pay attention…to be attentive to the true meaning of His birth and of His life and His death. No gift that we could ever give or might receive can even come close to the gift we were given by God Himself.
What about the future? Well, Jesus said that He will return. The description of the End Days sounds terrible, and it’s easy to not want to think about it. But Jesus said to “stand up and lift your heads” – to be focused on the heavenly realms. He said to “always be on the watch,” to be ready for Him whenever He might come. Pay attention. Put your attention on the eternal things, not on the things of this world. Our petty desires and cares, which may seem large to us, are nothing compared to what we’ve already been given and what we can look forward to. We’ve been given an amazing gift, and the next one will be even better.
So pay attention – to the promise already fulfilled and all that it entails, and to the promise yet to be fulfilled. Stay focused on God.
Prayer: Lord, we know we often see You through clouded lenses, basing our reasoning on our own prejudices, limitations, insecurities, family scripting, and other earthly influences. Help us to see You clearly. Help us to draw nearer to You and to Your Truth. Help us to stay focused on You in all we do and in all we are.
Emily Montfort
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