Tag Archives: Christmas

Prepare ye the way of the Lord…

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“He said, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
“Make straight the way of the Lord…’”
(John 1:23 ESV)

Advent is upon us once again, for better or worse.  This is, I admit, my favorite time of year; but it seems to get harder and harder to enjoy.

Have you noticed the advertising on TV lately: “Now is the time to buy this new car…”  “The perfect gift for the guy who has everything…”  “Don’t miss our holiday sale…”  “Doors open at 4 a.m. …”  One would think that Advent is nothing more than a marketing season, one last ditch effort to boost the profits for retailers.  I’m all for a strong and robust economy, but is this really what Advent is all about – a reminder that we only have so many shopping days left until Christmas?

Here in the Church Advent is our countdown to Christmas.  We light candles each week signifying the coming of the light of Christ.  We decorate the church with greens and purples, with nativities and chrismons; we sing the classic carols that draw us into the “Christmas Spirit.”  Advent is our time to prepare for the celebration of the birth of Christ, the mystery of His incarnation, and God’s gracious gift of our Savior.  But, I ask again, is this really what Advent is all about?

Advent means “coming”, and as such it is appropriate that we use this time to celebrate the coming of the Christ child; but there is more to Advent, there is more to our faith than the birth of a child.  Our Lord promised His disciples, promised us, that He would come again to take us to be with Him.  Many Christians don’t talk about this promise openly because it has been the source of so much speculation and fantasy that we really don’t know what we believe. 

The Bible teaches that Jesus will come again, in a very personal and powerful way.  His coming will not be missed, as He will be joined by clouds of glory and a heavenly fanfare (1 Thess 4:13-5:11).  At His coming, the faithful in Christ will experience a rapture – we will be taken up in the air to meet Christ as He comes.  We will not be whisked away in secret, but will meet Christ in the air as He returns and take part in His triumphal return.

Advent is our time to focus on the return of Christ.  As Christians, we should always be vigilant in our watching and waiting for Christ’s coming.  Though we do not know when this will be, we are to be prepared.  May your Advent prepare you for the celebration of the birth of our Savior, and may you also be filled with anticipation and expectation of His return.

SDG

How to Celebrate Christmas: God’s Glory

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This is the final installment of J.M. Boyce’s “How To Celebrate Christmas” from the book, The Christ of Christmas.

If these four means of Celebrating Christmas seem right to you, and if you want to put them into practice, I suggest that you begin not with the first verse (Luke 2:17) but with verses 18, 19, and 20.  Verse 17 says that we are to tell others what we have seen and heard; but we can hardly do that effectively until we have first been amazed at Christ’s birth, pondered its meaning, and glorified and praised God for it.  You cannot tell that which you have not first felt and experienced.

So begin by wondering – wondering at the fact that you have not suffered the just punishment of your sin, that God has loved you, that Jesus came and died for you, that God called you to faith in Himself when you were yet without hope of salvation, and that you are now God’s child and secure in His love.  Continue by thinking upon these things.  Ponder the great doctrines of the Christian faith – doctrines of the incarnation, atonement, grace, sanctification, heaven, perseverance, and others – so that you begin to grow strong in doctrine.  Glorify and praise God for what you know.  Sing God’s praises. Then, when you have done that and are qualified to speak, go back and tell others.

Furthermore, do not think that you need to go back to church in order to do those things, but learn rather to do them wherever God sends you – in your home, school, business.  That is what the shepherds did.  We are told that they “returned,” glorifying and praising God.  To what did they return”  Why, to their sheep, obviously.  And there, where they had first heart the angels’ song, they themselves were heard to be singing God’s praise.

May God give you grace to do that.  If you and I and all others who call upon the name of our God should do it, the whole world would rightly resound with His praise.

SDG