The Promise: He Is Coming

A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Isaiah 40:3-5

For everyone, Christmas is a holiday of hope and anticipation.

Even in a secular and materialistic way, people tend to approach Christmas with at the very least some curiosity and at least some wanting. Who does not spend at least a little time wondering what friends and family will get them as gifts? Who has not had at least one internal debate over what gift to get a loved one?

Many look forward to the parties and celebrations that are commonplace in many homes and even offices.

Yet we should not confine either our hope or our eagerness to the secular realm alone. As the prophet Isaiah reminds us, the Advent season of Christmas is at its core very much a season of spiritual hope, eagerness, and anticipation.

Isaiah urges us to prepare as for a grand celebration. Make the road straight, and clear away the clutter. Lift up the low, and come down from the high, that all might celebrate together. Put everything to rights and get the house in good order, because the party is about to get started!

And why should we not celebrate? Consider: Christmas is the celebration of Jesus coming down from Heaven and into the world. Christmas is the celebration of God making Himself Man, that He might redeem all Men. Christmas is the celebration of the light truly beginning to shine in the darkness.

These are good things. These are joyous things. These are hopeful things. These are things worthy of celebration.

So it is right that we celebrate. It is right that we celebrate Christmas. It is right that we celebrate Jesus’ coming into the world.

It is also right that we be mindful of why we celebrate, why this is a holiday of hope and anticipation.

If we look around the world today we see many dark things. We see war. We see poverty and privation. We see neighbor abusing neighbor.

If we look around the world today, we also see bright things. We see people standing for peace. We see charity and generosity. We see neighbor helping neighbor.

If we look around the world today we see tragedy, and we see triumph.

Such was the world at the time of Jesus’ birth—a place of darkness and light, of tragedy and triumph.

With His coming into the world, Jesus is our assurance that the light will prevail over the darkness. He is our assurance that the future will be one of triumph and not one of tragedy.

With His life and through His ministry here on Earth, Jesus is our guide through the trials and travails of this world, that we may face them with peace, and with grace, and ultimately overcome them.

With His death on the Cross at Calvary, Jesus is our redemption, the perfect guilt offering by which atonement is made for all of Man’s many sins—for yours and for mine. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s eternal promise, repeated throughout Scripture, that we are forgiven. We have but to turn towards God, embrace Him fully, and forgiveness is ours to receive.

Surely these are worthy of celebration. Surely these are reason enough for celebrating Christmas. They surely are why I celebrate Christmas.

My prayer in this Advent season is that in celebrating Jesus’ birth, I may be reminded to keep turning towards God, to keep seeking Him fully, and embracing Him fully. My prayer in this Advent season is that I will find ways to fulfill the promises of peace and hope and light, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year.

My prayer for you this Advent season is that you also will be encouraged to keep turning towards God, to keep seeking Him fully, and embracing Him fully. My prayer for you this Advent season is that you also will find ways to fulfill the promises of peace and hope and light, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year.

Christmas is a holiday of hope and anticipation. We hope, and we anticipate, because we have God’s Promise: He is coming.