The Promise of Christmas

Sometimes I make promises to my children I do not keep.  I remember telling my kids, "If you get your rooms clean, we can go to the park."  Often they would clean their rooms, but a couple of them would argue in the process, and I would completely revoke my park promise.  After all, they were naughty, right?  Why should I reward them for poor behavior?

But this Christmas, I've been convicted.  Instead of decorating my house, I've been focusing on what Christmas really means.  Yes, we celebrate the birth of Christ, but why?  Why were the angels rejoicing?  Why were the shepherds full of joy and excitement?  Why was Herod enraged?  What did the world believe happened on Christmas?  Why was there such an uproar?

Charles Wesley captures some of the emotion when he wrote these words:

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

While the timing of Jesus' arrival was unexpected, His arrival was "long expected."  For thousands of years, people had been waiting for the Messiah - even hoping to see Him during their lifetime.  Since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, the world had been waiting for God to fulfill His promise. Genesis 3:15 records the conversation between God and Satan, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."  The offspring who was promised to crush the head of the serpent, was Jesus Christ.  The world, and especially the Jews, were eagerly awaiting the coming of the Messiah who would defeat evil and save God's people.

On Christmas, God kept His promise, and the world rejoiced!  Even though the world turned away from God, even though God's people behaved badly, and even though the Jews rejected Jesus, God still followed through and sent Jesus.  At that moment, the earth, sky, people, and angels all celebrated!  Sadly, I don't always follow through.  I don't always keep my promises.  I may keep some promises, but I don't keep all my promises, and to make matters worse, I rationalize my behavior with excuses.  But God wants me to be like Him.  He wants me to follow through and do what I say I will do.  He wants my children to consider me trustworthy because I am a reflection of Him.  The world didn't deserve Jesus, but God sent Him anyway because He promised He would.  Aren't you glad Jesus' coming wasn't contingent upon your good behavior?  Me too.

But there is more. Jesus is coming back. He really is! Remember, God always keeps His promises. Matthew 24:42 and 44 read, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come...So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

Christmas reminds us Christ's first coming, but it should also remind us that Christ is coming again.  God always keeps His promises!  Let our hearts be full of joy and anticipation - because Jesus is coming back!  It might even be today!


If you would like a children's Christmas book that embodies the excitement and anticipation of Christ's birth, I recommend Song of the Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones.