Are you ready for Christmas? When I ask that, do you immediately think of presents (which you need to buy), cards (which you need to send), relatives (that you need to invite or plan to visit), decorations (which need to be put up to show you are no grinch), food (which needs to be bought and/or made ready – Cake, Pudding, Turkey, Gammon, Crackers) concerts you really must to attend (what would Christmas be without a Sing-a-long-Messiah?)
Or maybe you identify with the carol ‘In the bleak mid-winter’, and recognise that you are poor and can’t afford a lamb, or something from Tiffany’s.
Being ready for the Celebration of Christmas is one thing, being ready for the Coming of the Messiah is something else. Christmas is a celebration of something that happened over 2,000 years ago; but the coming of the Messiah happened then, and will happen again. The first coming gave us a chance to see what ‘preparing’ really means; but it’s the second coming that really counts.
As Jesus said: When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)
Are you ready for Christmas?
Raymond.