Christmas Countdown

Watch for Christ’s Coming

All right, all right, I’ll admit it: I talk to my TV. Yes, I know the characters can’t hear me. Yes, I know it’s pointless. But sometimes I can’t help but gasp in disbelief or comment when a character misses something that’s so painfully obvious from my comfortable point of view on the loveseat. 

I feel the same disbelief about the Christmas story. Sometimes I want to shake the innkeeper into his senses so he makes room for the King of Kings. Sometimes I want to set the scribes straight so they realize Bethlehem’s importance. If they knew the King would come from Bethlehem, where was the watch party? Where were the people eagerly counting down the days until Daniel’s Seventy Weeks had passed? It seems all of Israel failed to understand the signs and seasons, the prophecies and their passing. And from the comfort of my home, wrapped in a blanket and sipping my apple cider, it’s easy to judge. 

Yet hindsight is 20/20, and I wonder if I too am guilty of the same lack of awareness, the same failure to realize what is right in front of my eyes. If Jesus returns today, will He find me so focused on the failures of those who missed His first coming that I miss His second?

Jesus promises He is coming soon. He charged us to seek His kingdom and to go into all the world preaching the gospel. 1 Thessalonians 5:2 reminds us, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” As a result, we must be constantly alert and ready, eagerly watching and waiting for His return. For those who trust in Him, we must use our talents and receive a return on investment. Out of the love and compassion in our hearts, we must turn every conversation to the Theme of Themes, witnessing to our lost friends, family, and neighbors by reminding them of the hope of the season.

So this Christmas, make yourself merry. Enjoy eggnog (if that’s your type of thing). Give gifts. Joke and be jolly. Talk to the Christmas characters on your TV. But most importantly, as you count down the days and commemorate His first coming, remember to watch for His second.