A call to be ready for Christ’s second coming, even as we celebrate His first.
The weeks leading up to Christmas Day are full of exciting preparation. There seems to be a never-ending list of gifts to buy, parties to plan, and decorations to be hung. In the midst of the hustle and bustle, we look forward to celebrating the Advent of Christ—God entering our world as a man “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
However, Christmas also serves as a glaring reminder of the sin that still remains despite the Savior’s arrival. In fact, the joy of the Christmas season can often be overshadowed by the brokenness of our families, the loss of loved ones, or even our own loneliness.
As you prepare to celebrate this Advent season, are you ready for the ultimate Advent?
As we lack the joy we long for during the “most wonderful time of the year,” we are faced with the reality that many Old Testament and New Testament prophecies are yet to be fulfilled. Although Jesus defeated sin and death on the cross, Satan still “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). We know this because sin and death are still ever present in our lives.
Our world’s abiding brokenness is precisely why Christmas should be a time for us to hope and prepare for Christ’s second coming, even as we celebrate His first. The fulfilled prophecies of Christ’s birth prove that the Biblical prophecies about His return will also one day be fulfilled. As the prophecy of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem has come to pass, so Jesus will crush Satan once and for all—and there’s no maybe about it.
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In 2 Corinthians 5:16, Paul writes, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.” At Christmas, it’s right for us to rejoice as we remember the baby in the manger. But Paul’s words remind us that we must no longer regard Christ as merely a helpless babe, for He is now and forever the risen and glorified Lord. And He will soon return, robed in white and gold, with eyes that blaze with fire, and with a voice like the sound of rushing waters (see Revelation 1:12-16). He will return to judge the world and complete His work of salvation and restoration.
The Lord Jesus could come at any moment, even before you finish reading this sentence—or He could return in ten thousand years. It really makes no difference. Believers must always be spiritually prepared to face the Lord.
As you prepare to celebrate this Advent season, are you ready for the ultimate Advent? Are you obeying God’s leadership in your life—loving Him with all your mind, soul, heart, and strength? Are you sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with the people around you? Are you truly ready for the Lord’s return?
The baby in the manger may not have come making demands, but the risen Lord of lords demands our all. The glorified Christ of Revelation 1 is the one we will all meet on that great day when He returns to fulfill all of God’s promises and defeat Satan once and for all. “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon’” (Revelation 22:20). So let our hearts be ready, and may the cry of our souls be, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”
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