The Anticipation of Christmas
Someone asked me this morning if we had a good Christmas. I said yes but it threw me somewhat because I'm still anticipating! My kids aren't home yet. They are both on the way and we will have our family celebration tomorrow.
So much of Christmas is surrounded by anticipation and expectation. At it's climax, the whole world celebrates who we as Christians celebrate every day. Jesus Christ. Then it's over. How strange. I wonder if anyone received the Christ-child for the first time during the Christmas season. I wonder if the attitude and disposition of the general public is any different after Christmas than it was on December 24. I wonder how any of us can remain unchanged after such a celebration.
By huge contrast, the season before the first Christmas was not surrounded by anticipation and expectation. Jesus' birth went virtually unnoticed by the world. Only a very few understood that the Messiah had come, but His birth brought irreversibly change to the lives of many! While there was little anticipation prior to Jesus' birth, His life made anticipation, expectation, and hope available to the whole world.
I am glad to still have the anticipation of the holidays before me. It will be wonderful to have the kids home and all of us be together. That will also be over in just a few days. But we can go into 2010 with anticipation! The hope that Jesus brought to the whole world is still ours!
So much of Christmas is surrounded by anticipation and expectation. At it's climax, the whole world celebrates who we as Christians celebrate every day. Jesus Christ. Then it's over. How strange. I wonder if anyone received the Christ-child for the first time during the Christmas season. I wonder if the attitude and disposition of the general public is any different after Christmas than it was on December 24. I wonder how any of us can remain unchanged after such a celebration.
By huge contrast, the season before the first Christmas was not surrounded by anticipation and expectation. Jesus' birth went virtually unnoticed by the world. Only a very few understood that the Messiah had come, but His birth brought irreversibly change to the lives of many! While there was little anticipation prior to Jesus' birth, His life made anticipation, expectation, and hope available to the whole world.
I am glad to still have the anticipation of the holidays before me. It will be wonderful to have the kids home and all of us be together. That will also be over in just a few days. But we can go into 2010 with anticipation! The hope that Jesus brought to the whole world is still ours!
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