Ready to celebrate?

 

Getting ready for the party

 

Christmas is a month away, a season of hope and happiness when we celebrate the Lord Jesus’s birth and gather in families. Does love and the anticipation of a happy occasion fuel your preparation, or do you grit your teeth, hoping you’ll survive the chaos?

 Special occasions need careful preparation. Gifts are purchased for Christmas, a bride shops for the perfect dress, an expectant mother buys a crib for her baby, or a family member prepares a relative’s funeral in their honor and to deal with their grief. We’re more likely to succeed when we prepare, avoiding disappointment, heartache, and last-minute stress.

 When God sent Jesus into the world, he made extensive preparations. Adam and Eve had sinned, destroying the close relationship they’d enjoyed with him, but God is merciful. He did not respond to their disobedience by wiping them off the planet. He planned a momentous event: he would live as a man among men and bear the penalty of God’s wrath. IMMANUEL!

As the Old Testament unfolds, we witness a carefully devised plan for the Messiah’s arrival. Such a pivotal event in history must occur at God’s appointed time.

God promised that Satan would be stricken and he would crush the head of humanity. Jesus came to live and to die, an event planned centuries in advance. Genesis 3:15.

 God delivered Noah from a depraved world and saved humanity. The ark represents salvation through Jesus, our mighty rescuer, a sign that Jesus would arrive on the appointed day.

 Abraham became the father of a mighty people through whom God would bless every nation. Jesus, the Messiah, was born a Jew. 

Moses led the nation of Israel from Egypt, received the law from God on Mount Sinai and prepared them to enter the promised land. They learnt who God is through the law, and although they failed to keep it, his ultimate rescue plan was Jesus, the perfect man. He would take the punishment for sin and our rebellion against the Ten Commandments.  

God gave the Israelites a tabernacle and a priesthood to prove he'd live among them and redeem them from sin, prototypes of the Messiah in the sanctuary and sacrifices.

 A kingdom must be established, and David must become their king, a man after God’s own heart. God promised his kingdom would last forever because David’s throne would be established through his greater son, the Messiah.

God sent prophets to warn the nations to repent of their sin, and as the Messiah’s arrival drew closer, Isaiah prophesied that a baby, a son, would be born to a virgin, and his name would be Immanuel, God with us.

Seven hundred years remained until Jesus’ birth, and so, the announcement was repeated to succeeding generations. At the four-hundred-year mark, God gave a closing message and kept silent. A prophet would prepare for the Messiah’s imminent arrival. His name was John the Baptist.

Next, God prepared the nation of Israel for John’s arrival. “A voice of one calling: In the desert, prepare the way for the Lord.” Isaiah 40:3, and “I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.” Malachi 4:1. This is not Elijah reincarnated. John preached as the Spirit of God led him, the Spirit who promised John’s father, Zechariah, that his son would prepare the way for Jesus. He baptized with water, symbolizing repentance. John the Baptist stood apart from his peers. He lived in the desert, wore camel hair clothing, and ate locusts and wild honey, abstaining from strong drink. His mission was to prepare the people for the Messiah through repentance, the essence of Elijah’s and Isaiah’s messages, the Lord’s earlier prophets. As John preached, many wondered if he was the Messiah. Jews and Levites questioned him about his identity, and John affirmed he was the herald, not the Messiah, pointing them to Jesus.

 “He is the one who comes after me.” And the next day he saw Jesus approaching.

 “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” John 1:29.

 “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except the one who sent me to baptize with water told me… I have seen and testify that this is the Son of God.” John 1:34.

 This was how God prepared for the birth of his son, the Messiah. But it didn't end there! Jesus continues his preparations, both for his beloved people and for his second coming. After his resurrection, he went back to heaven to prepare a place for us. John 14:3. The Holy Spirit dwells in Jesus’ followers to prepare them for heaven, creating in them the mind of Christ. 

 Despite the chaos, God is still in charge of his world. Throughout history, God has been long-suffering of humanity’s sin, but at his reckoning, his justice will prevail. 

“Now is the time of the Lord’s favor, the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2.

 Are you ready to meet your Maker? “Just as man is appointed once to die, and afterwards to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people: and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation to those who wait for him.” Hebrews 9:27-28.

God sent Jesus because he loved us and wanted to prepare us for heaven, a glorious eternal home. 

He invites us into his family. As sin cannot enter heaven, and we are sinners, we need our sins forgiven. Has Jesus rescued you from sin? Have you prepared for eternity by responding to his invitation? The choice is yours. In heaven, Jesus will celebrate his church with a banquet and we will celebrate Jesus in worship, but if you don't know him, how can you celebrate with him? As he is the host who gives the invitation, we are invited on his terms. He cannot receive you if you try to enter heaven unprepared.

If you love Jesus, are you preparing, waiting with hope and joy for his coming, yearning to see his face and rejoice in his presence? Do you live as if he's coming today? Let’s be sensitive to biblical prophecies, the warning signs, lest he take us by surprise, since the Lord’s arrival draws closer by the minute. The Jewish leaders were unsure about John the Baptist, but he was certain about Jesus because he listened to the Holy Spirit. We can also listen and prepare for his second coming.

 (If you wish to read about John the Baptist’s birth, see Luke 1:57-80, and then read this previous blog: https://momentstosharewithjesus.blogspot.com/2023/12/before-jesus-was-born-there-was.html)