The Messiah Came and Is Coming Again
The night was cold and crisp. Snow glistened like diamonds from the light of the moon. There was a pound on the front door. My grandparents reached for their little girl’s hand to see who might be at the door. The little girl was my mother, Ruth. Now, she was already anticipating Santa because it was Christmas Eve.
My grandfather slowly opened the door and there stood a jolly, old man dressed in a beautiful, red suit. He had a long, white beard and held a small package wrapped in Christmas paper with a pretty bow. Mother hid behind my grandmother but peeked around to get a better glimpse of Santa. She looked past Santa and saw by the moon light a sleigh and in her mind’s eye, eight tiny reindeer. She noticed a lantern burning brightly on the side of the sleigh. As quickly as her eyes looked past Santa to see the sight of a sleigh, deer, and a light, her eyes quickly glanced back for a second look at Santa. He called Mother by name and handed her the small package. Mother reluctantly reached around my grandmother to receive her gift. Santa bellowed his “ho, ho, ho’s”, as he made his way back to his sleigh, then he turned and waved goodnight to Mother. By the way, Mother still has her cherished gift to this day – a little bracelet.
Why did this little girl anticipate Santa? …Because her parents had told her that he was coming. They had read to her the poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas” many times. She would even ask them to re-read it again and again. Soon Mother could recite the whole poem by heart.
The Scriptures had declared, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (God with us) (Is. 7:14; Mt. 1:23; Is. 9:6&7). There was an expectancy that a Messiah was coming. The Words of the prophets were declared throughout the generations. The Samaritan woman said, “…I know that Messias (the Messiah) cometh, which is called Christ…” Simeon in Luke, Chapter Two was “waiting for the consolation of Israel”. This means that he was waiting for the Messiah to come and redeem His people. Anna, the prophetess, in the same chapter saw Jesus and “spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem”. Joseph asked Pilate for the body of Jesus following his crucifixion and death. We read in Mark 15:43 that Joseph “waited for the kingdom of God.” He, too, had awaited the coming of the Messiah and knew that Jesus was He that had been spoke of. The anticipation and the declaration of the people ushered in the will of God concerning the coming of Jesus, the Messiah.
Jesus came, but I declare to you, He is coming again. The angel told those that watched Jesus as He ascended into heaven, “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). It has been declared over 2,000 years that Jesus is coming again, and He surely is. God gave His Gift of Jesus to the world. Oh, that we would declare this Gift to our family, friends, and to the nations, that they might reach out and receive Him.
Mother anticipated the coming of Santa because her parents told her that he was coming. Santa came with a gift. She had to reach out and receive it. Oh, that man will hear the Truths from you and me that Jesus is coming again and see their need to accept Him as Lord. He is God’s gift to the world. May men and women reach out and receive the Gift, Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Savior. Amen!