“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”
Revelation 21:1, 3-4
When I was a child, after I opened my gifts on Christmas morning I always looked for something more. Not more presents but a deeper, nostalgic kind of “more.” It wasn’t unusual for me to leave my gifts and lean on the windowsill to gaze longingly beyond the field of snow outside. What was I looking for? Jesus had come. What more could there be? Why did I feel this mysterious pull to step into the other side of Christmas?
I was only a child, but somehow I realized that on this side of eternity, Christmas is still a promise. Yes, the Savior has come, but the story is not finished. There is peace in our hearts, but we long for peace in our world. So the celebration of every First Advent marks another year that draws us closer to the Second Advent. Every holiday carol is an echo of the heavenly choir that will one day fill the universe with singing. Each Christmas gift is a foreshadowing of our gifts of golden crowns to be cast at the feet of the King of Kings. Each smile beckons us onward to when we will be with our loved ones forever.
Angels hovering over Bethlehem heralded Jesus’ birth, but one day they will herald the dawning of a new day. The glow of each candle is a hint of the Light by which one day “the nations will walk…and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor” (Rev. 21:24). Every Christmas is a turning of the page until Jesus returns.
It’s Christmas Day! And like children who long for this special day, you and I wait for Jesus’ return with bated breath. The best has come, but the better is about to return. Celebrate the joy of “God with us.” And celebrate that he will soon come again.
Maranatha, Merry Christmas, Lord Jesus. You have come and you shall come again!
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version.
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