One of the first years after our family moved to West Virginia, we had snow on Christmas Day. All of our children enjoyed playing in the snow. My oldest daughter was very young then, and she expected it to snow every year on Christmas after that! The higher mountains have a much greater likelihood of snowfall on Christmas than we do in the valley, where it actually only snows on Christmas, about twenty-percent of the time. Prospects are good for a white Christmas this year, and I am sure children everywhere are waiting with great expectation.

Long ago, in a manger in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph awaited the arrival of the baby Jesus. There was a faithful remnant who waited on the arrival of the Messiah in his First Advent, but many were not expecting a Servant King. As we reflect on the First Advent of Jesus so long ago, we now wait with expectation on the Second Advent of Jesus.

Jesus is coming again! I think too often we are like a lot of the people were, when Jesus came the first time. We fail to live with expectation as we should, and as a result are not as prepared as we ought to be. My prayer is that believers will reflect on the first coming of Jesus, live with anticipation about what he will do in our lives now, and anticipate his return with a sense of holy expectation.

Galatians 4 ⁴ When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.⁶ And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir.

Revelation 1 ⁷ Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. So it is to be. Amen. ⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Father God, thank you for sending your Son to this earth, God with us. He lived, he died, was buried, rose from the dead, and he now lives again. We eagerly await his return. In the meantime Father, find us faithful as we rest in the hope we have in him, and share the good news with others, that they too might know there is a Savior and his name is Jesus.