Are you ready seems to be the incessant question at the moment. People are asking of course about Christmas, and they mean have I bought my presents/cards/new little black number, and all those other things that we seem to think are so vital for a “good” Christmas.
But that’s not really what being ready for Christmas is about. Jesus points us in Luke, “Don’t spend all of your time thinking about eating or drinking or worrying about life.” We should not spend the next four weeks worrying about eating and drinking and presents – fun as they are – but about Jesus coming into the world. Coming as a vulnerable baby that first Christmas,and coming again in power and glory to bring God’s Kingdom.
Our preparation should not be queueing at the tills and maxing our on the credit cards, but watching and praying, looking for Jesus; seeing where he is in our world today – and looking for his eternal coming.
God is keeping his promise to give us a King, not a fallible human ruler, but a righteous and just leader, and as Jeremiah reminds us – that is what will bring safety and justice and peace to the world.
So our prayer this Advent, our hope for Christmas and for ever – in the words of Charles Wesley:
Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
Are we ready? Not for turkey, tinsel and trimmings, but for Jesus, King of the world, to be King of our hearts
