Part of the thrill of Christmas lies in the anticipation of what’s coming. Part of the challenge of Christmas lies in waiting for it. (Three hundred fifty-eight days, to be exact.) But when Christmas Day finally arrives and we open our presents, most of the time we realize the gifts were worth the wait.
What’s true of Christmas applies to the rest of life. But few realize how much the long-awaited Gift of Christmas can change the way we wait in other areas of life.
The Great Christmas Wait
The Great Christmas Wait began in the Garden of Eden when God told Eve her offspring would bruise the serpent Satan’s head in Genesis 3:15. From that point on, the world has searched for a messiah, a deliverer, a savior. Capable leaders have risen and fallen over the years, but none have been worthy to wear the mantle of Savior of the World. So the wait continued.
While the world waited, God gave clues about the Messiah to the Jewish nation of Israel. In 735 B.C., the prophet Isaiah gave this description: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
Hundreds of years passed, with no one making a legitimate claim to the title of Savior. So Israel — and the entire world — waited.
The Gift of Christmas
The world had waited so long, it nearly forgot what it was waiting for. Then one night, a virgin (remember Isaiah 7:14?) in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) had a baby. She called Him Jesus. This sparked a chain of events which could only be explained as divine: An angel proclaimed His birth to nearby shepherds (Luke 2:8–12). God told Simeon, who had waited his entire life for the Messiah, that he would not die until he saw the newborn (Luke 2:25–32). On Jesus’ first visit to church, the elderly prophetess Anna told everyone that He was the Messiah (Luke 2:36–38). A star alerted astrologers in another country of His birth, and they crossed national borders to visit Him (Matthew 2:1–2).
Were these coincidences? I think not. The Apostle Paul wrote, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son. . .” (Galatians 4:4a). The timing was right. Hundreds of years of waiting had built up to these priceless moments. The Great Christmas Wait was over; the Gift of Christmas had come. Period. End of story — or was it?
Not so fast.
The Beauty of Christmas
The best Gift of Christmas wasn’t Jesus’ birth. It was Jesus Himself. The name Immanuel in Isaiah’s prophecy means God with us. The Messiah the world had waited for is the God who was close enough that He could reach them. He was wise enough that He could understand them. He was strong enough that He could carry them. He was capable enough that He could provide for them. He was human enough that He could die for them. And when they faced difficult seasons of waiting, His presence was enough to give them peace.
Just as we are challenged to wait at Christmastime, we will also be challenged to wait in life. Jesus’ presence is not a charm that magically reduces our wait times at mall checkout lines, airports or theme parks. It doesn’t guarantee instantly restored relationships or trouble-free health. We will not get everything we have hoped for right away. It will take time for our circumstances to change. Or they may not change at all. The beauty of Christmas is that it reminds us Jesus is enough. This long-awaited Gift of Immanuel promises the peace of His presence in every season of life. And that Gift is worth the wait.
Article by Cam Edwards
