The Christmas season is one that comes in a flurry of excitement, busyness, and nearly constant activity for most of us, and yet it seems to fade quickly into a distant memory days or even hours after it has passed. But should this be the case? Shouldn’t the coming of the Savior of the world be remembered and cherished and heralded all the time?

In the Christmas story, as it is often told, we learn of the Wisemen, a group of scholarly and kingly men who traveled far and long to encounter Jesus once they learned of His coming, enduring much to simply meet the newborn King. From their story, we learn just a little bit of what it means for Christmas to impact our lives long after the fanfare has subsided.

#SomeoneIsComing #andHasAlreadyCome #Wisemen #Christmas

This time of year, one of the most common phrases we hear is something akin to, “Are you ready?” The answers often allude to things like house preparations, shopping lists, gift wrapping, and sundry items related to celebrations and traditions wrapped up in the Christmas holiday. But, while all of those are good things to consider, none of them are the best way to answer that question.

2000 years ago, the whole of creation, whether aware or not, was desperately waiting for a singular event to take place - the arrival of a desperately needed Savior.  And the world was being asked a question then as we, too, are asked today: are you ready? Are we ready to face what it means that we do, in fact, need a Savior? Are we ready to wrestle with what it means for us to accept that rescue? How we respond to this substantively important, fundamental inquiry will radically impact our lives today and for the whole of the vast stretches of eternity.

#SomeoneIsComing #AreYouReady #Simeon #Anna #Christmas

In the children's book (and subsequent movie), The Never Ending Story, the basic premise is that there is a grand, fantastical tale that one can read about and yet mysteriously be a part of - in fact, the inconceivable notion is that the reader is truly a main character. At one point, as this line between audience and participant begins to blur, the central character Bastion cries out, “But that's not possible!” 

And that's a common belief, even if unspoken, that many hold today when it comes to the story of Christmas. It can seem impossible that God could (or even would) set right the wrongs of this world (there are so many, after all) and that He would pay the cost Himself and become like we who do so much evil. It's even more incredulous that we would be invited to be part of this story. But that is exactly the truth of Christmas and the coming of Jesus into our world - even if some say that it's impossible. 

#SomeoneIsComing #SomeSayItsImpossible #Zechariah #Christmas

Across the great expanse of human history, we find a common thread in the presence of story. Every civilization, every culture, every society has stories and tells stories. From epic and fanciful works of fiction to robust recountings of actual events in days gone by, people are both drawn to hear and to tell their stories. And virtually every story that’s been told (or is worth being told) includes some kind of rescue.

The story of Christmas is no different. Surely, the story is about the coming of Jesus in the manger and all the trappings we hear about that amazing day. But the reason Jesus came and the result of that coming is all about the rescue that all of us so desperately need. And like all great tales, the rescue Jesus brings comes in ways and means that nobody really expected and in greater glory that we could have imagined.

#SomeoneIsComing #ToTheRescue #Joseph #Christmas

For most of us, the Christmas season is something that we look forward to, a time to connected with loved ones and participate in traditions, old and new. There can be heartache, too, but there is generally a sense that good things can and should be happening as we look ahead with expectation to the things that bring us joy this time of year.

If we’re willing to step back just a bit, we’ll see that all the good that we expect to had its beginnings in something (in someone) quite unexpected, a series of events that took place in manners and ways that no one anticipated. And, if we’re willing to take the time, we can revel in the beauty of the unexpected way that Jesus came and still comes into our lives today this Christmas season.

#SomeoneIsComing #Unexpected #Mary