It seems like everywhere we go during the month of December, people ask the same question: “Are you ready for Christmas?”
At the supermarket, the newsagent, and in our family circle, this can be the most asked question.
The answer to this question is, of course, how you define “ready”. The more important question which helps us is, “Are you ready for Jesus?”
John the Baptist was sent by God to prepare the people to meet Jesus. Matthew’s gospel records some of his preaching:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” Matthew 3:1b-3, NIV
We do not like the words “repent” or “repentance” very much. They mean to make a radical change in one’s life, to turn around and go in the opposite direction, away from sin and towards God.
Repentance involves an element of grief over the way we have lived apart from God, and a decision to run towards the Father. That was God’s idea of the way to prepare for Christ’s arrival, and it is still God’s idea of preparing to worship Him today. This is what is meant by getting ready for Christmas—making sure there is no unconfessed sin in our lives so that we can fully enter into what Christmas really means.
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” Matthew 3:1b-3, NIV
We do not like the words “repent” or “repentance” very much. They mean to make a radical change in one’s life, to turn around and go in the opposite direction, away from sin and towards God.
Repentance involves an element of grief over the way we have lived apart from God, and a decision to run towards the Father. That was God’s idea of the way to prepare for Christ’s arrival, and it is still God’s idea of preparing to worship Him today. This is what is meant by getting ready for Christmas—making sure there is no unconfessed sin in our lives so that we can fully enter into what Christmas really means.
Pastor Roger
