I love Christmas time dearly. It holds a host of my favorite memories, and I cherish the times I usually spend with my family and friends over the holidays. I love the magic of Christmas Eve and the joy of Christmas morning. But I also always love the anticipation that the whole season holds. The past couple of years the season has been a bit marred the stress of college finals that I always said interrupted my Christmas spirit, but in that, I was and am beginning to learn the precious season of anticipation and longing of Advent in the waiting for Jesus to come.
Advent is the four weeks before Christmas that the Church remembers and commemorates the longing of Israel for their Messiah to come. The Israelites of Jesus’ day were waiting for their long promised Messiah. I’m sure many had given up hope of seeing the Messiah come in their lifetime. It had been centuries since they had been given the promise of a Prince of Peace and yet none came.
But this longing transcends the times. They may have been waiting to meet the Christ. I am learning to feel with the Israelites the desire to see the Messiah come to this land. I know the answer to the longing in the hearts of my neighbors. I know who will satisfy the ache. He is Christ Jesus Immanuel. He has come. He has saved us all if only we have eyes to see.