choice

Christmas is almost here. We’ve been waiting for four weeks now, and we’re eager for the day to finally come. But are we really ready?

In secular terms, that question relates to having our gifts bought and baking done, and the house cleaned up. There’s always a rush at the end as we realize that we aren’t as prepared as we thought we were. I think that’s a helpful reminder of spiritual reality.

For four weeks we’ve been trying to slow down, to put ourselves in that mode of waiting and anticipating, so that we can experience once again that flood of gratitude and wonder on Christmas morning as we think about what really happened that day. As with our houses, we start to realize at the last minute that we’re not in the spiritual place we’d hoped to be going into Christmas. Our hectic lives got in the way.

All of that makes me ponder whether I’m really ready for Jesus to come again. My uncertainty coalesced this morning around these verses from John 3:31-36: “The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

I’m realizing again that when I first encountered Jesus I was face-to-face with a critical choice, the same one all the actors in the Christmas story faced. I have to choose either to accept Jesus as God himself, and therefore as my Lord, or to continue to exercise my own lordship over my life.

Is Jesus the one, the Messiah? Is he really God become man? Salvation hinges on these questions, because they address the effectiveness of the cross. 

Is Jesus the one, the Messiah? Was he really God become man? My salvation hinges on these questions, because only if Jesus is lord of my life do I have any hope at all. 

I pay a lot of lip service to the lordship of Jesus. I want to believe my life backs it up, but then I think of the times, recent times, when it didn’t. So the truth is, I’m glad Jesus didn’t come yesterday – I didn’t handle yesterday well. I’d rather he came on a day like that Tuesday a few weeks ago when I rocked the whole obedience thing.

So am I ready? Just as with hosting Christmas at my house, I think so but there’s this nagging feeling something isn’t right yet. I won’t really know until the day comes.

Watch and wait.