Waiting and Watching

The Expectant Love of Christmas

If we travel back to the first Christmas, we will find two special groups who anticipated the manger and the Messiah. They, too, longed to see Him and embrace the surprising joy Jesus was bringing the world. They needed it and were eager to see Him face to face.

Those Who Waited: The Wise Men

As far as we know, they weren’t visited by an angel as Mary and Joseph were, nor did they see choirs of angels as the shepherds did. God gave them a special sign—a star.

From Jerusalem, the Magi traveled the final five or six miles to Bethlehem. There they found Him! They visited the Boy and His family, presented their gifts, and worshiped Him. They saw His face!

Then, the Magi vanished from history as mysteriously as they had appeared. But it’s all right—they had seen the King! He was worth the wait!

Those Who Watched: The Shepherds

The shepherds were Jews who watched their flocks nearby. They were society’s lowliest workers. Many scholars believe they were banned from the cities because of their filth and smell.

These local shepherds were a preview of the kind of people Jesus would later minister to—the remote Galileans, the loathsome lepers, the despised tax collectors, the pressing crowds, the down and out.

The Expectant Love of Christmas

Don’t live with anxiety, paranoia, and fear. Be wise like the Magi. Be humble like the shepherds. Be eager and expectant for the love of Christmas, for the Lord wants to appear to you. He wants you to see Jesus more clearly this Christmas.

As for me, I’m watching and waiting for His return. The Old Testament predicted His first coming, and He arrived in the fullness of time. Both the Old and New Testaments predict His Second Coming.

But we don’t have to wait for His return to know and fellowship with Him. This Christmas, take time to walk with the Lord, to love Him, and to feel His love. He is the stable Peace we all need for an unstable World. Join me next time as we unwrap the Everlasting Love of Christmas!