Luke 3:15
“The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.”
I can clearly remember the moment we received the news that Joyce was given the word that she was pregnant. She was “expecting!” I am not sure if that is the term that is still used today to describe an expectant mother. We might say a woman is PG, in a family way, or some similar description. Regardless of the term, it means a child is on the way.
The people of Jesus’ day had been expecting the promised Messiah for centuries. They were expecting the fulfillment of prophecy that seemed so long in coming. In addition, they were looking for a conquering Messiah, not a tiny babe in a manger or a Savior on a cross. They were expecting, but they were expecting the wrong thing for the wrong reasons.
Most folks are self-absorbed. They desire the things that will make them feel better or making life easier for themselves. Not that you and I are that way—heaven forbid! That is all too often our own personal objective.
Christmas 2009 is at our doorstep. Beyond the glitter and hype, what is the deeper meaning of this day? It is that we have a Savior who has come. That’s right, He has already come. Just as people rejected Him then, consigned His mother to a stable in which to give birth, and watched with indifference when He was crucified, so the vast majority ignore Him today.
In what way are you spiritually expecting? Are you eager for Him to be the Lord of your life, or are you content to float along with the masses? Do you expect Him to give you the power to minister for Him? I pray that you and I are expecting!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil