Are We Ready? – Matthew 24:36-44
Christmas is a time of expectation, waiting, and watching. We wait for friends and family to arrive. We stay up late to listen for the rumble of a car in the driveway or the announcement of an airplane at the gate. Children try to keep sleepy eyes open to see that man in the red suit bringing them the presents they’ve been so anxiously awaiting. Staying awake and being ready is the theme of the season.
It often seems like most of our life is spent waiting and preparing while only a fraction of our time is filled with actually doing the stuff we’re waiting for. Consider the Thanksgiving meal we recently enjoyed. How long did it take to prepare it? How long did it take to actually eat it?
If we stop to think about it, we really shouldn’t be surprised that life is filled with so much more preparation and waiting than it is doing. That’s because in some ways, the preparation is the doing. In fact, preparation, being awake, being ready is often the point.
Our own brief time on earth is less about what we accomplish and more about preparing for eternity in heaven. The most meaningful way to spend our days is by opening our hearts to become more like our Savior and by helping others get ready to meet Him in heaven. In fact, the central message of the Old Testament is all about preparing for one pivotal moment: the birth of Jesus Christ.
Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Micah was inspired by God to look forward to His birth. In Micah 5:2, he wrote, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
Advent is the perfect time for us to wait and prepare. As the prophets waited for Jesus’ first arrival, we wait and prepare for His Second Coming. In some ways, we know what those who looked for Jesus — like Micah, Isaiah, Moses, and so many others — went through. Like them, we know Jesus is coming again, but we don’t know when. Like them, we need to prepare our hearts to receive and grow in Him as we anticipate the day when we’ll meet Him face-to-face. We have to stay awake. We must be ready.
That first Christmas was a rescue mission and the one who came to our rescue was Emmanuel, God with Us. The one who had the power and authority to call down the angels of heaven. He was the Ancient One who humbled Himself to become fully human so He could free the hostages who were being held captive by sin.
Because of Jesus, we’re no longer hostages. We’ve been rescued. And Jesus is ready for a return rescue trip as well. The only question is, are we?