As I walk around my neighborhood, I see few signs of Jesus. The blowup figures in people’s yards are mostly Santa Claus and Will Ferrell’s Elf, with an occasional reindeer thrown in. I see few manger scenes, which were common when I was growing up. I know it’s still early, but I don’t expect much to change between now and Christmas. In our area, it’s like we’ve decided to embrace a strictly commercial version of the holiday. The “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we may die” mood has taken over, making us pessimistic and cynical in how we approach life. The circumstances we currently face—rising inflation, shortages, and fears about our future—have dampened our spirits and turned us against one another. Hope is in short supply.   

In many ways, this is how it was in the days just before Jesus’ arrival. The Israelites were angry about the imposed rule of Rome. For the ordinary person, it was difficult to make ends meet, and tax collectors and other corrupt rulers took the joy out of earning a living. Back then, groups were just as divided against one another as they are now. The Pharisees were pitted against the Sadducees, the Samaritans and Jews hated one another, and the elite who lived in Jerusalem looked with contempt on rural Galilee. Slaves were mistreated with impunity; the poor were taken advantage of; the marginalized (including women, children, and foreigners) were ignored or dismissed. When Joseph and Mary set out to fulfill their census duties in Nazareth, the mood in the country was bleak. Who could have predicted that within days God would break through … not just with a new program to bring some short-term relief to the hurting but to radically change the course of human history!  

Finally, the prophecy in Isaiah 9 would be fulfilled. “There will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and with righteousness from that time on and forever” (vv. 1-2, 6-7).

Some, like Anna and Simeon, were waiting, watching for, and trusting God for the fulfillment of His awesome promise. They were not just wishing for change, but earnestly seeking Him in faith for it. They came to the Temple regularly to pray, alert to the possibility and watching for the sign of His coming. Their desire was rewarded when Joseph and Mary brought baby Jesus in to be dedicated. The Holy Spirit enabled Anna and Simeon to see what the Jewish rulers and most of the populace could not: the coming of God among them.

They weren’t the only ones in Israel who recognized and rejoiced in what God was doing in their midst. When Mary visited her cousin (the mother of John the Baptist) Elizabeth immediately knew who was residing in Mary’s womb. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she proclaimed in a loud voice, “Blessed is the child you will bear! Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:42-43). Many years later, John the Baptist himself would announce to those around him, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the Son of God” (John 1:29, 34).

The proud and arrogant missed out on this awesome realization—that God himself was among them. Trusting in their own wisdom and knowledge of the Scriptures, they could not accept God coming in a way they never anticipated. They were blind to the wonder of the Incarnation and unable to receive the blessings of God’s kingdom breaking in around them. No wonder Jesus wept as He approached Jerusalem just days before His crucifixion, saying, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:42).  

Spiritual awareness is vital if we want to experience all that God has for us today. Like all those who welcomed Jesus’ first appearance, we are dependent upon His revelation, His light illuminating our souls, to see the tremendous work He is doing in our midst. Have we fallen asleep as we await His return? Have we adopted the ways of the world … celebrating history in the same ho-hum way that everyone else does? Or are we anticipating the entrance of God into our dark world to transform it by His power and glory? Are we praying as Anna and Simeon did, expecting God to break in with His awesome presence at just the right time?

Amid the dark and hopeless state of the world around us, I sense that the Lord is preparing to visit us again. Are we ready to partner with Him in bringing hope to those who sit in darkness? Are we eager to be His light-bearers, to share our revelations with others? Or, like the Pharisees and other leaders in Israel, will we see His coming as a distraction from our prescribed, predictable, and safe religious life?

Preparing our hearts for His coming—whether He breaks into our lives through a time of revival or at the Second Coming—will help us recognize and respond to Him with the right heart. Knowing His faithfulness, we await Him with confidence and hopeful expectation.

As C. H. Spurgeon wrote, “We are not discouraged by the length of His delays; we are not disheartened by the long period which He allots to the church in which to struggle with little success and much defeat. We believe that God will never suffer this world, which has once seen Christ’s blood shed upon it, to be always the devil’s stronghold. Christ came to deliver this world from the detested sway of the powers of darkness. What a satisfaction it will be in that day to have had a share in the fight and to have aided in winning the victory for our Lord! Happy are they who trust themselves with this conquering Lord, and who fight side by side with Him, doing their little in His name and by His strength!”

We await your return with great eagerness, Lord, and ask you to help us see how we can partner with you in lifting the world out of the gloom and darkness of unbelief. May we be found faithful as we await your coming. Help us to seek your face daily in prayer and to believe that you want to bless all those who have been touched by evil and pain. Give us eyes to see and a heart full of faith as we await your return. EVEN SO COME, LORD JESUS! Amen.