As children, most of us can remember eager expectations for Christmas morning. As we age those expectations generally become less eager. But we happily remember those experiences and may even long to have such pure excitement once again. I really like the eager expectations of Simeon in Luke 2:25-35. I believe he can teach us to regain the appropriate eagerness for the advent ('coming') of our Savior. Many times we wonder why more people were not as excited as Simeon, Anna, and the Magi. But then we must ask ourselves how excited we are right now for the second advent of our Savior. We have a lot more revelation and yet most of us don't seem to be excited in the least for the coming of Christ in glory and the remaking of the new heavens and the new earth. But if we can see that Simeon's excitement was the fruit of trusting God's promise then perhaps our genuine, eager expectation of our Savior's coming can blossom as we meditate on His promise: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,1 that we who are alive, who
are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are
alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are
alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
RSS Feed