How many Christmases do you want? This really begs a further question. What does Christmas mean to you? Now I love Christmas and all of it’s trappings. Ask any of my family members and they will tell you that I start decorating the day after Thanksgiving. It’s not just all about the festivities and fun for me, though. It’s also about the “reason for the season” —Jesus Christ—our Savior, Redeemer and Friend.

As I reflected on today’s selection of scripture, Matthew 24:1-11, a passage that focuses on Jesus’ words regarding his second coming and the end of human history, I was struck by a further reason for the season. As Christians we live in the light of the Second Coming not just the light of Christmas candles or tree lights or neighborhood lights on houses. For Christmas would not be part of our story except for the prevenient grace of God that reached out long before Jesus came as a baby to live among us. But Christmas is the middle of the story of the Gospel. It’s not the end.

The reason that Jesus Christ came to us was so that the Gospel story would have a final resolution.  This resolution would solve all of the problems of the world—all of them!

The promise that resides in Matthew 24:14 is that the Gospel will be preached in the whole world.  This means that God will continue to equip and send proclaimers (Romans 10:14-15), that his Word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11), and that the Gospel message will ring out until everyone has heard. And then the final Christmas will be replaced with all things new (Revelation 21:5).

Author: ReeAnn Hyde

Scriptures for today:

• Matthew 24:1-22
• Psalm 122
• Genesis 6:11-22