Finally Here

Vol. 15 No. 50 | December 24, 2012

This week children of all ages will wake up early in the morning with shouts of glee that Christmas is finally here. When we were children it seemed as though the 365 days between Christmas Day and Christmas Eve was unbearably long. Those last few days before Christmas drag along as if to torture us. Then, we awaken on that glorious day of opening presents and playing with new toys. We can breath again. It is finally here. That is what it is like for children waiting for Christmas.

Imagine what it was like for the children of God as they waited century after century after century after long century for the coming of the Messiah. Rumors would spread about the coming One. Hopes would be dashed, as once again it was not the One. Generations would come and generations would go without the Messiah, without the Redeemer, without the hopes being fulfilled.

Then, the rumors began to sound more like reality, but a reality too good to be true. “The King has been born!” Many could not, or would not, believe them. A baby? In a manger? In Bethlehem? The mother was a virgin? That’s ridiculous!

As the curious and the wise traveled to investigate the stories, the Lord confirmed them and silenced the rumors. It is true! The announcement came: “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

He is finally here!

Not only did He come. He came to be with us. He finally came. “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” (The Message) Jesus came. God’s only Son came. He came to dwell with us. He came to live in our neighborhood. He finally came.

Can you imagine the relief?

After all that time He came. After waiting for centuries He came. After all the wondering and questioning and disappointments, He finally came.

And, the news continued to get better and better. He did not just come, He came to be with us and He came to be our Savior. He came to redeem us. He came to show us how to live. He came to show us how to serve the Father and how to serve and love one another.

He came because He loved us and knew we needed Him to do for us what we could not do for ourselves: Save us.

He came because He wants us to share His story with others. He wants His story to be our story.

A year from now (if we are still alive) the child in us will again breathe a sigh of relief that Christmas finally came, that families finally come together again, and that the special feeling we call Christmas will finally be alive again. In the meantime we will live, we will love, we will watch, we will hope, we will share, and we will long for Him to come again to end the suffering, to end the abuse, to end the sorrow, and finally put an end to saying goodbye. One day, we do not know when, He will appear again and we will experience a joyous and complete relief knowing that the wait is finally over and that it has been worth it because He finally came. When He finally comes again it will be His grand finale. We will finally get to be with Him forever.

Tom

© Copyright 2012 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.