An old pioneer traveled westward across the great plains until he came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the Grand Canyon. In amazement he looked at the magnificent chasm a mile deep, eighteen miles across, and more than a hundred miles long! The old pioneer gasped, "Wow - something musta happened here!"
In a similar way a visitor to our world today would view the lights, decorated trees, parties, festivities, and the religious services and would probably say, "Something must have happened here!" Indeed, something did happen. God came to our world as a human being on the first Christmas.
Have you ever wondered, why all the fuss? Why special midweek services? Why remember a baby born in an obscure Middle Eastern village and why a huge festival just to honor His birth? Why? Because something happened 2,000 years ago. The Son of God came to earth in the first Advent and that's enough in itself.
Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God. His purpose is to save the human race. Environmentalism won't save us, and neither will politics or science or economics or morality - only Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one will come to God the Father except through Him.
Last Sunday the season of Advent started. Advent means “coming,” and usually refers to the three weeks before Christmas. You and I live between two advents - the first Advent of His coming at Bethlehem, and the second Advent is when He will “come again in glory to judge both the living and the dead,” as we say in the Apostle's Creed. Advent is the time for Christians to prepare to celebrate His first coming. Advent is also a good time to prepare us for His His second coming.
Not all Christians observe Advent, but all of them know Jesus will come again some day. Let's be prepared by trusting Him. Let's be prepared by worshipping Him and serving Him. Let's be prepared fror His second advent by sharing our faith in word and deed, helping those less fortunate than ourselves. May all Christian churches so celebrate this season with faith and joy that a new visitor might be moved to remark,
"Wow - something must have happened here!"
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