Someone has wisely said, “Christmas is a holiday for the prepared heart, but it begins with the listening ear.” About this same time each year we begin to hear the beautiful sounds, see the colorful menagerie of flickering lights and smell the captivating aroma of enticing, delicious goodies wafting in the air around us. In spite of the hustle and bustle, that normally accompanies this time, we have to admit there is no other season that offers as much stimulation for the senses as Christmastime.
Yet, how easy it is to get caught up in all the pomp and miss the real purpose of why we are doing what we are doing. Over the years, I’ve discovered that unless I choose to make and take the time to spiritually prepare my heart for Advent, it won’t happen automatically. The ever-growing secular drift of our culture today will ensure that Jesus gets minimal fanfare, even at His own birthday, unfortunately. So, it takes an intentional effort on our part to break away and do this, but it always pays bigger dividends than it demands. I don’t think it’s possible to experience the deep sense of peace only God can give the soul connected in His unconditional love to His Son Jesus.
Clearly, the greatest joy, by far, goes to those fortunate believers who begin to “listen” for the cosmic call of God to “prepare” one’s heart. As Mary acutely heard the need to simply stop and humbly sit at Jesus’ feet to learn, yet her well-meaning, mostly frustrated, frenzied sister chose to dismiss Jesus’ Invitation, so too are we faced today with the same Invite; to hear and to prepare for the greater joy or miss for the sake of preparing everything but the most important part God is after; our hearts. When we even unintentionally allow our daily lives to become too crowded for God, then we have just become too busy period and have allowed the enemy to rob us of the Life of Christ God wills for us to experience. This is especially true at “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” It is a temptation we all have to guard against.
Speaking of preparation at Advent, we are reminded of that rustic, wilderness preacher John the Baptist, who was prophetically called to “prepare the way” for the coming of the Messiah Jesus, “He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:16–17)
What John the Baptist did for Israel, Advent can do for us. Don’t let Christmas find you unprepared. Let your love for Christ guide you in your decisions this holiday season. Remind yourself that while not everyone around you may feel the same, you can still “let your light so shine so that others may see your good works and praise our Heavenly Father,” (Matt. 5:16).
How Can We Prepare for Advent?
First, meditate on the fact that we all deeply need Christ our Savior. Christmas is an indictment before it becomes a delight. “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). If you don’t need a Savior, you don’t need Christmas. Christmas will not have its intended effect until we feel desperately the need for a Savior. Let these short Advent meditations, I will be sharing with you in the coming weeks here, help awaken in you a bittersweet sense of need for the Savior, His love grace and power in your life.
Second, engage in sober self-examination. Advent is to Christmas what Lent is to Easter. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23–24). Let every heart prepare Him room . . . by cleaning house. Ask God to show you the things that is competing with and crowding out the Lordship of Christ in your life today. Make room for Jesus by doing a “Fall Clean Out.”
Third, build God-centered anticipation and expectancy and excitement into your home — especially for the children. If you are excited about Christ, they will be too. If you can only make Christmas exciting with material things, how will the children get a thirst for God? Bend the efforts of your imagination to make the wonder of the King’s arrival visible for the children. If you reserve your celebration only for the physical senses and not the spiritual reasons, you can’t expect your children to understand the Christ of Christmas very well.
Fourth, spend quality time in the Scriptures. Memorize the great passages! “Is not My word like fire, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:29). Gather ’round that fire this Advent season. It is warm. It is sparkling with colors of grace. It is healing for a thousand hurts. It is light for dark nights. It is wisdom for direction. It is provision for our needs. It is protection for our eternal souls. It is your very spiritual life, daily food for your soul.
Understanding the Deeper Meaning of Advent
The word Advent means “arrival,” and it refers to the arrival of Jesus Christ into the world. The “Advent season” usually starts four weeks before Christmas and concludes with the celebration of Christ’s birth. Some churches emphasize the Advent season more than others, but all Christians look forward to celebrating Christ’s birth during this season of the year.
Why was Jesus’ Birth So Important?
The reason is because slightly over 2,000 years ago, God fulfilled ancient prophecies in the Old Testament about the coming of Messiah all the way back to Adam and Eve. The Almighty God, our Creator, humbled Himself, stooped down from Heaven and became a sinless, flesh and blood human being in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. As the Bible says, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14).
Think of it: God became a man! He did it because He loves us—and that’s what we should celebrate as Christmas approaches. Take time between now and Christmas to reflect on this great truth. He chose to love us when we were nothing but rebels. He chose us from the foundation of the world to be His, not because we deserved it, but because God is good all the time! He rightfully deserves our greatest praise, worship and adoration!
Read Isaiah 9:6—In this Scripture we find the message and meaning of Christmas. Isaiah the prophet gave five awe-inspiring names of our Lord that encourage us, thrill us and fill us with hope at this Christmas season.
1. Wonderful. When He did His many miracles, the Scripture says, “The people wondered.” (Luke 11:14)
2. Counselor. The officers said, “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46)
3. The Mighty God. He is the God-Man. He said that He and the Father are one. (John 10:30)
4. The Everlasting Father. It was by Him, the living Word, that all things were created. He is the designer of the whole universe. (John 1:3; Hebrews 11:3)
5. The Prince of Peace. There will never be lasting peace on earth until He comes again to reign in righteousness. But He is also the Prince of Peace in other ways. None can have peace with God apart from Him and the peace that He made through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20).
The full meaning of these words from Isaiah should give us enough strength, hope, and joy to face any crisis, endure any sorrow and meet any temptation. How has Jesus shown you recently that He is “Wonderful, Counselor … the Prince of Peace”?
No matter where you are with God now, He desires to give you a greater joy, a deeper peace and a more meaningful understanding of His unmerited love for you so that you can reflect His goodness to others in deeds of kindness, compassion and mercy this Advent season. That first Christmas changed the hearts of many who experienced God incarnate. Advent is about preparation for personal transformation. This is our witness, like the shepherd who were the first witnesses to the birth of Christ; their joy propelled them to tell everyone!
As we begin our Advent experience for 2017, we pray that the Spirit of God will stir your heart to meditate on His Word and reflect upon your personal relationship to Christ. No matter where you may be now in your spiritual journey, you can know that God desires to deepen your understanding of His love and power in your life in order that the light of Christ may shine brighter to a darkened world in desperate need of the saving Good News of Jesus. We challenge you to open your heart and mind to all God desires to show you and to expect by faith for Him to act dynamically in your life as you seek Him this Christmas season. God has more for you than you can possibly imagine.
David Crews Ph.D. Publications 