HOW are your Christmas preparations going?

At this time of year lots of us are probably getting ready to enjoy time off from our normal routine of life, looking forward to a break and celebrating with family or friends. It takes time and energy to get ready for the ‘big event’.

Before the first Christmas God was preparing for hundreds of years. He spoke to the people of Israel through many prophets, particularly Isaiah, about the promised Messiah who He would send to save His people and establish a kingdom that would last forever.

We now know the fulfilment of those prophesies through the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, but have you thought about all the preparations God had to make before the birth? He sent angels to Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, to Mary and to Joseph to tell them that Elizabeth would have a son in her old age and Mary would have a son even though she was a virgin! He then fulfilled those messages by miraculous conceptions and Mary and Joseph had the courage and faith to believe Him and act on the messages.

Even then God’s work wasn’t done, when the time came for Jesus’ birth he wanted people to know about it, so he sent a choir of angels to the shepherds and a star to bring the wise men to worship him. When Herod wanted to kill the baby, he warned Joseph in another dream to flee to Egypt until Herod died and in yet another dream when it was safe to return.

So, as we listen to the familiar story this Christmas let’s remember how much God wanted the first Christmas to happen and what the purpose of Jesus’ birth was and is. He is the promised Messiah who came to save not only the people of Israel but all of us from the consequences of sin and to offer us the chance of eternal life, so we can have a relationship with Him. What a fantastic Christmas present — have you ‘opened’ yours yet?

Happy birthday Jesus.

Alan Evans, Andover Churches Together