Prepared for Christmas?

Matthew 3:2

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How prepared are you for Christmas? Are the lights on the house yet? Have you got your shopping list done? Do you know what you’re getting your spouse? How prepared are you to celebrate Christmas?

Sometimes I know in the rush of Christmas, I can just feel like I’m never going to be ready. Sometimes I’ve even thought a little bit of help would be nice. Someone could do the shopping for me or make some other preparation, that’d be real nice. God, sent John, the Baptiser, to help the people prepare for Christmas. That is the coming of the Savior. God sent John with a special message in Matthew chapter 3, we read

“Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near!” (Matthew 3:2 EHV)

Repent. That word means to change your mind or turn around to go in a different direction. To prepare for Jesus the Savior, God says we need to repent. If you think about that meaning to turn around, we definitely know that there are times our life is going in a direction that’s not good for us. We’ll be partway down it and realize, man, this isn’t working. I got to turn around. I got to change my mind. I got to go back the other way. That’s true in our earthly lives and it’s definitely true spiritually.

We can be headed in the wrong direction spiritually. Maybe living with our girlfriend or boyfriend outside of marriage, maybe we’ve been caught up with the wrong people. Taking drugs, drinking. Your life can be spiritually headed in the wrong direction. So God calls you to repent, to prepare for the Savior.

Jesus came so that he could take away all of those things that you’ve done wrong. All of those choices that you’ve made that you’ve really changed your mind about now. I thought that was a good idea, but it was terrible. That’s what God wants you to do spiritually to change your mind, to turn around. Jesus came so he can take away all of those mistakes. So no matter what the bad choices that you’ve made. Jesus has borne the spiritual, the eternal, consequences of those decisions. It’s true you may have to bear some of the earthly consequences. But when it comes to the spiritual, Jesus has taken them all away.

None of those bad choices need to affect you in eternity. God, the Father now loves and forgives you because his Son, Jesus, lived and died in your place. Do you need to change your mind, to turn around, concerning Jesus? Many view him as just a great teacher, maybe a prophet. Maybe someone that we should listen to like one of the other philosophers. But they don’t acknowledge Jesus as the Savior. How do you see him? Do you see him as just another man? Or do you see him as he really is? The God man who came to be your sins?

May you prepare for Jesus by repenting, changing your heart and mind about the direction, the spiritual direction of your life, and changing your heart and mind about what you think about Jesus. He is your save you from sin. He was born so that you can live. May God bless your, Christmas, with this new understanding of Jesus, your Savior. Peace be with you. Amen.