“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark.” Matthew 24:37-38 (NKJV)

The people were celebrating the material things in their lives and were not paying attention to the message of Noah, that the end is coming, don’t dwell on the past look to the future

It’s Christmas, at least it’s the Christmas Season, the time we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ Child. This is truly a great time of the year. Images of a manger with baby Jesus all wrapped up in snow white blankets, cooing and smiling at Mary and Joseph, appear in our houses and yards, as multi colored lights proclaim the season. Christmas trees are decorated in preparation for Christmas morning. Young children, and some not so young, are looking forward to the surprises waiting for them under those trees. The smell of cinnamon and peppermint, oranges and nutmeg, spices and fruit, fill our kitchens, as cooks make ready for the big Celebration. “What a wonderful time of the year!”

It is the Advent season; the four weeks immediately prior to Christmas day that are set aside as a time of waiting and watching, in memory of those who eagerly anticipated the Messiah’s coming.

But, who is watching now?

We must not get so caught-up in celebrating the past that we forget the purpose of Jesus’ first coming. That He came is historical fact, it is in the past. It is a good thing to reverence Jesus’ birthday, it is a better thing to be ready to celebrate His return.

Can we do both? Certainly, we must, by honoring His first coming even as we prepare ourselves for His next appearance. We don’t have to choose one or the other, we can do both, by not worshiping the cradle and the season, but by worshiping the One who lay in the cradle. The One who came to the Cradle on His way to the Cross. Because the One who lay in the Cradle and hung on the Cross is the same One Who is coming again, and we must be ready for that celebration.