The Rev. Dr. Clay Smith: Waiting for Christmas

If you think about it, there were many people waiting for Christmas.

Mary was certainly waiting for Christmas. Any woman who has ever been pregnant will tell you by week 33 you're done. You are ready for the baby to get out and into the world. Mary knew she was carrying the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Son of God. But the Son of God still pressed on her bladder and kicked her in the middle of the night. Mary was ready for the Lamb of God to come into the world.

I have a feeling Joseph was ready, too. Not to be crude, but God tasked Joseph with marrying Mary and with not being intimate with her until after the baby was born. Remember, Joseph was probably 16 at the time. There was nothing wrong or sinful about Joseph's desire to be with his wife. He was waiting for a long-delayed honeymoon to arrive finally. Joseph was more than ready for Christmas.

There were two old people in the Temple who were waiting for Christmas. One was named Simeon. God had promised him he would not see death until he saw the Messiah with his own eyes. I wonder if Simeon looked at every baby brought to the Temple for dedication and prayed, "This one, Lord?" Simeon was living in hope. He knew he would not see God's plan unfold but would see the beginning.

Anna was a prophet, over 84 years old. She never left the Temple but worshiped there day and night. There is no mention of a promise to her, but I can't help but wonder if you walk that closely with God, you might sense that God is about to do something big.

We don't think about the wise men waiting for Christmas. But every night, they looked to the stars, attempting to divine the ways of God. They may not have even considered looking for a star signifying the birth of a Jewish king. They looked to the heavens in expectation. Somewhere in their souls, there must have been an expectation that there had to be more to life than kingdoms jockeying for power. It is possible to wait for Christmas, even if you do not know what Christmas is.

The shepherds were not waiting for Christmas. At the time of Jesus' birth, shepherds were considered low-class men. They were not rejected by their culture, but they were marginalized. A shepherd could go into a town for supplies, and people would cross the street so they would not have to talk to him. If you were a shepherd, you did not try to climb the rungs on a career ladder. There were no rungs; there was no ladder. This was your lot in life, and you were expected to accept it. There might be good news out there for someone, but it would not be for you. If there were a Savior to be born, they would be the last to know.

All the Jewish people living in Palestine were waiting for Christmas, but they did not think in those terms. For almost 40 years, they had been under the cruel reign of Herod, a Roman puppet king. They longed for Herod to die, for the Romans to leave and for the corruption of their religious leaders to end. They wanted a hero to come and set them free. The Jews at the time of Jesus' birth knew they needed a Savior; they didn't know what kind of Savior they needed.

Zachariah and Elizabeth were ready for Christmas to come. They had a sneak preview of their own miracle child. They were told he would "… make ready the way of the Lord …" They were unsure what that meant, but it seemed to relate to Mary's (Elizabeth's relative) pregnancy. Though they were old, they had been chosen to be part of God's great plan of redemption. They could not wait to see how their part would fit in with the whole.

The Apostle Paul said, "…the whole world was groaning …" Paul could sense that the world could not stand the disorder, the chaos that sin had brought any longer. Have you ever heard the rafters of your house groan at night? Paul picked up on that spiritual vibration. The world was ready for Christmas to come. The Christmas creation longed for would not be fulfilled by a fictitious man in a red suit riding on a sleigh pulled by reindeer. The world was waiting for Christmas, hope, joy, peace, grace and a Savior.

Maybe you are waiting for Christmas. Or perhaps you are waiting for something more. Maybe you are waiting for Jesus. The words of the angel are for you: "Unto you is born this day, in the City of David, a Savior; 'tis Christ the Lord." Your wait is over.

The Rev. Dr. Clay Smith is the lead pastor of Alice Drive Baptist Church in Sumter. Email him at claysmith@adbc.org.