2nd Christmas!

Last week my boys were watching one of the cartoons they usually watch. I normally try to avoid the sometimes mindless cartoons (i.e. Spongebob, Amazing World of Gumball, etc.) that my boys watch. This time I wasn't able to get out of the living room fast enough, partly because I was curious for how the episode titled "Second Christmas" would go. In this episode 3 of the characters tried to convince the gullible member of their group that there was a Second Christmas where a Second Santa brought gifts and left them under a Second Christmas Tree. If you take everything from Christmas and add "Second" to the front of it, you have the idea of the episode. Eventually, the fifth member, and leader of the group, makes the 3 characters admit they were lying about Second Christmas. The duped character gets angry and takes it out on all 4 of the other team members, even the innocent leader who tried to warn her all along. As I sat and watched this cartoon with my boys, I couldn't help but go into "pastor mode" and think about how unprepared we are for the real Second Christmas.

Christians celebrate Christmas as a time to give gifts commemorating the greatest gift God has given to mankind, His Son, Jesus Christ, as the Savior of the world. We basically celebrate Christmas as the first coming or Advent of Jesus. But how excited are we to celebrate the Second Christmas (if you want to call it that)? How much do we look forward to the second coming of Christ, that second Advent? As believers in Christ, we should look as excitedly to the second coming of Christ as we do Christmas morning. Our hearts should be enraptured (pun intended) with the thought of the return of Christ. We should look with great expectation to the moment when God sends Christ to gather His church, His bride, from every corner of the globe for an eternity in heaven.

It is great to think about the second coming of Christ but it ought to also leave us with a longing to make sure as many people as possible enjoy it. We ought to see the sinful and depraved world around us and see the need for the Gospel to be shared so more people will enjoy that Second Christmas that most Christians look to with great expectations.

I'll end with this. In my personal bible study today the question was asked "What are some of your hopes and hesitations for Christ's "Second Coming"? To be completely honest with you I wrote my hope was "It would be soon." For my hesitation I wrote "I won't have shared the Gospel enough." I have a sneaking suspicion that those answers are pretty universal across the body of Christ. So why not get started today preparing yourself and others for the Second Christmas that will occur "in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Corinthians 15:52, NIV). Use today as an opportunity to share the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, with someone you know isn't prepared for His return. In the end, you will be able to celebrate with them now, at Christ's return, and for all eternity.


If you enjoyed today's post be sure to Share it on Facebook and Twitter so others can be encouraged too!