"The birth of Christ is the central event in the history of the earth -- the very thing the whole story has been about."
- C.S. Lewis
Did you know that there's a new Star Wars movie about to come out? I bet most of my dear readers know. Even people what are not fans of the film franchise and do not plan to see it have heard about it and seen the trailers. For those of us who are fans, well we're excited as a child on Christmas Eve. My wife and I bought tickets early and will be driving about four hours so we can see it opening day with her son. Half of the commercials on TV these days seem to in some way reference the upcoming movie or the series in some way. The trailers being viewed by such large numbers shut down servers the day they were released online.
What's that got to do with my walk with God? The Star Wars Advent Season began months ago, long before the first trailers. In fact, it began for most people shortly after the closing credits scrolled by on the screening of the last film, and began in earnest expectation when Disney bought the rights to Star Wars from George Lucas. Star Wars Advent? The word advent simply means "coming." But Advent, when capitalized and standing alone has long come to mean only one coming....the coming of our Lord Jesus and the celebration of Christmas.
That's what's so great about this time of year. Advent is like a preview of coming attractions. It's a celebration of what's coming and Who came to make it possible. The start of Advent is a celebration of waiting with hope and expectation. It really started in the Garden Of Eden. At the very moment Adam and Eve realized their world literally was coming undone and going to hell came the promise of One who would come to reverse the curse and bruise the head of the serpent. Since then, as the world has seen the sadness caused by the fall, there has been a promise that things can and will be better. The Old Testament is full of prophecies pointing to the birth of Christ, the sacrifice He would make and the restoration with the Father He would provide.
Since His birth, we remember that He came, but the reason that we celebrate that He came, that He was born, is because He died and rose. And the reason we celebrate that He died and rose is because He did it for us, to make a way for us to be restore to the Father. Advent may be focused on the birth of Christ, but it's all a preview, the event that stirs the excitement and speculation and eager anticipation of the main event to come, His triumphant return and an eternal celebration of love, peace, and joy unhindered by pain, sorrow or sin.
It's easy to get caught up in Christmas with the anticipation of the coming attractions of gifts, family, friends and food. But those things don't last, and even at their best don't fully satisfy the soul. We can all get swept up in the coming of something big, like Star Wars or the next block buster movie. But how often do the films fall short of the hype? The expectation becomes too high a standard to achieve. The trailer shows the best, funniest, most exciting parts of a two hour film in a minute and a half, so instead of the movie feeling greater than the coming attractions it is a bit of a let down. But Advent is the perfect Coming Attraction to which none other can compare. As miraculous and amazing an event that the birth of Jesus was, it will not outshine His return! It made the main event possible, so The Birth needs to be remembered with celebration and joy, but it is not the end of the story. It's Part I of the climatic turning point.
When we remember He came, why He came, and that He is coming again to take us with Him to the main event, which the entirety of time and creation has been preparing for, it's a time to be more excited than a Star Wars fan who has tickets for opening day. We who are Christians have tickets for the greatest banquet party that will ever happen to enjoy as we watch the unfolding of the most awesome sight ever, the creation of a new heaven and earth! Not a Christian? Well, tickets are still available! And they're free! That's reason to celebrate. But hurry and get yours today, because the reason those of us with tickets are so excited is because the wait is almost over. Jesus is coming soon!
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