When December comes, we wait for Christmas. Christmas is the day when Jesus was born. People waited for Jesus, the Savior. Jesus came to this earth after a long wait. Christmas is the day when Jesus visited us. Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, came down to this earth from heaven. Jesus' visit was a truly amazing incident. It is amazing that someone visits us. The poet Chung Hyun Jong sings about how enormous it is for someone to visit us through him poem, "A Visitor".
It's an enormous thing
For someone to visit us.
Because he comes together
With his past, present, and future.
Because he comes with his whole life.
He comes
With a heart that is easily broken
With a heart that might already be broken.
Perhaps
A wind might be able to embrace such a heart.
If my heart could imitate such a wind
It will be hospitable after all.
(A Visitor, Chung Hyun Jong)
It is so enormous that someone visits us. If so, then the Christmas, a day that Jesus came to visit us, is truly amazing. Jesus came to us with His past, present and future. Jesus came together with all that is in Him. Jesus came with lavish gifts in His arms. Children wait for gifts during the Christmas season. Christmas is a season of gifts. However, the best gift is Jesus himself. The best gift that God gave us is Jesus. That is because everything that is in Jesus becomes ours at the moment we receive Jesus.
When a woman meets a man and gets married, all of his becomes hers. When a man meets a woman and gets married, everything about her becomes his. Meeting Jesus is like getting married. When Jesus came to us, Jesus was not just visiting. He came to dwell among us forever (Joh 1:14). Jesus came to be united with us as a bridegroom and bride. Jesus came so that He could save us. Jesus' gift is the gift of salvation. But there were tremendous gifts contained in the gift of salvation. The gift of salvation is like a bundle of gifts.
In the gift of salvation that Jesus gives, inexpressible gifts such as eternal life, being righteous, being children of God, the keys of heaven, forgiveness, reconciliation, holiness, healing, restoration, wisdom, power, and more are included. However, most of the people did not welcome Jesus (Joh 1:11). But among them are people who accepted Jesus. And they have received the gift of salvation and the right to become children of God (Joh 1:12).
In Luke 1 and 2, we meet the people who have been waiting. They are Zechariah, Simeon, and Anna. They waited for God's promise to come to pass. They waited with prayer. They waited after an angel's visit. They waited after being directed by the Holy Spirit. They waited with holy expectation. Life is waiting. We live by waiting. Waiting is longing. Longing is to miss someone. Longing is desiring. Waiting is patience. Waiting is pain. This is the mystery of waiting. There is a pain of waiting for many years. But the pain also contains joy. The pain of waiting is changed into joy when we meet someone we have longed for. It changes into great comfort. Those who have met the Savior after waiting for Him were filled with God's comfort and joy. Let us embrace the holy desire and wait for the Christmas that will be coming this year. Let us wait and prepare for the special daybreak service with prayer. Let us wait for the coming New Year with holy expectation. I bless you all who are seeking the spirituality of waiting.
Reverend Joshua Choon-Min Kang is the senior pastor of New Life Vision Church, located in Los Angeles. This is one of the weekly letters he writes to his congregation. For the original, visit www.nlvc.org.
