Recognize you need to change to prepare for Jesus
By JOE MILLER JR. Pastor FUMC Newton JOE MILLER JR.

Luke 3:1-6

Are you ready for Christmas yet? Are you ready for Jesus yet? They are not the same question. Christmas is a time of year characterized by gift giving, family gatherings, sumptuous meals (if you can afford them), decorated trees, cookies, decorated houses, Christmas Carols, and good old Santa Claus.

Jesus' coming to this earth is associated with angels, shepherds, a stable, a manger, an overcrowded inn, a new born baby boy, and a humble couple tired from a long journey. There were no Christmas cookies in the stable.

It is interesting how things can occur in cycles. This time of winter was once celebrated as a purely pagan event known as the winter's solstice.

We Christians grabbed that time of year and baptized it. December 25 was declared the official day for Jesus' birthday, and a pagan celebration became a Christian holy day (holiday). That clever move eliminated a pagan celebration, and gave the church a time to have a birthday party in remembrance of Jesus' birth.

Today, our secular society has shoved Jesus out the way, and Christmas has again become a secular celebration. Secular celebrations are not necessarily bad. Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and the like, are all secular celebrations that can be quite moving and important. Yet, preparing for Christmas is not the same thing as preparing for Jesus.

Returning to question 2 above; are you ready for Jesus yet? John the Baptist has quite a bit to say about getting ready for Jesus. After all, he was the one who was called by God to prepare the way for Jesus.

John was the last of a breed; he was a true and powerful Old Testament prophet; fearlessly proclaiming the Word of God to a sinful world.

It was by proclaiming the Word of God that John prepared the way for Jesus. The Isaiah prophecy that John fulfills implies that John came to make Jesus' pathway straight. What John proclaimed was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

People will not accept Jesus unless they realize their need to change. Those who know that they are sinners and in need of repentance are ready for Jesus. John's job was to prepare the people to receive Jesus by convincing them that they needed to change repent) and needed help (salvation) to do it.

If you know that you need Jesus in your life, then you have made the first big step in getting ready for Jesus. That is infinitely more important than getting ready for Christmas. Choose to celebrate Jesus' birthday not “Happy Holidays.”

Email me at newtonumc@valornet.com with your thoughts.