Christmas can be difficult for preachers; especially if they've been in the same church for many years. What do I go with this year? The star, or the shepherds or the wise men? Having given a Christmas message to the same group of senior Believers for the past 5 years, I asked for a break this year!
But for me the story of the First Advent is always a reminder that we are looking for a Second Advent. There is plenty to preach about there, but I get the sense that the subject is too rarely preached today. When did you last hear a complete message on the Second Coming of Christ? Someone is bound to respond that they hear one frequently, but when I've asked around generally this doesn't seem to be the case.
Why is there such reluctance to preach it today? Why is it part of a theology teaching course, but not very often part of the main preaching ministry? Let me suggest a few reasons:
It didn't happen last night! Many older Christians can remember regular preaching on the Second Coming which regularly asked 'Would you be ready if Jesus came tonight?' Eventually the question loses it's impact and we grow weary of hearing it. In fact the Bible suggests that this is still a day of grace giving time for people to repent, so to constantly refer to 'tonight' can be unhelpful when we are still here again the next morning!
Perhaps some don't want to preach it because it seems too complicated and too disputed. Are we Pre, Post or A Millennial? Do we expect a Pre Tribulation Rapture, a Mid Tribulation Rapture, or a Post Tribulation Rapture? Definitely not the former on this one. Are you going to tell the Christians in North Korea who have been persecuted for decades that they'll escape the Tribulation which is still to come? To me a belief that we will be raptured before the Tribulation sounds like American prosperity teaching - in America we won't go through the Tribulation - we'll be raptured before it happens. Mind you perhaps that was in the era before Presid... (oh never mind). But who can sort out all the details of the complex program of events; just give the alternatives in a training course.
We've got to get the Church sorted out before Christ returns. After all He will return for a spotless and radiant Bride. See Ephesians 5:27. So don't expect Him to return very soon. That is a misunderstanding of justification. As individual Believers justification means we're 'perfect forever' and Hebrews 10:14 tells us that.What is true for the individual Believer must be true for the Body of Christ as a whole. To the Bridegroom the Church will be a spotless and radiant Bride even if Christ does come tonight; He's made her that by the shedding of His blood with which He's purchased us. Mind you justification leads to sanctification and so a redeemed Church must always be looking to see the Bride getting ready.
With some 300 promises of the Return of Christ in the New Testament we need a robust proclamation of the Second Advent.
It's our blessed hope, says Paul, to Titus (2:13). It's hard enough to find any hope for a resolution to Brexit let alone the multiple and more serious challenges that the world faces confronted by continuing wars, climate change, pollution, people trafficking etc, etc, etc. Politicians have always promised Utopia and have more often given us chaos. Shalom will never be achieved by sinful man's best efforts but only by the intervention of God. The ultimate intervention for the future is that Jesus will return; that is the hope we have.
It will motivate us towards holiness.'All who have this hope (of Christ's appearance) purify themselves...' 1 John 3:3. Surely none of us want to look unwelcoming and unprepared when He comes.
We can be motivated towards mission. Jesus told us that the gospel will go to all people groups before the end (see Matthew 24:14 ) and in Revelation 7 we see worshippers before the throne in heaven who come from every people group. So it's obviously going to happen, but equally obviously hasn't yet happened; so Church lets get on with it.
It will bring an end to this story. Nothing lasts forever, except eternity, and we won't enter the eternal age until Jesus comes again. We can live as though the world in its present form will go on forever - it won't. We can live as though the story won't end - it will. Jesus will return and every eye will see Him ( Revelation 1:7).
So this Christmas as well as shepherds you could preach/hear about the Return of the Shepherd of the sheep. As well as wise men you could preach/hear about the wise of every people group who worship the Christ who stands in the centre of the throne. As well as a star you could preach/hear about a whole new creation - what a hope.
Preach it brother!