“The Waiting Is Over”

Scripture: Read Luke 2:1-20

Members of the military have a favorite saying that seems to capture the essence of this life – you may have heard those words - “Hurry up and wait!” When I was in the Navy, I discovered that no one liked either one of those words, not to mention the significance of putting them together! But I also realize that the significance of each is important, not only in a military sense, but in life itself.

“Hurry” tells us that we must always be prepared for what is coming. For our service men and women, being ready for every eventuality could just be the means to their survival. Jesus told a parable about 10 bridesmaids who were waiting for the groom to arrive for the wedding feast. (Matthew 25:1-13) They were to make all preparations to welcome him, regardless of the time of his arrival.
We hurry up so we can be sure that we are ready when the time arrives, whenever that may be.

“Wait” tells us that even though we may be ready, there are two important factors that we have to keep in mind. The first is that timing is everything. A move too early can be disastrous, and can very well lose everything we had hoped to gain. But an even greater issue is that if we aren’t prepared for that important time, no matter when it occurs, we will not only lose our objective, we may even lose ourselves.

Christmas is that time in our life when we must abide by this concept with our whole heart. After all, being prepared, and then waiting for the right time, is in our history, and the people of scripture have had to learn how to do that over and over again.

In Luke 1:5-25, we read of the wait that Zechariah and Elizabeth had to endure. They were already advanced in age, and had never been blessed with children. They didn’t understand why this gift had passed them by, but now it was too late, or so they thought. They were prepared for a child, they had done all that they could to conceive, but they had to wait for God’s time, the day when the child would be given to them. John the Baptist, the herald of Christ, would soon be given, with the mission of bringing the message of hope to a lost and condemned world.

And the world would only have to wait just a little while longer.

Later in Luke’s gospel (Luke 1:26-31), we read of another one who was waiting, but not for the time that was actually coming. A young girl in Nazareth was ready and waiting for her wedding day to come, and while it was on the way, far greater things would occur before that day arrived. The Lord’s time must come first, and she was about to hear of the plan that her Jehovah God had put in motion – a plan that was not only for her life, but for the life of the world. Mary had been preparing for her wedding day with Joseph, but God had been preparing her, by faith, for a Wedding Day in him.

In Mathew 1:18-25, Mary’s intended, Joseph, had been waiting for his marriage to the love of his life, but he was totally unprepared for God’s timing and God’s plan! And instead of jeopardizing his love’s life, he was considering a new plan – a plan that he never wanted to make, but one that he saw as his only option. But Jehovah’s way would, once again, intervene, for the divine plan included both Mary and her beloved Joseph. They would raise this Holy Child together, as a family, and nothing – not worldly plans, not personal expectations, not the impossibilities of human existence – nothing was going to interrupt the divine Plan of Salvation from being birthed in the lives of earth.

Israel had been waiting for Messiah since the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but 1,500 years is a long time to live in anticipation! The people, even though they had the Promise of Messiah, even though they had the Lord’s plan to carry them through those years of expectation, they had decided to make, and live, a plan of their own – one that would take them away from their Lord, instead of closer, one that would keep them from being prepared for his gift.

And in our passage for this evening, the waiting will finally be over. God had been waiting eternally for the perfect time to make all things possible for you and me, and this was to be the day. But things hadn’t been going all that well for the couple - the trip of 100 miles had been difficult for the very, VERY pregnant Mary; when they arrived in the city, the hotels were all fully booked, and there wasn’t even one small room for them to stay in. But the Plan would not, could not, be interrupted or even delayed.

The accommodations may not have been the ideal place to give birth, but they would be adequate, for the heavenly preparations were complete, and the waiting time had come to an end.

Birth should be a reason for excitement! It’s a time of new beginnings. It’s a time to rejoice in a new life. It’s a time for family and new relationships. And “God’s time” would be no different. Imagine the excitement that the angels were feeling as they came to proclaim Messiah’s birth to, of all people, dirty, smelly, shepherds. What could the Lord have been thinking – choosing these “sinners” to be the first to hear? Apparently, though, they were the perfect ones to know, and to begin spreading the word! They were not only prepared to hear, but they had been waiting for this day in patience and humility.

But for others, this entire day was anything but joyful. The royalty of Israel would fear the news; the learned of Israel would deny the news; the people of Israel would be torn between the history lessons that told of Messiah as a great and royal warrior, and the truth of this day, where this divine birth was anything BUT great OR royal. And the rest of the world? It meant nothing to them, so why even think about it!

Waiting is tough! The longer we wait, the more our expectations are reshaped to the point that when the day finally comes, it no longer resembles what we imagine it will be! Waiting can be disastrous!

And that is where the world has been for over 2,000 years, and where we still are today. The first waiting period may be over, but a new one is now swirling through the lands. The expectations of today have no connection whatsoever to the reality of the Day to come. For many, Messiah is no longer seen as loving – they only see him as condemning and judgmental. For others, the ways and commands of God are no longer relevant for their lives – they think that their own ways and desires are just as valid, and maybe even more so, than those of centuries past. For many more, salvation in Jesus Christ has become a matter of insignificance because they either think that eternal life is a myth, or that judgment is a lie and eternal life will be made available to all. And for even more, God doesn’t even exist, so what’s the point!

Waiting can be disastrous, but wait we must, none the less. The Holy Birth in Bethlehem was only the beginning of the end, not the end itself. Jesus’ mission to earth was to show us how to prepare, how to live, how to wait for the day when he returns to claim his faithful. But what about “hurry”? Is there any need for urgency? It’s been 2,000 years already, so what’s a few more years?

But the lesson of that parable of the 10 bridesmaids is vital for our waiting. Five were wise, and five were foolish. The wise ones prepared for the groom as soon as they knew that they would be welcoming him. Their lamps were cared for, and they had enough oil to light the way, even if his arrival was later than expected.
But the foolish ones delayed their preparation for the welcome, believing that they could fill their lamps anytime they wanted. And when the time came, there was no oil available, they couldn’t even get help from the other five, and when they left to buy some oil, the guest of honor arrived. It was just too late for them to show him honor – in more ways than one.

When they finally arrived at the banquet feast, the door was already closed and locked, and as much as they cried and begged, they were left out in the dark and cold of the world. The bridegroom would tell them “I tell you the truth, I do not know you.”
And Jesus completed his teaching with this advice - “Therefore keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour.”

Are we prepared to welcome the Savior when he returns? The waiting may be difficult, but the preparations aren’t – there is no oil necessary, there is no great gift required, no door that we have to open. The only thing we need to do is to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and to surrender our mortal lives to him, and let him bring a “new birth” and new life” to our souls.

The waiting for Messiah is over, for he has come with an angelic message of great joy, and a song of glory from the heavenly choir, and the praise of a “sinful” few. But a new wait has begun, and the decision that each of us has to consider is this:
How long will we wait before we give our lives in praise and welcome to the returning Savior? He has given the world time to make preparations, but every moment that we delay means that we are getting closer and closer to having to stand outside with no hope of entry to the feast.

Almighty God has given each of us the greatest gift of all time – the chance to know his grace and truth. And the only gift that he can accept from us is our faithful surrender to his life and love.

Are you ready to receive him? Are you prepared to welcome the Savior in his glory? It’s time to put an end to the waiting!