“…they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31, ESV

On this 12^th day of Advent, we are thirteen days from our Christmas celebration of Christ’s coming. God’s own son, Immanuel – God with us – born in a humble stable in Bethlehem. December 25, is the day settled upon by Christ’s Church to mark Jesus’ arrival two-thousand years ago.

Looking up the word “wait” on the Internet yielded many meanings. This one – “wait” used to indicate that one is eagerly impatient to do something or for something to happen. As a child I remember being eagerly impatient for Santa’s delivery of toys and gifts, the joy of being surrounded by discarded gift wrap all around the Christmas tree.

Zechariah waited in silence, unable to speak, after the angel announced to him that he and his wife Elizabeth in their old-age would finally conceive and bear a son – and name him, John. That John would prepare the way of the Lord. On the day of John’s birth Zechariah was asked for the child’s name. He wrote John on a tablet and immediately his voice returned. Nine months of silence, quiet contemplation, and now the fulfillment, of God’s promise through the angel.

Mary also received an angelic announcement of her pending conception of God’s own son by the Holy Spirit, and waited nine months, and then thirty years as God’s promise was fulfilled. Joseph too had to wait for the fulfillment of a dream that his betrothed was pregnant by the Holy Spirit and would give birth to God’s Son. All Israel – all the world – waited in great anticipation that God would intervene to bring his light into this dark, dark world.

This season of the Christian year has, over the years, provoked so much beautiful Christmas music that one hardly knows where to begin. Even today in 2025 the world awaits. We wait for peace in Ukraine, in Gaza, between the U.S. and Venezuela and trading partners around the world, between tribal and religious factions, even divisions in Christ’s church in Africa. And we certainly wait with great anticipation for peace and unity in our nation’s capital as well as in every state, county, city, town, and school board. Even in our own families and, yes, even in many of our churches where there is confusion, stress, tension, and conflict that rages on.

Mary cuddled and nursed her little baby, filled with love and joy, but also filled with wonder about his future, not knowing that as she hugged him he would one day hug her from a cross and save her to eternal life. Joseph, still listening and following God’s directions, given to him in dreams, provided love and care to Jesus who would one day care for him eternally.

And so, we pray, O come, O come, Immanuel, and ransom captive ___________ that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O _____________.

Fill in the blank as you are led by the Lord to do so. Certainly, Immanuel came for you, for your family, your church, school, city, state, nation, all of humankind. We wait knowing God’s promised Messiah came two-thousand years ago. We wait having experienced his coming to us by his Spirit as we were born anew, spiritually – made alive in Christ. And we wait with the joy-filled promise that Christ will come again to make all things new.

We, who believe, do not wait without hope and joy. We wait, in the midst of the chaos of this world and all that surrounds us, with the faith-filled promise Christ comes to us by his Holy Spirit, moment by moment, day by day, to empower us and support us, to guide and direct us as citizens of his Kingdom, and as his brothers and sisters to reach out in loving care, offering Christ’s gifts – free gifts – of grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, and acceptance to a world so much needing and desperately seeking the same.  

We wait. But not without the joy of God’s fulfilled and fulfilling promise of salvation. A joy we cannot hold hidden within us, but joy bubbling up and bidding us to allow it to escape our fleshly bodies to touch, heal, and embrace all with the light and love of our redeeming Lord. Go, praising and serving the Lord and one another.