And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Revelation 21:5
It’s Christmas Eve. Child and adult alike, there is an anticipation. Christmas morning is less than twenty-four hours away. Perhaps you remember being a child on Christmas Eve. I do. I went to bed full of anticipation, excited for the next day. I would be so happily anxious that I would struggle to drift to sleep. And even when I would fall asleep, I would often wake up in the wee hours of the morning, adrenaline coursing through my body. I anticipated seeing my gifts wrapped under the tree, opening them, and then playing with them for the rest of the day.
As a parent now there’s a different kind of anticipation. There’s the late-night gift wrapping, the putting together of toys, Christmas-day preparation, and just the overall excitement to see my kids unwrap their gifts. Anticipation is exciting when you’re certain something is coming. Anticipation can be anxiety-ridden when you’re uncertain if or when something is coming.
Anticipation: Excitement or Anxiety?
On Christmas Eve, I can’t help but think about the coming of Jesus. Yes, the birth of Jesus––his first coming but also his return––his second coming. Tomorrow when we wake up and open our gifts, we should reflect on the birth of Jesus. God himself came to earth, became human, lived as human, died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the grave. This is the good news for all people. We celebrate this!
But how many of us are excitedly anticipating his return? In Revelation 21, we get a glimpse into the end. Satan, sin, and death are finally and fully defeated. Jesus returns to earth and his kingdom is set up among us for all of eternity. John writes in verse 5, “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” What an incredible promise––everything is made new! But do we believe it?
His Words Are Trustworthy and True
John was to write down the promise of Jesus making all things new so we would remember. This wasn’t a promise Jesus wanted us to forget. This promise is trustworthy and true because it is going to happen. No doubt! But why can we trust this promise? Why can we anticipate Jesus’ return when he makes all things new?
Christmas. That’s why. He said he would come before, and that promise was trustworthy and true. He came. I trust someone’s word because of their track record. If they’ve told me they would do something and then carry through on that promise, I trust their future promises. Jesus said he would come, and he did. Jesus says he will come again, and he will.
This Christmas Eve let’s excitedly anticipate his return.
