Part 2

To prepare properly for Christmas is to be honestly aware of what you want rescued from in your life. For Christmas to be a proper preparation for our anticipation of Christ’s return, we must be clear on why we yearn for Christ to come back now and not later.

The people of Israel had word that was both a cry of suffering and a cry of hope: Hosanna! Lord save us! It’s a word you pray, it can be a word you shout, it was a word on Israel’s lips and hearts as they labored and lived under the oppressive cruelty of the empires – Rome, Greece, Persia, Babylon, Assyria.

The early Christians had a word for that pain and yearning: Maranatha. Come Lord! It’s the perfect word for Christians at Christmas. Depending on how you see and say the word, you can say it Marana tha: Come Lord Jesus! Or you can say it Mara natha: Our Lord has come! The first Christians looked back to Christmas and declared: Mara anther: Our Lord has come! And then they would look ahead and declare: Marana tha: Come Lord Jesus.

For you, when you begin to feel like Christ is nowhere, you can cry out like Israel, Hosanna, Lord save me! You can cry out like the early Christians, Marana tha: Come Lord Jesus! And when you have been reminded that Christ is now here, you can declare with faith, hope and love: Mara anatha: Our Lord has come!

And this begins to get at the heart of what it means for Jesus to be king of your Christmas. It means understanding his story and the story of Israel so that you can grasp the first story of Christmas. By delving into this original story of Christmas, you begin to remember what Christmas is all about, and thus you can prepare and anticipate properly. Christmas is not about celebrating a day, but an event.

But more then that, it’s celebrating and remembering the one who caused the event, and the one about whom the event is about: the God of Israel who becomes King through Jesus. Christmas is the beginning of the reign of God through Jesus in the world. That’s what we are celebrating: the genesis of the kingdom of God where Jesus becomes Lord and Christ and establishes the church through whom he will be present in the world.

No wonder we need words like Hosanna and Maranatha at Christmas.

Reflect: In your life today, how would you say the words “Hosanna” and “Maranatha”? Try writing down a prayer to Jesus expressing what is on your heart today.

Source: anchor community church