Saturday Song: Carly Simon, "Anticipation"

What do you anticipate? For me, there are plenty of things I hope for. The chief event on my bucket list is Christ's glorious return.

Carly Simon sang about the anticipation of being with her lover. Check the song out here:

This season celebrates the arrival of the Messiah. For millennia, the descendents of Israel yearned for the saviour. This video, From the Beginning to Christ, shows how it was always God's intent to save fallen humanity. Once people realize this fact, the Bible makes so much more sense.

Luke's gospel shows just how poignant the anticipation was in first-century Israel. Shepherds were the first to find out about Christ's birth. The Bible in Basic English renders Luke 2:15-17 this way. "And when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the keepers of the sheep said to one another, "Let us go now to Beth-lehem, and see this thing which has come about, which the Lord has made clear to us.' And they came quickly, and saw Mary and Joseph, and the child in the place where the cattle had their food. And when they saw it, they gave them an account of the things which had been said to them about the child."

One man whom the Holy Spirit informed knew that he wouldn't die until the Messiah came. Luke 2:27-32 (BBE) tells of Simon's encounter with the Christ child. "And full of the Spirit he came into the Temple; and when the father and mother came in with the child Jesus, to do with him what was ordered by the law, Then he took him in his arms and gave praise to God and said,' 'Now you are letting your servant go in peace, O Lord, as you have said; For my eyes have seen your salvation, Which you have made ready before the face of all nations; A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.'"

And showing God's awesome grace, some gentiles also received knowledge of Christ's birth. Matthew 2:1 and 2 (BBE) recalls, "Now when the birth of Jesus took place in Beth-lehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the king, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, 'Where is the King of the Jews whose birth has now taken place? We have seen his star in the east and have come to give him worship.'"

Through these verses alone, we can tell that our Father is gracious. The lowly shepherds, faithful Jews, and gentile seekers all were informed of this anticipated fulfilment of that ancient promise.

And if the promise of Christ's second coming hasn't happened by Monday, I hope to post about Lordship Salvation and what it means.