My wife and I were returning from holidays toward the end of one November. As we reached our own our suburb we heard excited cries from the back seat: "It’s Christmas! It’s Christmas! Hooray it’s Christmas! Look dad, it’s Christmas!" There were my preschool age daughters, eyes wide with wonder, beaming smiles, pointing to a house ablaze with Christmas lights. So we drove by, and I tell you, if you’ve seen the Griswald Family Christmas, this was a repeat. There was hardly a blank spot on the walls or roof. The entire house was covered with Christmas lights.
But what were we to tell our daughters. It was still only the end of November. We had to explain that while the lights meant Christmas time was approaching, Christmas day was still 40 sleeps away. And to preschoolers, 40 sleeps might as well be 40,000 sleeps.
Similarly Christ’s coming at the first Christmas was the signal that God’s kingdom was coming. It’s still not here in it’s fullness, and to our time scale it’s seems an eternity since he promised his return. But though it may be many sleeps away the signs are there. It is coming.
Source: Scott Higgins
Applications: Christ's return, second coming, eschatology, kingdom of God, hope, Christmas