Eagerly Awaiting

There may never be a time in our adult life that compares with our excitement on some Christmas Eve of our youth. Our eager waiting was probably so great that our gift the next morning was a let-down. However those of us who eagerly wait for the Lord will not have a let-down when the gift arrives. We believe that everything God has for us will be more wonderful and exciting than anything we have ever imagined. 

Unlike this world everything we receive will only continue to become more exciting. This is why every Christian looks forward to the day we leave this world. We are sometimes accused of fatalism but that is completely wrong. Believers are not looking for inescapable disaster but for inescapable bliss. When most Christians leave this world they have an unexplainable smile on their face. Jesus puts this smile into our hearts. 

We have received many gifts from the Lord. Here are two of them: He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him. Heb 9:28 (NLT). It’s true that our sins have already been dealt with but we are eagerly waiting for our final salvation. Peter spoke of it: …until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:5 (NLT). 

Christians have a future that is full of excitement. Peter also tells us: Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance … 1 Peter 1:3 (NLT). It is priceless for many important reasons but the simple truth is that we can really be excited as we wait for it. Yes! We can let our excitement rise as far as possible because there is no-way we will ever be disappointed. It is good to have a great God.

Living in this world as a Christian is the beginning of our excitement. Paul said: What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle… Gal 6:15-16 (NLT). Sometimes people will ask what our life is about. The true Christian is a person that has been transformed into a new creature. These people are eagerly waiting for the Lord to return.

A new creature has risen out of the death of our old nature. This is why we rejoice when a person is raised up out of the water. The Bible says: Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. Romans 6:4-5 (NLT). Our new life is eagerly waiting for its full expression. 

Born again people are so excited that they invite others to join them. The Bible says: The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires, drink freely from the water of life. Rev 22:17 (NLT). We should be eager to tell thirsty people “you may drink FREELY”. This is why we are happy to wait.

Our Family Tree

People are usually proud of their family “tree” but other people would just as soon not mention theirs. One of the wonderful things that we inherit as a Christian, is a family tree that is full of righteous people. For example, after we are saved, all the amazing people listed in Hebrews chapter eleven become part of our family. How exciting to know that Moses is now one of our kinfolks. Everyone can now have a new family if they want one. 

This “new family” became possible after Jesus gave His life to set in motion God’s new covenant. The Bible says: For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. Eph 2:14 (NLT). When Jesus united the Jews and the Gentiles all Christians inherited part of the Hebrew family. This is legal because we are in Christ who is a Jew.

Joining as part of the old family, means that we only inherit the righteous people that had faith in God. Paul said: There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. Gal 3:28-29 (NLT). The new family of faith has their roots in righteousness. 

The beginning of God’s new family is Jesus, the second Adam who was created in the womb of Mary. This family created by the life and death of Jesus is a combination of Old Testament believers and the new. The old people were a people of works and the new members are of “Grace”. Several Old Testament prophets told people that the Messiah would come to earth as a righteous branch from David’s royal family. 

The prophet Isaiah, in about 725 BC, said that from the old royal family of David would grow a new family. The Scripture says: Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. Isaiah 11:1 (NLT). One hundred years later the prophet Jeremiah said: Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. Jer 23:5 (KJV).

Then about 500 years before Jesus was born another prophet said: Here is the man called the Branch. He will branch out from where he is and build the Temple of the Lord. Zech 6:12 (NLT). These three famous prophets never met each other but they all spoke about the righteous branch of King David’s family that would rule in Jerusalem some day. What a privilege to become a member of the family of Jesus.

The eternal family of God is being built today. Many of us humans have trouble understanding the strength and beauty of joining this family tree. The Bible says:  So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. Heb 2:11 (NLT). Wow! What a great “big brother” every Christian has. No matter how small of a person we are, Jesus is not ashamed of us. 

Jesus died for everyone in His family tree. Abraham was saved by his faith and the Bible says we have the same opportunity. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. Romans 4:23-25 (NLT). Our big Brother is alive today and we can belong to God’s family if we believe enough to live our life in faith. 

It is difficult for some people to believe that God wants a family to live with him forever. But the Bible says: Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. Eph 1:4-5 (NLT). We must accept the fact that through Jesus Christ our life can become a part of God’s family. Learning to live a righteous life is getting us ready for the royal family of Heaven. 

Jesus has brought the saved Gentiles into the righteous part of Abraham’s family. As a Christian our family tree now includes all righteous Jews. To deny our Jewish roots is to deny Jesus the greatest Jew that ever lived. Abraham’s family was chosen to teach us many different things but bringing forth the Savior of the World is their greatest triumph. The new covenant is God’s way to bring all believers together into His family.