Are You Ready for Christmas?

Look at that! (Show the calendar.) There are only [number of days] until Christmas! Are you ready? That’s a question we hear quite often these days, isn't it? What do people mean when they ask if you’re ready for Christmas? (Pause for responses.) 

They might wonder what you need to do to be ready. So what do you need to do to be ready for Christmas? (Pause.) But what I wonder is, are you ready for Christ?

In our Bible lesson today, we hear the voice of John the Baptist crying out to the people, "Prepare the way for the Lord. Fill in the valleys and level off all the mountains. Make the crooked roads straight and the rough places smooth." 

Do you think John the Baptist really wanted the people to work on the roads? (Pause.) What John really wanted was for the people to get ready for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He was telling people to get their hearts right and return to God. 

No matter how good people may think they are, there are always some crooked ways and rough places in their lives. There are things such as dishonesty, selfishness, pride, jealousy, and many more. John wanted the people to make those crooked ways straight in preparation for Jesus’ coming.

During the Christmas season, we, too, can prepare by looking at our hearts and smoothing out rough places like dishonesty and selfishness. And the good news is, God will help us. Let's ask Him to do that right now.

Dear Father, we want to be ready for You. Make our crooked ways straight and our rough places smooth. In Jesus’ name, amen.