“The King Who Came at Christmas Is Coming Again” December 24
Merry Christmas Eve!
Tonight and tomorrow, millions of people will think about a baby in a manger.
Angels.
Shepherds.
Bethlehem.
A star.
But what if Christmas is only the beginning of the story?
The baby born in Bethlehem is also the King who will one day return in power and glory.
And Revelation 14 gives us a very different picture from the quiet manger scene.
An angel proclaims the everlasting gospel.
Another announces the fall of Babylon.
A third gives a terrifying warning about worshiping the beast and receiving his mark.
Then comes a picture of judgment so severe that it is described as the great winepress of the wrath of God.
That raises an uncomfortable but important question:
How long can someone put off responding to Christ?
Is there another opportunity after death?
Can good works make up for rejecting the gospel?
Is there a place where sins can be paid for later?
Or does Scripture tell us that the decision we make about Christ in this life has eternal consequences?
As we celebrate His first coming, Revelation reminds us not to forget His second.
The Lamb who came to save sinners is also the King who will return.
And that makes Christmas far more than a sentimental story.
It makes the gospel urgently personal.
