Christmas is coming? I sure do wish it was here already

Do you recall waiting for Christmas as a child? The tree stood, lights shimmered, and gifts, wrapped in shiny paper, beckoned. Days stretched, excitement grew, and the waiting felt unbearable.

Imagine waiting without the lights, music, gifts, or festivities. Hearing “the day is coming” repeatedly, yet sitting in darkness, unsure if the celebration will ever come. This is where God’s people were during the days of Jeremiah and where many of us are today as we wrestle with uncertainty.

The Lord calls out over and over again through the prophet Jeremiah “The days are coming.” A promise, a light on the horizon. God’s voice cuts through the silence, saying, “I haven’t forgotten you. Hold on. Hope is not lost.

The days are coming…I sure wish they’d get here already.

Trusting in God’s Promises

Jeremiah assures God’s people 15 times, “the days are coming.” At Jeremiah 33:14, the Lord declares, “The days are coming when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.” Despite Judah and Israel’s darkest hours in exile, the Lord promises the days are coming.

The holiday season brings joy but also worry and sorrow. Expenses, travel, family stress, wars on two continents, economic uncertainty, job prospects, health scares, political dissension, and mourning loved ones all contribute to this mix of emotions. And yet the Lord’s promise remains, the days are coming….

Our Heavenly Father promises to know and care for us, as seen in Jeremiah 1:5, where He says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart.” Scripture repeatedly emphasizes this message: God knows and cares for us, with a specific plan for our lives. As seen in Jeremiah 29:11, He declares, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Notice that our Father promises the days are coming and a specific plan but he doesn’t promise an immediate fix. He doesn’t say, “Your problems will vanish tomorrow.” Instead, He asks Judah and Israel to trust in His plans—plans they may not fully understand but can rely on because He is faithful.

This is where we find ourselves. Jesus has already come at the first Christmas. But as you look around it is clear the Kingdom of God is not yet fully here. So we are in a season of waiting for fullness of God’s reign.

The days are coming but I sure wish they’d get here already.

Just as a kid it was easy to doubt if Christmas morning was ever going to come it is easy to doubt God’s promises. We wonder if He’s forgotten us, or if His plans are taking too long. But God’s timeline is not ours. Just as Christmas morning always comes, so too will the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Remember, the day is coming.

The Promise of the Righteous Branch

Jeremiah 33:15 continues: “In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.”

This prophecy points directly to Jesus. The “righteous Branch” is a provocative image of new life sprouting from what seemed dead. For the people of Judah, whose kingly line appeared to be cut off, this was a promise of restoration—a promise that God’s covenant with David was still alive.

Think about a tree in winter—bare branches against a gray sky, seemingly lifeless. Then, one spring morning, a green bud appears. Life emerges where you thought there was none. That’s what this promise meant for God’s people. And that’s what Jesus’ birth signifies: hope breaking into hopelessness, light piercing the darkness.

The promise of spring within the tree in winter requires active patience and waiting. The promise of the coming of the Kingdom of God requires active patience and waiting.Jeremiah spoke the beautiful words words, “the days are coming,” centuries before Jesus was born. The people had to hold on to hope, trusting that God’s timing was perfect—even when their circumstances said otherwise.

Point 3: The Struggle of Waiting

Let’s return to the image of waiting for Christmas as a child. Each day felt like forever but somehow was bearable because you could see, and hear, and taste, and feel the signs of the coming joy all around you. The tree was decorated, presents were placed under it, and the air smelled like cookies baking. You knew Christmas was near because you were actively participating in its coming.

Now imagine waiting without those signs. No tree, no lights, no whispers of Christmas morning. That’s how Judah felt in exile. They had promises, yes, but their reality felt barren. They couldn’t see how God’s words could possibly come true.

Doesn’t that describe us sometimes? We live in a world where brokenness often overshadows hope. We see wars, suffering, and injustice. In our personal lives, we face illness, grief, and seemingly unanswered prayers. Like the people of Judah, we wonder, How much longer, Lord?

But the days are coming and our lives as followers of Jesus are to be actively participating in the coming of the Kingdom As ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.

God is working and so are we. Just as our Father fulfilled His promise to send the Messiah, He will fulfill His promise to make all things new. The days are coming.

Jesus, Our Righteousness

Jeremiah 33:16 offers a vision of hope fulfilled: “In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord is our Righteousness.”

This promise finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. Through His life, death, resurrection, ascension, and second coming Jesus has become our righteousness—our hope. He saves us not just from external dangers but from the brokenness within us and hopelessness.

We don’t just look backward to Jesus’ first coming—we look forward to His return. We live between two Advents: the first, when Christ came as a baby in Bethlehem, and the second, when He will come as King to make all things new. This is the “already, but not yet” tension of our faith. Salvation has come, but its fullness is still ahead.

Just as Christmas morning always dawns, the day is dawning when Jesus will wipe every tear from our eyes, when justice and righteousness will reign, and when God’s promises will be fully realized.

Living in Hope

Your active participation in the waiting makes it bearable and shares glimpses into the Kingdom of God. How do we wait well in this in-between time?

1. Trust in God’s Faithfulness and see the signs: Just as God fulfilled His promise of the Messiah, He will fulfill His promise to make all things new. We may not see it yet, but we can trust His faithfulness. Look for Signs of His Kingdom: Even in the waiting, we see glimpses of God’s work—acts of kindness, moments of justice, and signs of love. These are the green buds on the barren branches, reminders that life is growing. You can choose to be a sign of the coming Kingdom.

2. Be a Light for Others: Advent calls us to reflect the light of Christ in a world that often feels dark. Icons are so beautiful because the perspective and the light are all wrong. The light seems to be coming from everywhere all at once. This is because it is the light of Christ that flows out of the saints you are seeing—in Jesus there is no darkness at all the day and the night are both alike.

Be an icon of Christ in this season and let his light shine out of your very pores. I know it is a busy season but while it is busy be present in the moment with people. Listen to them—really listen to them and then love them enough to be responsive to their needs. Pray for people….just keep a list in your bible or write their names on the mirror in your bathroom with dry erase marker as a visual reminder to pray for them.

The days are coming and people can see the day in you.

3. Rest in Jesus’ Righteousness: Remember the wonder and excitement you had as a kid marveling at Christmas decorations and preparations. Don’t lose your sense of wonder and excitement about Christmas coming. Marvel in the decorations and preparations. But be still and know the Lord is your God. Make the time to pray with family and friends. Make the time to read scripture. Make the time to be present on Sundays here with Jesus and just be.

Jesus is our righteousness and our salvation don’t let worry or busyness crowd out the wonder and excitement of what he is doing.

The Days Are Coming

As we journey through Advent, let the words of Jeremiah echo in your heart: “The days are coming.” The days are coming when every tear will be wiped away, every wrong will be made right, and the fullness of God’s kingdom will be realized.

Just as a child waits for Christmas morning with eager anticipation, we wait for the day when Jesus will return. And just as Christmas morning always comes, so too will the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Our waiting is not in vain. The days are coming. Jesus is coming. Hope is alive.

Amen.