1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. (NKJV).

Christmas will be here in a few short weeks! It’s the time we remember and celebrate – rightly so – the coming to earth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for the first time. It is right that we get excited and celebrate wholeheartedly this history breaking event. It is right that we remember all that His coming to earth means: salvation, redemption, forgiveness, purpose, destiny, eternity!

Our text for this “Brief Word” is most often associated with communion. But there’s a message I would like us to think about this Christmas, as we celebrate the first coming of our Saviour. It is that He, Christ, is coming again a second time! He is coming again, this time as King and Messiah!

So Paul says; 1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. (NKJV). When we celebrate communion (and, as we celebrate another Christmas), lets celebrate that He is coming again! Communion means we are proclaiming, declaring, heralding, speaking forth, telling again, that He came the first time to the Cross, we are proclaiming His sacrificial death, we are proclaiming His love for us, we are proclaiming His offer of forgiveness, we are proclaiming His dying in our place – all that the Cross means! But also we celebrate that He is coming again!

“You proclaim” involves the personal application of the meaning of the Lord’s death, (His first coming) in the believer’s life. I believe the second coming of Christ can really only be fully understood when we appropriate properly His first coming. When we learn to drive a car, we must go from first gear, to second gear, to third and so on. We don’t go straight into second gear!

I was at a business diner at the weekend, and one man across the table from me was fairly inebriated! Our food was slow in coming, and when someone tried to reassure him it is coming, he said “Jesus is coming”. How true he is! It’s interesting how at times like this when the people are loosened by liquor, that they speak the truth!

Friends, He is coming again! Are we ready for that event? We best prepare ourselves by appropriating the blessing and the grace and the Salvation and forgiveness offered at the Cross, His first coming. In other words, do you know Him? Are your sins forgiven? The power of His first coming in our lives ensures us we’re prepared for His second!

I will never forget the familiar words spoken near the end of every message (usually lengthy but absolutely riveting) by the late Barry Smith. He spoke about world events and about the second coming of Jesus. He would read from: 1Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (NKJV). After those words and the many preceding, people would flock to the front and give their lives to Christ, and began their life-long walk of faith and purpose with Christ.

Paul says in: Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. (NKJV). We don’t belong here! This is not our world! We are just ambassadors here for a short time. Let’s not get caught up in the hype, the materialism, and image driven society in which we live, especially at this Christmas time. Let’s be in this world but not part of it. Because the King, He who ultimately rules this and all worlds, is coming soon to take us home! Hallelujah! Wow, that is good news!

So lets with thankfulness and worship, “proclaim” His death, until He comes! This Christmas, let’s pause, remember and celebrate all that it means for His FIRST coming. But also lets wait with anticipation, work with faithfulness, and watch in readiness and hope of His SECOND glorious coming!