I can hardly wait! In these days leading up to Christmas, a child’s anticipation bubbles over and makes it hard for them to concentrate on anything else. They long for time to go by quickly because they know the wonder yet to come. It’s an early experience of an earthly reality—waiting.

I can hardly wait! Adam and Eve must have uttered these words in the early days of humanity. With the birth of each of their many children, I can imagine them wondering each time if this would be the one who was promised. In reality, they wouldn’t see the fulfillment with their own eyes, but they would cling in faith to that first gospel promise of a Savior. It would be worth waiting for.

I can hardly wait! As generations of Israelites came and went, they passed on the continued prophecies that foretold the offspring of Eve who was yet to come and clung tightly in hopeful anticipation to the details revealed to them. Maybe this would be the year the wait would be over.

I can hardly wait! We know the story of his first coming so well that we can practically picture the scene in our minds: the baby Jesus in the manger with the virgin Mary on one side and Joseph standing guard. The little family surrounded by various barn animals who look on, mildly curious and only slightly put off by the intrusion—or is that joy on their faces that their Creator would pick their home for his birth? The shepherds who have just raced down from their posts, perhaps still slightly out of breath and surrounded by a few of their flock that could keep up with them. They stand in awe and wonder if the events of this night could ever be truly expressed. The mysterious light from the sky illuminates the scene, and we agree with those first witnesses to the Word made flesh that this was worth the wait.

I can hardly wait! Are you as tired as I am from living under the curse of sin? Day after day, there’s a battle raging inside of us to do the good we want to do versus the sin we actually keep on doing! It’s exhausting and extremely frustrating. Then there are our relationships and experiences of living in a sinful world that hates God and everything he stands for. “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus” (Revelation 12:17). Thankfully the promise of hope given to Adam and Eve was also meant for us because if God had not intervened in that very moment in the garden, we would still be friends with Satan now. Can you imagine? While we still have battles to fight here on earth, we have an inner peace knowing that our relationship has been made right with God through Jesus. Our anticipation of finally being set free from the curse of sin and the dream of walking in the garden with God like Adam and Eve did before the fall will happen. Hold fast! He is coming! I can hardly wait!