By Doug Redford
Now that Christmas Day has passed, it”s time to move from thinking about giving gifts to the matter of returning them. Many of us will need to spend some time during the upcoming week returning a Christmas gift that happened to be the wrong size, color, or style. Stores usually offer tips to keep in mind when returning a gift, including: keep all the tags and original packing when giving and opening gifts (especially electronics, computers, appliances, and games), keep receipts, and check the time limit on returns (some stores limit returns to 30 days after a purchase).
Let”s consider for a moment the real gift of Christmas””Jesus. There”s nothing wrong, inferior, or inadequate about this gift that makes it necessary for us to return it. Jesus is just what we sinners need””the perfect gift, a Savior who is Christ the Lord, as the angel announced on the night of his birth (Luke 2:11). Of course, some do not acknowledge their need for such a gift. Even when the gift was among us, some refused to accept him (John 1:11) and looked upon him as more of a nuisance and a threat.
With Jesus, however, we are confronted with another detail that distinguishes this gift from others: the gift himself is going to return. This is a promise that, according to Paul, we should keep in mind whenever we observe the Lord”s Supper: “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord”s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
As we prepare to welcome 2011, the subject of the return of Jesus should provide time for some serious reflection. Will 2011 be, literally, ad or anno domini, “the year of our Lord,” the year of Jesus” return? Certainly no one knows the time of this event, as Jesus clearly taught (Matthew 24:36). But it is somewhat ironic that we tend to spend, as Christians, much more time observing Jesus” birth (which Jesus did not really encourage us to do) than we do in calling attention to his eventual return (which he frequently, along with the New Testament writers, encouraged us to do).
At the Communion table, we have an opportunity every Lord”s Day to remember the gift”s promised return. Each time we take Communion could be, for us, the “last supper”””at least upon this earth, before we leave this world in preparation for the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). Until then, let”s not forget that there is a “time limit” on the gift”s return. Each passing day brings us one day closer to the day.
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Doug Redford is professor of biblical studies at Cincinnati (Ohio) Christian University.
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