The Anticipation of Christmas
CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 2021
DECEMBER 2021 - WAYNE ALCORN, ACC NATIONAL PRESIDENT
The countdown to Christmas always comes with growing excitement and expectation; and you can sense that there is great anticipation for Christmas 2021, following a year of unexpected challenges and hardship on many fronts.
Significantly, there was great anticipation for that very first Christmas. The Prophet Isaiah had foretold of the birth of Jesus around 750 years before His birth:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6
We are all looking for peace right now, in the midst of turbulent times. While 2020 brought with it the challenge of a global pandemic, it was incredibly uplifting to see people standing together in unity, encouraging and supporting each other. We ended that year with a sense of hope, and the assumption that 2021 would be a smooth path forward. However, things took an unexpected turn and sadly, this past year has been marked with divided opinions and tensions, bringing separation and segregation.
More than ever, there is a great longing for peace in an unstable world. The words of Isaiah bring comfort and assurance, reminding us that Jesus is the “Prince of Peace” – the one who calms the storm and quiets the raging voices.
Our prayer is that Christmas 2021 will be a time when people everywhere will embrace the presence, the person and the power of the Son of God; that every heart may experience the real Peace that is in Jesus Christ.
