At this time of year, it is normal to look back on the year that is ending, and to look forward to the year that is beginning. In one sense this is somewhat artificial as we could do it at any moment, not only at the turn of the year. At the same time it is quite natural; we cannot escape the fact that we human beings are creatures of time. We have a history: a beginning and an end, a past, a present and a future.
So, some write Christmas letters recording what the family has done in the year just ending, while others make New Year resolutions setting out what they aim to do in the year ahead. Time magazine traditionally elects its ‘Person of the Year’, while the media are busy reviewing ‘the year that was’ and previewing ‘the year to come’.
Christians have good reason to look both back and forward. Indeed, the Bible encourages us to do both: to look back on what God has done already and to look ahead to what he is going to do – all according to what he has promised. In particular, we live between the two ‘appearings’ of Christ, and we are to keep them both in view. He has ‘appeared’ once already: “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people”. And he will ‘appear’ again: “we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ” (see Titus 2:11-14). If we think his first coming was good – and it was – just imagine what his second will be like!