family from destruction. After the flood sin again covered the world and Noah was disillusioned. Abraham had a "Christmas stock ing" in the promise, "In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." He eagerly looked forward to a son. He even tried to force God with the result of Ishmael who became a wild man. When Isaac was born he looked upon the child as God's gift who would take away the reproach of sin. Moses reached in his "stocking" to discover the Law and later the Tabernacle. Instead of making man right, as Moses had hoped would happen, it simply pointed out how perfect God was in the sight of man's imperfections. Moses dis covered that the offerings of blood from bulls and goats could never make us perfect. The "stocking" David was given was brought by Samuel. He had been looking for a king and the shepherd boy was God's choice. Later in life we find David as a warrior and a murderer. Somehow that kingdom in his stocking faded away. Isaiah's stocking contained one of the world's most precious prom ises, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Im- manuel"( 7:14). He looked forward to the day when a Child would be born of a virgin as a sign of God's love for His people. He nev er lived to see that day with his own eyes. Micah likewise had a "stocking" with a promise in it. He was told of the very place where the coming Messiah would be born. What a tremendous rev elation! God was to move into the
flow of human history in that little town of Bethlehem. Zechariah looked forward to the day when his "stocking" would be filled with the fruit of the branch of the temple of the Lord, built in its beauty and glory. All of these Old Testament saints had hoped that Christmas would mean even more to them. Somehow they met with disappointment. They never lived to realize the fulfillment of their dreams. In the New Testament, follow ing the 400 years of silence and darkness, there was in the days of Herod the King, a certain priest named Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth. God had not forgotten. He brought these two together in holy wedlock. He wanted to assure mankind that He had not forgotten His oath. There was an empty "stocking" which needed to be filled. In the process of time there was a baby born of the two whose name was John. He was the fore runner of Jesus who would one day proclaim, "Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world." What a great day for this family. The name "John" means "Jehovah is gracious." As I look back over these Old Testament saints, I can see how each one of them had a hope in that "stocking" of eternal life. Many were disillusioned. But then God came and moved into history the Person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1). Now I do not come to the Lord after a long night of darkness but rather in the dawn of His grace. There I see in the person of Jesus Christ my stocking of life filled with God incarnate. He wants to deliver me from sin. He has a holy plan for my life. I see my name on
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