Have you ever found yourself waiting for something you were told has already arrived? Maybe it’s a package you were tracking, only to realize it was delivered hours ago and sitting by the door. Or a promise of peace and joy that still feels out of reach, even though Christmas declares it’s already here.

Many of us live with this tension, especially during the holidays. We sing about the arrival of the King—Jesus, the Savior who brings peace on earth—yet our circumstances often feel more like chaos than calm. It’s not just global unrest or political polarization. For many, it’s deeply personal: the unresolved prayers, the unmet needs, the unanswered “why.”

John the Baptist, who announced Jesus as the Lamb of God, knew this feeling well. By the time we meet him in Matthew 11, he’s in prison, questioning everything he thought he knew about the Messiah. He sends a message to Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Jesus responds by pointing to what’s already happening: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the dead are raised, and the poor hear good news. But He also leaves something unsaid—justice for the wicked and deliverance from oppression. That part is “not yet.”

What does that mean for us?

1. Don’t Miss the Already
   It’s easy to fixate on what God hasn’t done and overlook what He has. Jesus’ response to John reminds us to lift our eyes to the miracles we have seen. Maybe it’s the friend whose life was transformed by grace, the moment of peace in a storm, or the way God’s presence carried you when you couldn’t carry yourself. Gratitude shifts our perspective and helps us see the King’s work all around us.
2. Embrace the Not Yet
   Waiting is hard, but it’s not wasted. Advent teaches us to live in the tension between the promises fulfilled and the promises yet to come. Jesus invites us to trust Him with outcomes we can’t control, knowing that His timing is perfect—even when it feels slow.
3. Be the Messenger
   If you’ve experienced God’s goodness, you have a story worth sharing. Jesus told John’s disciples to report what they had seen and heard. Who in your life is waiting for hope, healing, or direction? Your story could be the reminder they need that the King has come, and He’s still at work.

This Christmas season, let’s refuse to live like peace hasn’t already come. The King is here. His work is ongoing. And the invitation to join Him is as fresh today as it was that first Christmas night.

Reflection Questions

1. What “already” moments of God’s goodness have you experienced that can remind you of His faithfulness today?
2. Where are you struggling to trust Jesus with the “not yet” in your life?
3. Who in your life needs to hear the good news of what you’ve seen and heard about Jesus? How can you share it this week?

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