"...while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads." Clement Clarke Moore's words capture so succinctly the anticipation that children. especially, feel about Christmas. Anticipation for Christmas dates back over 2,000 years to a small corner of the Roman Empire, where many of God's people, the Jews, eagerly awaited the appearing of their Messiah. Why there was so much anticipation back then and what we can anticipate today as a result of the first Christmas will be our theme in this message.