Christmas Hope
With Christmas just weeks away, we all have our hopes for Christmas. Recently, I have seen posts on social media with hope for a cure for cancer. Yes, we all have been touched by cancer in some way and know how deadly it can be, and we do hope for miracles. Then, there are mothers and fathers hoping that Christmas will be special for all their children, and children are making lists hoping for something on their lists to be under the tree Christmas morning. Oh! The expectation as we wait and hope this Christmas season!
As we hope, we have to have faith in something. As the cancer patient waits for the results of last round of tests, they have hope in the treatment and doctors. As parents hope for a joyous Christmas with family, they place their hope on love; a love that will bring them all together to celebrate the season. Children place their hope on their parents to place that special gift under the tree. Or, some children place their hope on Santa. To have hope, there has to be faith in doctors, treatments, parents, spouses, or children. However, doctors and treatments may not bring healing, parents may not get you that special gift, children may come with bitterness instead of love, or all hope fails. It is good to place faith in one another, but we must realize that we all fail at times. Now, there is a hope that never fails. The true hope of Christmas, Jesus.
Many Jews waited for years for the coming of the Messiah. They hoped the Messiah would come and overthrow the Roman Empire. Their hope was centered on what would make life better for them and not the hope of life through the Messiah. They didn't expect a baby boy who was born in a stable in Bethlehem nor the poor son of a carpenter. They expected regal majesty, but Jesus came as the sacrificial lamb who came to die for our sins and give us hope for eternal life through his resurrection. This is Christmas hope.
"For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man sees, why does he hope for it? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it?" Romans 8:24, 25
Hope is something you desire but just can't touch it, feel it, or see it. As Paul wrote, "if you have it, you will not hope for it, but as we hope for what we don't see, we wait for it with patience." Never the less, Paul was not writing about our selfish desires. He was writing about Christmas Hope, Jesus. Yes, we are saved by hope and faith. You see, hope and faith are a pair that fit together. When you have hope, you have faith in someone. Christmas Hope is the baby born in the manger, who died for our sins, so we can have hope for eternal life with Jesus Christ our Savior.
Christmas Hope is "being justified by faith, so we can have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:1,2
As we hope, we have to have faith in something. As the cancer patient waits for the results of last round of tests, they have hope in the treatment and doctors. As parents hope for a joyous Christmas with family, they place their hope on love; a love that will bring them all together to celebrate the season. Children place their hope on their parents to place that special gift under the tree. Or, some children place their hope on Santa. To have hope, there has to be faith in doctors, treatments, parents, spouses, or children. However, doctors and treatments may not bring healing, parents may not get you that special gift, children may come with bitterness instead of love, or all hope fails. It is good to place faith in one another, but we must realize that we all fail at times. Now, there is a hope that never fails. The true hope of Christmas, Jesus.
Many Jews waited for years for the coming of the Messiah. They hoped the Messiah would come and overthrow the Roman Empire. Their hope was centered on what would make life better for them and not the hope of life through the Messiah. They didn't expect a baby boy who was born in a stable in Bethlehem nor the poor son of a carpenter. They expected regal majesty, but Jesus came as the sacrificial lamb who came to die for our sins and give us hope for eternal life through his resurrection. This is Christmas hope.
"For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man sees, why does he hope for it? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it?" Romans 8:24, 25
Hope is something you desire but just can't touch it, feel it, or see it. As Paul wrote, "if you have it, you will not hope for it, but as we hope for what we don't see, we wait for it with patience." Never the less, Paul was not writing about our selfish desires. He was writing about Christmas Hope, Jesus. Yes, we are saved by hope and faith. You see, hope and faith are a pair that fit together. When you have hope, you have faith in someone. Christmas Hope is the baby born in the manger, who died for our sins, so we can have hope for eternal life with Jesus Christ our Savior.
Christmas Hope is "being justified by faith, so we can have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:1,2
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