For millions of people, the Christmas season means nothing more than parties, gifts, decorations, and time off work. For Christians this time of year is a happy reminder of the hope we have because of Jesus Christ.
"May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you." (Psalm 33-22, NIV) Before Jesus came, God seemed distant, hidden in the Holy of Holies in the temple, accessible only to the high priest. Worshipers wondered whether their sacrifices were acceptable. They doubted their salvation.
Christ means hope—to the person out of work, to the struggling single mother, to the dying believer. Even if you're just slogging your way through the disappointments of life, if you have Jesus, you have hope. And he is not a false hope, a childish fairy tale that we wish will have a happy ending. When Christ rose from the dead, that ended the argument. Period. Our hope in him is solid and it is real.
Hope has to do with trust and confidence. It is the resting of the human heart on God, with full trust that he will care for us and our salvation, and will give us the happiness he has promised. It is an eager expectation and anticipation of what is sure to come—an active, faith-infused waiting for God to fulfill that which he started by the power of the Holy Spirit:
And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:23–25, ESV)
God wants us to live with hope and assurance that all his promises will come true for us and that our future is firmly and safely secure in his hand for our good.
Christmas is a renewal of hope. It reconfirms it for us if our vision has grown dim. It was settled long ago, so we don't have to doubt anymore. Jesus is the fulfillment of our hope, our deepest longings come true
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