Hope

As Christmas is approaching this year, I have been thinking alot about the themes of advent candles.  Each of the four weeks leading up to advent represents love, joy, peace, and hope.  I've been pondering more about how Jesus is the fulfillment of each of those things.  

In His great love He left His throne in heaven, and was born as a man, so that He would one day take the punishment for our sins and die in our place.  

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

John 15:13

On the third day He rose again, defeating our sin and death, and because of that, He offers us peace.  We, the human race, who has been rebelling against God since the Garden, can now have peace with God Himself, because of God's own gift of love in sending Christ.  

For He Himself is our peace. 

Ephesians 2:14a

Isn't there such joy in knowing we can be reconciled to God?  That is the greatest joy there is, and a deeper joy that can last through even hardship and pain.

 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Romans 5:10-11

...for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10b

And finally hope.  This is the one that means the most for me this year.  When we don't view things with an eternal perspective, it's easy to put our hope in the wrong things, isn't it?  We place our hope in human leaders, we want our governments to take care of us, or we hope in law to protect us from our government.  We hope in a well-cushioned bank account, or a promotion, or good insurance.  We hope in people, expecting them to be there for us, forgetting that fallen humans will inevitably let us down.

We forget that our biggest problem, the root of all the other problems, has been solved in a Person.  

Since the beginning, God has been offering us true hope.  Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate that fruit, and all seemed lost forever because God told them they would surely die - but right at the most tragic moment in history, the moment that would lead to all other tragedies, God didn't leave them without a hope.  Right when despair seemed the only response, He gave them a glimmer of what was to come, a hint of hope to hold on to down through the ages.  Matthew Henry notes that "no sooner was the wound given than the remedy was provided and revealed."   In Genesis 3:15, God says to the serpent:

"And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”

The cross references for this passage are so interesting and uplifting, and they point us to their fulfillment in Christ.  

 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,  and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Hebrews 2:14-15

Through His death and resurrection, He sets us free.

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,  to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Galatians 4:4-5

He, the Seed that is born of a woman, referenced in Genesis - He redeems us and adopts us as His children forever.  

Do you see the joy?  

"Let us rejoice then in the swift mercies of God." - Spurgeon   

Humanity deserved swift judgement the moment we fell, but God instead offered us swift mercy, a Hope to look to, one that those of us on the other side of the cross can see fulfilled in Christ Himself.

But God still leaves us hope to look forward to now, in these ages of waiting, doesn't He?

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5:1-2

 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,  of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,  the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:24-27

 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,  teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,  looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Titus 2:11-14

In Christ we have the hope of glory, the hope that someday whether through death or His coming, we will be with Him.  We have hope for a future when He will come again, when He will deliver creation itself from the corruption we brought upon it, when the redeemed will see His face and He will wipe away every tear from our eyes (Rev. 21:4).  And so now, in the waiting for that someday, we must turn our eyes to Him alone, the only Hope, Jesus our Savior.  Everything else will fail, but His promises to us in His word, never will. 

If your joy is stale this Christmas, let His joy be your strength.  If you are lacking peace, turn off the news for a bit and remember that if you trust in Christ alone for your salvation, you already have peace, between you and God Himself, that the world can't shake.  If things seem hopeless, broaden your lens a bit and remember that He fulfilled the hope He gave to Adam and Eve in His first coming, and He will fulfill the hopes for His second coming in His good time.  And as you remember His great love and mercy that He has shown to us in the promise of Christ, including His birth which we celebrate now, may you reflect some of His love back to your family and friends this season.

I wish you a truly Merry Christmas, friends, this year and always!