Hope
Hope. The Bible tells us it anchors the soul. But we have to ask: what is the hope that will keep our soul-ship from sailing away? What do we hope in when it comes to Christmas?
When it comes to our spiritual state, Jesus is actually our only hope. When everything broke in the Garden of Eden, God spoke of the hope of One to come who would crush the separation, the death, the sin that kept us from God. God has always given us a hope of light in the darkness, of oak trees from tiny seeds, of life from death. He made promises of hope that were fulfilled in Jesus Himself.
When the angel came to Joseph, to encourage him to stand by Mary in her pregnancy that was clearly NOT with Joseph, he says this, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
He will save his people from their sins. And that is what He has done. So we have hope. Hope that we are freed from the impossible price of paying for our sins.
And we can also celebrate a future hope because of Jesus. That one day, the first things will be done, and the last things will come. I turn to the last pages of my Bible often to anchor my soul in the future hope of this coming reality, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” - Revelation 21: 3-5
So today, whatever battle you are fighting, whatever disease follows you around, whatever tantrum your toddler is having: we have hope. We hope in what has come through Jesus (freedom from sin) and what will come in Him ( freedom from pain, death, crying, tantrums, disease, sickness, yelling, abuse, Crohn’s disease, fear—EVERYTHING CRAPPY). Here’s to Hope this season!