Langata Rd, Opposite Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, Kenya.
The Christmas hope is not a flimsy hope dependent on the sparkle (or lack thereof) in our current circumstances; instead, it is a hope grounded in the assurance of a Savior who came, dwelt among us, redeemed us from sin, and who will come again to make all things new.
It was believed that Jesus would come and rescue them from hopelessness. That's why it's so important that we take the inspiration we find in the first Christmas story and help people find hope wherever they are. That first Christmas was a declaration of the good news for everyone.
Christmas is a time when Christians remember that Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men were very real people dealing with a very real world that had lost its sense of hope. One was a refugee escaping a terrible king who wanted to kill her unborn baby. Another was out in a field with his co-workers when an angel appeared and told them all to go see the newborn baby who would bring them new hope.
Every year, many people all over the world celebrate Christmas in a way that is meaningful to them. Nowadays this often includes putting up decorations, sharing a meal with others, and exchanging presents kept under a sparkling Christmas tree. Christmas is renowned to be a season of celebration and cheer, but it can also be a really tough time for some people too. It’s a time where loneliness and loss are felt deeply by those who are surrounded by family and friends—when those who don’t have a roof over their head or a warm meal in their stomachs feel that sense or lack more than ever.
I am persuaded that the language of hope is on our lips so much because we live in a world where hope seems temporary or is often dashed. In our work, in our families, as citizens, and in our own personal lives we all deal with so much broken hope. It’s not unusual for the thing in which we willingly placed our hope to fail us. In fact, we get to the place where we’re afraid to hope anymore because we’re sure we’ll be disappointed once again. But we can’t stop hoping, because God created our lives to be propelled and directed by hope, and He meant our capacity for hope to drive us to Him.
Here’s the best way to put it: the Christmas story reminds us that hope will never be found if you look horizontally. True hope is found only when you look for it vertically. It’s not enough to say that God gives us hope. What the Christmas story declares to us is that God is hope. And that hope is attached to two glorious aspects of His character:
It is the holiness of God that causes Him to be angrily intolerant of sin. Now, I want you to think about God’s anger. You could argue that God’s anger is the hope of the universe. If God weren’t angry about sin, there would have been no cross and no hope of salvation for sinners. You would not want to live in a world where the one ruling the world was incapable of righteous anger. God’s anger with sin is a product of His holiness.
If you look and listen carefully, this season will remind you where true hope is to be found.
Because He is bountiful in love, God’s anger with sin didn’t cause Him to wipe out sinful humanity forever, but to lovingly gift us with His Son to provide rescue, forgiveness, transformation, and ultimately deliverance. Jesus came to die, and it is on the cross of His death that the Father’s holy anger and His bountiful love meet in a violent moment of righteous judgment and gracious redemption. God is our only source for steady, unshakeable, eternal hope. His holiness is our hope. His love is our hope. He is angry at what is destroying us, and in love He rescues us. The Christmas story preaches to us both the holiness and the love of God.
To the characters of Christmas, the season was not just about sharing presents and eating nice food, but about remembering what brings them hope. You can cancel a party, but you can never cancel hope.
Jesus Christ came to rescue, to save, to heal, and to make mankind right with God.
Isaiah 61:1
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”
Luke 4:17–19
“And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
‘The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.’”
That was cause for great joy!
We find ourselves in an era of considerable uncertainty and anxiety—with global impact, ongoing conflicts within and between nations, political disturbances in select countries, and economic hardships resulting in the deprivation of fundamental necessities like food, shelter, and healthcare for the children of our Heavenly Father.
Even in our personal family lives, individuals are treading through darkness, seeking a guiding light to illuminate their path.
Amid these challenges, hope still endures in the world. Our motivation lies in the Savior and in His redemptive sacrifice.
When we consider the significance of the birth of Christ, we are inspired to share inspired messages about Him, which bring life, hope, and joy.
So, when Jesus proclaimed in John 8:12 that He was the “light of the world,” He proclaimed that He was God—the source of all light and life—and He also proclaimed how we can have light: by following Him and living like Him in the world (Matthew 5:14–16), rather than living in darkness and sin.
Matthew 5:14–16
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
This is the light that quickens our understanding. It is the light by which we may judge. It is given to every man, that he may know good from evil.
Jesus Christ is the light of the world because His example and His teachings illuminate the path we should walk to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven. Before Jesus was born, Zacharias prophesied that the Lord God of Israel would visit His people:
“…to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide their feet into the way of peace.”
Zechariah reveals Jesus through various prophecies that speak of His coming very specifically—more than five hundred years before He was born. Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey is one of those prophecies.
Although some of us may feel lonely or isolated, it is important for us to remember the hope that Jesus Christ brings. The incarnation—God becoming a man—is the very reason why we have hope. Without Jesus Christ, we have no hope and only death to look forward to.
1 Thessalonians 4:14–15
“I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me.”
But for those of us who are in Christ Jesus, we are no longer hopeless!
1 Peter 1:3
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
1 Corinthians 1:3
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Titus 1:1–2
“Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Saviour.”
1 Timothy 1:1
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope.”
The Savior’s birth taught us another important doctrine: that we should be one—irrespective of color, tribe, and other minor differences. We should be one in faith and doctrine.
Life would be boring if we all looked, thought, believed, or behaved in the exact same manner. Diversity can strengthen us, even when we view it as a problem. Yes, it can be difficult to handle diversity of thought and faith, but when viewed in a different light, it can actually reinforce our personal beliefs. The scriptures teach us to appreciate diversity and recognize our similarities as humans. The Lord commands us to love one another, despite our differences.
1 Peter 1:22
“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.”
May God bless us all with the fortitude to strengthen our hope in Jesus Christ.
I bear witness that He is our Savior and Redeemer, the light and the life of the world.