At Christmas we have great reason to hope! John 1:1 proclaims that, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” John 1:14 goes on to say that, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The Word is Jesus, the living God!
When the prophet Isaiah foretold of the birth of Christ, a new hope was born. A hope that lives in us today! And after Jesus came in the flesh, he promised to return and take us to be with him, giving us eternal hope!
Many think the story of Jesus begins with Christmas, a babe born in a stable to a virgin. But we forget, or don’t realize, that Jesus is also referred to as the long-awaited Messiah, the promised one. In fact, the promise of Messiah goes all the way back to the fall (Genesis 3:15). From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible tells us a story of God’s redemptive plan to bring fallen man back into relationship with Himself, pivoting on the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Whereas the Old Testament looks toward the coming of the Messiah, the New Testament looks at the fulfillment of Messiah and how God’s plan is satisfied in Jesus. And as the story continues, the church looks forward to his imminent return when Jesus…the resurrected Messiah, will reconcile all things unto Himself.
The season of advent has always been connected to the promise of hope. This Christmas, I pray that you may truly rejoice and celebrate the greatest hope that the world has ever known!
