Advent Hope.

Right at the beginning of 2019, I wrote about how the Lord had given me “Hope” as my word for the year. It’s amazing how often it has showed up in scriptures I’d never really given much thought to before, such as where Paul talks in Romans 4 about how “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of all nations.” (Romans 4: 18.) I also love Hebrews 6: 19, which says: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” And of course, there is the end of 1Corrinthians 13, which reminds us of that beautiful trio of faith, hope and love. How often is the middle word overlooked as we focus more on the faith and the love?

As I’ve studied, I’ve become increasingly aware of how important this little word is to the Lord, and therefore, how valuable it is to us as Christians. As the world around us becomes darker, we need hope more than ever before. We can hope against hope, like Abraham, even when it feels we are hoping for the impossible, because we know we serve a God who still performs miracles. We can use hope as the anchor for our souls, allowing us to be grounded deep in Jesus as we press into him through prayer and the study of his word, despite the storms raging around us.

As we begin the advent season, I’ve felt my journey of hope going full circle, because it seems to me that this word is vitally important at this time of the year. The whole message of advent and Christmas is a message of hope.

In the beginning, life was perfect, as man lived with God in total unity. Then, sin entered the world as the first couple gave into the enemy’s temptations, and we’ve been battling with its power ever since. The whole of the old testament is a story of hope, as God points us to the miracle that is to come. The law could not put things right between man and God, because every new sin required a new sacrifice. It was a constant cycle of error and atonement. The blood of bulls and goats could only go so far, but God had a plan, and he kept hinting at it with every new messenger he sent.

The Israelites knew their messiah was coming, and this definitely gave them hope, but they couldn’t grasp how he would come. None of them were prepared for God to clothe himself in flesh and move amongst us. No one predicted the tiny baby born to a poor couple in Bethlehem would be God come down to earth in human form. Surely that was more than they could have hoped for.

They were waiting for a conquering king to come and rescue them from the tyranny of Rome. The word messiah sounded so grand. Surely he would be an even greater king than their cherished David. They went through years of exile in Babylon, then even a drought in prophecy itself. Once God had spoken his last words through Malachi which closes our old Testament, there were over 400 years where his voice wasn’t heard.

What did God’s people have to cling onto during those silent years if not hope? Yet, when the hope was fulfilled and Jesus was born into the world, only a few people recognised who he was. Sadly, their hope was fixed on the wrong thing. How often are we like that? I’ve really been challenged this year to consider the number of times I’ve fixed my hope on something, sure God was going to resolve my difficulties in a certain way, only to discover he had another plan in mind. Seemingly, my hopes were disappointed, but God’s plans are always better than mine.

During advent, we focus not merely on the first coming of our Lord when he was born to Mary, but also on our hope of his second coming. Those who misunderstood the old testament prophecies mistakenly focused more on his second coming than his first, because the next time Jesus comes, he will return as a conquering king, ready to make his enemies a footstool under his feet. (Psalm 110:1.) I’m so glad I’m not one of those enemies, because those of us who know him as our Saviour have the hope of eternity in a perfect place designed for us by our perfect Saviour.

Some churches light a candle during each Sunday of advent. For those that do, I’m told the first light represents hope, as they focus on the old testament prophecies of Jesus’ first coming, and the joy we anticipate at his second. So, the message of hope is key, and central to our walk with God. Our hope in Jesus is the life-saving cord we can cling onto when all else seems hopeless.

I don’t know what kind of a year you’ve had, but I’m sure it’s had its share of ups and downs. However, whether you approach this advent season with joy in your heart or a heavy step, let me encourage you to cling onto God’s life-giving message of hope. The baby born in the manger grew up to give his life as the ultimate sacrifice for our sin, and one day, he will return to put right all that is currently wrong. The gospel of Jesus Christ always has been and always will be good news! Christ has died, Christ has risen, and Christ will come again!