God With Us Brings Hope

The people of Israel had forgotten their hope.

Judea and Galilee were under direct control of the Roman Empire.

The region where Jesus presumably spent his whole life, was overseen by a puppet kings of Rome, one of the sons of Herod the Great.

Eventually, this puppet king Archelaus would be supplanted by a Roman military Governor Pontius Pilot.

Being occupied by another nation tends to remove hope of self-determination.

Client kingdoms of Rome were heavily taxed.

At the time, the Judeans (south) thought the Galileans (north) were too religiously lax.

Galileans like Jesus received much prejudice and oppression.

This much oppression would make anyone feel deeply hopeless.

This seemingly hopeless moment sounds like the perfect time for God to intervene.

When darkness closes in on every side, even a tiny spark of hope can provide focus and life.

They needed to have something to hope for.

We lose hope when we are neglected.

Sometimes the holidays can look more like a frenzied time of activity and shopping, rather than celebrating and relaxing with family.

Is our frenzied holiday activities producing more peace and love?

Our attempts to produce joy during the holidays can often more stress than peace.

Those without the blessing of family celebrations are often left without joy during the holidays.

We need to have hope but that doesn’t come through empty promises.

Promises can be either source of despair or a source of hope.

When people disappoint us by not fulfilling their promises, it can cause real relational turmoil.

When promises are fulfilled, we are assured of our relationship and gives us hope for the future.

God reminded his people of his promises and actions taken to fulfill them.

Advent is a season of hope. The word advent means something is “coming” or “arriving.”

Advent celebrates God coming into the world.

At the beginning, God walked openly with humanity, enjoying intimacy with his creations.

Humanity chose to entertain the idea that God was not being true with them and acted on their distrust.

This caused separation from God.

God has been working to restore his relationship with humanity ever since.

The Scriptures contain the story of God’s relationship with humanity.

Through it all, God gives hope to his people that he is still at work.

There was a deep and ongoing longing for God to fulfill his covenant and send his Messiah, the Christ, who would bring justice and righteousness.

This deep and enduring hope sustained them when waiting in captivity and oppression.

Isaiah reminded the people of God’s covenant and hope for the promise of the Messiah.

Isaiah gave his people a sign of hope; a virgin will conceive a son and call him Immanuel, meaning God with us. – Isaiah 7:14

Later he wrote about

Isaiah 9:6 (NRSVue)

6 For a child has been born for us,

a son given to us;

authority rests upon his shoulders,

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The child will be called “Mighty God”

Used is the same Hebrew word used for God, El.

He would have all authority.

He would bring peace.

He would be everlasting as God, eternal.

God makes it happen; his pursuit of love with us.

God would do it himself.

Can you imagine the kind of hope that this would cause in his people’s hearts?

Though the enemy was on the way, Isaiah was filled with hope that God would fulfill his promises.

God had promised to bless all the nations through the people of Israel.

God included them in his plan to restore all humanity.

Being known and loved rekindles our hope.

Especially for those who are neglected.

God doesn’t just come to fix things but to be with us.

God comes to be with us in the mess, among broken families, and alongside wounded hearts to bring hope.

We look back to celebrate the hope fulfilled in Jesus Christ’s coming.

We also look forward to a time when Christ will return.

We are assured that faith in Jesus Christ makes the kingdom of God with us, and we are hopeful waiting for Christ’s return.

Friends don’t abandon hope. Hope is alive because God is with us.

If you’re not feeling hopeful, let me encourage you to be open to hearing the stories of God in Scripture and stories of God around you today.

In Scripture we find flickers of hope for his people, even at the darkest times.

God’s character, his actions and promises, gives us hope.

Jesus fulfilled the promises of God and lived worthy of our hope because of his character, his humility, living as one of us, loving other unconditionally, and freeing others of the power of sin and evil in their lives by giving up his own life.

Faith in Jesus Christ fills us with hope that we are restored in relationship with God.

Like any fire, we need the fuel of faith and the wind of God’s Spirit to grow.

One day Jesus, the Christ, Messiah will return and fulfill all our hopes to restore all of creation.

God brings us Hope, so we are to share that hope with others.

That flicker of hope can then become a raging fire, filling the earth with Love, Joy, and Peace.

Romans 15:13 NRSVue

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.