The Gifts of Christmas
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The Gift of Hope
The Gift of Hope
Do you ever feel like Charlie Brown? In the midst of the Christmas decorations that have been up since Halloween, the Christmas songs stuck in your head, the lights and shopping and cookies and parties—do you ever want to just stand up and shout in exasperation like Charlie Brown, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?!”
I’m sure you’ve seen the classic TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s been airing since 1965. That’s a pretty good run! Especially for a cartoon that was produced on a low budget and what was basically a last-minute production schedule for animation.
It all came about when Coca-Cola came looking for a Christmas special to sponsor for holiday marketing. The cartoon Peanuts was wildly popular, so they asked for a meeting and ideas.
Peanuts creator Charles Schulz and the producers threw together an outline in a day, and the Coke execs went for it.
Schulz had some unorthodox ideas, like a jazz soundtrack and no laugh track, which was a staple of TV shows in that era.
Most of all, he was adamant that the true Christmas story be presented, complete with a scene read straight from the Bible.
The TV producers worried that it would be too controversial to read the Bible on national television, but Schulz insisted. Controversial or not, you could say the show has done pretty well.
And you’ve probably seen it a time or two. If so, you know that Charlie Brown is surrounded by all the trappings of Christmas, but they all come up empty.
When he wonders aloud what Christmas is really about, his best friend Linus sets him straight with a clear answer straight from Luke 2:8–14. Linus recites the passage in one of the most poignant scenes in television history:
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace,
Good will toward men.
In those words, Charlie Brown finds hope. It’s where the whole Christmas experience turns for him and he realizes the true meaning of Christmas.
He goes from depressed by the season to inspired by it. He goes from an inward focus of questioning to an outward focus of sharing the season with others.
Today, I invite you to hear the same words of hope as we enter the season of expectation as we near the time we celebrate Jesus’ birth.
Over the next three weeks, we’ll unwrap the gifts of Christmas.
It is our chance to listen to the stories, to remember the true meaning of Christmas, to wait in expectation for the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
The point is not to get rid of the trappings and traditions and celebrations all around us but to take a purposeful journey through them to more deeply experience the gifts of Christmas: hope, love, peace, and joy.
As we unwrap each gift of Christmas over then next few weeks, my hope is that we discover together that we can trust in Immanuel, God with us.
He is bigger than our greatest expectations or our deepest pains. His light shines in the darkness and bids us to draw near.
As we do, we discover and realize the gifts He brings—but more so, we discover Him.
Today, we focus on hope.
So let’s start by looking at what we mean by hope. What statements do you typically hear people make that involve hope?
• I hope it doesn’t rain.
• I hope I get the job.
• I hope the world will be at peace.
• I hope he gets better.
• I hope they show up.
• I hope . . . (you fill in the blank).
Do you notice a theme?
Worldly hope is characterized by doubt, uncertainty, and a lack of control.
We hope for things that may or may not happen.
But in Jesus, hope is a guarantee, a sure thing.
Our hope is actually a “know-so” rather than a “maybe-so.”
Let’s unwrap this gift of hope by looking at hope past, hope present, and hope future as we journey toward Christmas.
Hope Past
Hope Past
What is the longest you’ve waited for something? Is there anything you’ve been waiting for your entire life?
The people of Israel knew all about waiting. Their entire history was marked by waiting as they looked forward to the coming of a Messiah who would set them free.
The Old Testament is full of prophecies about this Messiah. Isaiah 7:14 is one example:
14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
And another well-known prophecy from Isaiah promises,
6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
These and other prophecies gave a clear expectation of God’s promised Messiah—hundreds of years before the arrival of the Messiah.
The promise didn’t always make the waiting easy.
As we prepare for Jesus’s coming this Christmas, we share in the waiting of the people of Israel.
Like them, most of us have situations and circumstances in our own lives that make it difficult for us to wait on God.
And like them, we still wait for the complete fulfillment of God’s salvation for the world.
Yes, many prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus’s coming, but others are yet to be completed when He comes again.
So what can purposeful waiting this Advent season do for us? As we look back on hope past, we gain confidence and renew our faith in God’s promises to us. Hebrews 11:1 says,
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
We can find confidence in the fulfillment of Christ’s arrival—and in all He has done in our lives over time.
But we can also find assurance that there is much more to come—that God will complete His good work in you and me and that He will fulfill His promises to make all things new and complete in the end.
Let this season be a journey of building confident hope as you wait for His coming.
Hope Present
Hope Present
In the first chapter of Luke, we see Jesus’s birth foretold again. But unlike the Old Testament prophecies, this is a much more personal and imminent foretelling.
The angel Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her about the coming of Jesus.
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”
38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
In the midst of life’s questions, do you ever find yourself wishing that Gabriel would just show up and let you know what to expect? I mean, wouldn’t it be easier to just know?
Well, maybe.
Thankfully, Mary responded in faith and held fast to the hope of the promise of Immanuel, God with us.
Today, we know and hold fast to that hope. Jesus has come and made a way for us to be one with God, through His forgiveness of our sin. His coming changes everything.
As you sit here today, the present hope you hold on to may not seem to be changing things. Your heart and mind may be flooded with the concerns and stresses and hardships you face.
Any signs of change in your circumstances may be slim to none.
That doesn’t mean change isn’t happening. It doesn’t mean God isn’t working behind the scenes, inside other people or situations.
It doesn’t mean He isn’t working inside our hearts to teach and shape us. Regardless of what outward results look like at any given moment, we can find hope in the words of Hebrews 6:19,
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,
Our present hope in Jesus doesn’t stop the storms of life. It doesn’t change the immediate situations we face.
But like an anchor holds a ship steady against the wind and the waves, our hope holds us firm and secure in the midst of life’s storms.
Let this season be one of secure hope in the midst of whatever storms you face.
Hope Future
Hope Future
While our focus leading up to Christmas is naturally on the birth of Jesus and His arrival in our world, what we are celebrating is also about the future.
This is not just about preparing our hearts for Christmas but also about preparing our hearts for when Christ comes again.
And you may find that waiting patiently for the second coming of Jesus is even harder than waiting for Christmas.
We long for the time when all will be restored and made new. We experience the pain and suffering of today and wait in eager hope for the future.
That is where our hope lies: that the baby who was born in a stable in Bethlehem will return again and complete the work of God in our world.
And so we wait, placing our hope in Him for the past, the present, and the future. It’s the bigger picture of our faith and of God’s plans for our world. The apostle Paul explained,
24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
It’s hard to be patient. It’s hard to wait. But I encourage you to lean in and unwrap the gift of hope today.
No matter what the department stores try to tell you, Christmas has not yet arrived.
This is a season of preparation, waiting, expectation. There is value as well as excitement in patient and expectant waiting.
May this be a season of wonder as you discover the gifts Jesus offers to you this Christmas: hope, love, joy, and peace.
Benediction:
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.