Hope at the Heart of Christmas

The Heart of Christmas

The holiday season is a beautiful reminder of what it means to hope. Just look at how children approach it—with hearts wide open, dreams unfettered, and endless possibilities wrapped in wonder. Nothing captures the essence of hope quite like a child’s Christmas list. It’s a tradition my kids love, sitting down to carefully write out their wishes for what might appear beneath the tree on Christmas morning.

I’ll never forget one particular year when my five-year-old son added a rather peculiar item to his list: a banana. My wife and I couldn’t help but ask why he’d made such an unusual request. His answer was simple yet profound: “I can ask for anything, can’t I?” With a smile, we nodded, affirming his belief. In the days leading up to Christmas, his excitement bubbled over as he repeatedly told us how thrilled he was for Santa to bring him his banana. Sure enough, when Christmas morning arrived, there it was—a humble box beneath the tree containing the very fruit he’d hoped for. From the moment he penned it on his list, he never wavered in his trust that it would come.

Isn’t that what hope looks like? A steadfast belief that what’s promised will come to pass.

But the true hope of Christmas isn’t found in boxes or bows—it’s found in a promise fulfilled long ago. The birth of Jesus Christ is the reason hope beats so strongly in this season. His arrival wasn’t random or unexpected; it was the fulfillment of a prophecy spoken centuries before. And that prophecy—one of the most cherished passages of Scripture during this time of year—invites us to step into the story of hope together.

And we all know this, we understand that Christmas isn’t about a tree decorated with lights with ornaments that hang from it. It’s about a tree that would hang the body of Christ that Isaiah speaks of today. Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to 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.”

Around 740 BC, Isaiah penned his powerful words against a backdrop of despair and turmoil. The Kingdom of Israel was in shambles, ravaged by the reigns of four ungodly kings: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. These leaders were corrupt, steering the people far away from God and plunging the nation into darkness. It was a bleak chapter in history, where hope seemed all but lost. Yet, amidst this chaos, Isaiah wrote with unwavering faith, trusting that God would step in to restore His beloved people. The kingdom was crumbling, and the hearts of the people yearned desperately for hope.

Isaiah’s message carries two profound truths. First, it acknowledges the deep brokenness and pervasive darkness that enveloped Israel, a direct result of sin and corruption. The weight of their suffering was immense, and the future looked uncertain. But Isaiah didn’t leave them in despair. Second, he proclaimed the promise of a new dawn—a child would be born who would one day set all things right. This prophecy was a beacon of hope, a divine assurance that God had not forgotten His people. For the Jewish people in the Old Testament, these words were a lifeline, a reminder that despite their current anguish, God’s promise of redemption and restoration was steadfast.

As we reflect on Isaiah’s words today, we are reminded that even in our darkest times, hope remains. Just as Israel clung to the promise of a child who would bring salvation, we too can hold onto the hope that Christmas brings—the birth of Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of God’s eternal promise.

Matthew reminds us of Isaiah’s writings and connecting what was had happened in Israel and the prophecy he wrote about and what was happening in Bethlehem.

Matthew 1:22–23 “All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel” (which means, God with us).”

A young Jewish man named Joseph was presented with a very difficult decision to make. He was engaged to be married to a woman named Mary, but she was already pregnant. Joseph planned to call the wedding off because it appeared his bride-to-be had been unfaithful. But an angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream and told him to go forward with the marriage because the child in her womb was from the Holy Spirit. All of these events took place to fulfill the prophecy from the Old Testament, which claimed there would be a child born as a light in the darkness and a hope for all people. The child would be named Immanuel, which means God with us… Even in the midst of darkness.

THE PRESENCE OF DARKNESS THREATENS OUR HOPE

The center of the story is on the birth of Christ. Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah, that God would one day push away all the darkness and sin and bring peace, light into the world. One of the reasons the story captures our attention so much is because we are living in the same world today.

He comes to us in two ways—in his human nature, born; in his divine nature, given.

Immanuel-The Light Of Life, Volume 36, Sermon #2163 - Isaiah 9:1, 2

Charles Spurgeon

We are so overwhelmed with sin, the darkness that is always with us, it’s the bad news waiting behind every phone call, disease, war, famine, oppression, poverty and we too are in need of Christ to come in and bring light into our lives, to push back the darkness. We feel this weight on our shoulders that at times it can feel like it’s pushing us into the ground from the worry, stress and anxiety that we have to endure.

This is the time of year where we can feel hope in some way, we can see hope in a story, we can see a glimmer of light in the darkness. It is a reminder that no matter what we hope for, there is a chance that we can receive it, but there is a problem there, in the word “hope.” Hope is not the absence of conflict in our lives, no more troubles but rather hope is a result of the presence of God in our lives telling us that simply by His presence we have that light now, we have that peace available because God is with us.

44  If God can make a billion galaxies, can’t he make good out of our bad and sense out of our faltering lives? Of course he can. He is God.

Max Lucado

3:16: The Numbers of Hope (2007)

Max Lucado

GOD’S PRESENCE HAS COME TO GIVE US HOPE

The hard part about hope is that it often takes longer than we would like to be fulfilled. Like the Jewish people experienced, hope requires patience.

750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers 484: Patience

According to a traditional Hebrew story, Abraham was sitting outside his tent one evening when he saw an old man, weary from age and journey, coming toward him. Abraham rushed out, greeted him, and then invited him into his tent. There he washed the old man’s feet and gave him food and drink.

The old man immediately began eating without saying any prayer or blessing. So Abraham asked him, “Don’t you worship God?”

The old traveler replied, “I worship fire only and reverence no other god.”

When he heard this, Abraham became incensed, grabbed the old man by the shoulders, and threw him out of his tent into the cold night air.

When the old man had departed, God called to his friend Abraham and asked where the stranger was. Abraham replied, “I forced him out because he did not worship you.”

God answered, “I have suffered him these eighty years although he dishonors me. Could you not endure him one night?”

Isaiah knew that a time would come that the people would need to be reminded that the God of the OT is the same God of our time, the promises He kept then, He keeps now, that He is a faithful God and gives us hope in the present and trust for the future. As we look at the world today we need that hope, we need that light, we need to remember that God is faithful, that He is the light in the darkness. But understand, as we look at the times we live in today, things were just as bad if not worse then.

Do not look to your hope, but to Christ, the source of your hope.

Charles Spurgeon

Romans 15:4 “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.”

Paul reminds us that everything written in the past—all the prophecies, promises, and their fulfillment—was given to teach us how to trust God fully. These sacred words aren’t just stories of old; they are living reminders of God’s faithfulness. They are meant to strengthen our faith, encourage our hearts, and give us hope in every season of life.

Through Scripture, we find endurance—the ability to keep going even when life feels heavy. We find encouragement—gentle reminders that God is near and working on our behalf. And ultimately, we find hope—the confident assurance that God hears our prayers and will answer them in His perfect time and way.

This is why revisiting the prophetic words of the Old Testament and their fulfillment in the birth of Jesus is so essential. It’s a reminder that God’s promises are never empty. The birth of Jesus wasn’t just a moment in history; it was the culmination of centuries of hope and the ultimate proof that God can be trusted to meet us in our darkest hour.

When we remember the prophecies and their fulfillment, we are reminded of this truth: the same God who was faithful then is faithful now. He is with us, and He will always come through in our time of need.