Hope For Christmas
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Reading:
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—
12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Introduction:
As a culture we refer to the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas as the Christmas season.
Our world is overall negative.
Downright divisive, if you disagree with someone that makes you the enemy.
We need what the Christmas season offers; Hope!
Most movies around Christmas have a similar message; Hope!
Christmas is a season of hope.
There is hope for the needy.
There is hope for the homeless.
There is hope for everyone in society at every different part of life.
The first mention of hope is found back in Genesis 3.
God told us that the Serpent’s deceptive power would be crushed even though it would harm the one who crushes his head.
Throughout the Old Testament God reminds us many times about the promised Messiah.
With each reminder the world’s hope is rekindled.
Hope for freedom from being a slave to Sin,
Having access to God and peace between us and our creator.
This Christmas season I hope you are reminded, or let sink in, the Hope of Christmas.
Transition:
In Isaiah we see the account of King Ahaz and what we read is:
Fear drove Ahaz to make foolish decisions—but in the middle of his fear, God gives him something solid to stand on: a sign.
From Ahaz we are given a picture of Christmas hope…
A Sign For Hope (Isaiah 7:14)
A Sign For Hope (Isaiah 7:14)
God offers to us hope in the middle of our fear—if we will trust His Word more than our own solutions.
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.
Many of us have heard this verse quoted around the Christmas season.
How many of you know what the context of this verse is?
The context is chapters 7-12 and it deals with war.
God sends Isaiah is sent to King Ahaz.
Ahaz was afraid.
He was afraid of Rezin and Pekah; since they formed an alliance against King Ahaz.
King Rezin was over Syria
Pekah was the son of Remaliah the King of the Northern Israel.
The alliance they made was to remove King Ahaz and replace him with a “puppet” king, one they could control so all 3 armies would go up against the Assyrians.
Ahaz was afraid and fear can make us do silly things.
Illustration:
When I was a little boy, maybe 5 or so, my family and I went to the Eastern Michigan fair.
We did what all other families do when they go to the fair.
Eat over priced food, get loaded up on snow cones and cotton candy.
Play rigged games for a lot of money.
Watch shows with animals, and trapeze artists.
All awesome things for growing children.
We rode the rides and there was one specific ride, this particular trip.
A haunted house.
My sisters and cousin talked me into riding with them.
We waited in line and when it was our turn my sisters and my cousin said I could get into the cart. In I went.
I was scared!
Around the first corner a scary dude in a costume fell from the ceiling.
Apparently my lungs at 5 years old were so developed that half the park heard my scream.
At the end of the little ride of horrors I realized that my sisters never got on the ride.
They were too scared.
My cousin did get on and apparently he punched the person that jumped out.
No one ever knows what they will do when they operate from a position of fear.
You do things that you wouldn’t normally do.
Connection:
We will find ourselves in positions of fear.
We can have fear of jobs
Fear of family relationships
What fear do you have in your life right now?
Are you making decisions from that fear?
You may realize that your choices aren’t from wisdom; but a reaction from being afraid.
King Ahaz’s decisions were a reflection of this.
Listen to what he did:
7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.”
8 Ahaz also took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the king’s house and sent a present to the king of Assyria.
In these 2 passages we see his silly choices.
Claimed allegiance, as a son, with the king of Assyria.
Worse than that, he stole silver and gold from the Lord as payment to him.
This shouldn’t be terribly surprising.
Ahaz was a king who didn’t do what was right in the Lord’s eyes.
He even burned his son as an offering to Molech.
Ahaz’s alliance with an Assyrian enemy showed that instead of trusting the Lord he took matters into his own hands.
Showing that he trusted his own wisdom, instead of God’s.
Don’t we do that?
Do things ourselves instead of letting the Lord lead?
The result: when we trust ourselves over God it brings problems!
God sends Isaiah and Shear-jashub to Ahaz to offer a sign of hope to quench the fear
3 And the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer’s Field.
God used Isaiah to provide that famous passage.
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.
This future sign would be the birth of a child to virgin.
His name will be Immanuel “God with us”.
It’s neat how God does things.
What is presented to the world in this sign is that God is coming to the world and another key is the son of Isaiah who was with him. “Shear-jashub”
His name means “A remnant shall return”.
This point reveals that Judah will be preserved, despite the political threats and problems.
God reminds Ahaz that He is in charge even though Ahaz has fallen into the trap to think that he is!
Connection:
You and I don’t control much in our lives even though we like to think we do.
We can control our decisions about things happening to us or in our lives.
Listen to how God approaches Ahaz, similar to how He approaches us.
10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz:
11 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”
What reasons would the Lord tell Ahaz to ask a sign of Him?
This seems like an invitation to trust Him and believe in Him.
Ahaz said he will not put the Lord to the test.
That is where God gives him a sign anyway.
Transition:
God offered a sign for hope, a prophecy to look forward to; but the Lord didn’t stop there in Ahaz’s kingship.
Where are you tempted to do what Ahaz did—solve your fear without God?
What would it look like this week to trust God first instead of last?
Let’s jump 2 chapters later where God gives:
A Promise For Hope (Isaiah 9:6-7)
A Promise For Hope (Isaiah 9:6-7)
God’s promises are found all through scripture for us to trust His will, even when we lack hope.
A promise is defined as:
“In a general sense, a declaration, written or verbal, made by one person to another, which binds the person who makes it, either in honor, conscience or law, to do or forbear a certain act specified; a declaration which gives to the person to whom it is made, a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of the act.” -Noah Webster
We all understand what a promise is and more than that we have all made promises.
Promises are used to make an unbreakable covenant.
Unfortunately we do know un-kept promises and how they impact us.
Illustration:
There was a boy who’s parents were divorced.
Every other weekend would be spent with the other parent.
Many times through the week the dad would make promises of what they would do when they get together.
Each Friday the boy would wait at the door with his suitcase.
Around the time his dad was to arrive the phone rings and the mom lets the boy know that dad isn’t coming.
That boy, after getting his hopes up just to be dashed to pieces over and over again, doesn’t believe the dad any longer.
He wants to; but doesn’t want to be disappointed again.
How difficult would it be for that boy to believe any promises?
Almost impossible.
Connection:
Many people have grown calloused to promises offered by others, because many don’t keep them.
We need promises that we can believe; but that is dependent on who offers them.
The Lord has never broken a promise!
Ever since Genesis 3 God gave the promise of removing Satan’s power and freeing sinful humans from the consequences of sin.
He has reminded us throughout history of that plan.
He told Ahaz of the virgin who would birth Immanuel.
In chapter 9 we go further into the story of Ahaz’s bad decisions.
9:1 references the first fall to the Assyrians.
Shifting Ahaz’s kingdom into a vassal state to Assyria.
This brought darkness, fear, and oppression.
Ahaz brought this darkness on the people when he trusted in man instead of God.
God offered a promise of hope while in darkness:
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
A King is coming who is above all Kings.
His authority will reign forever and ever.
His kingdom will be perfect, just, and righteous!
Connection:
God provided hope through a promise of a perfect King who’s authority and reign will be forever.
Point:
Let’s connect this: from the point of birth every person carries the sickness of sin.
Sin that a just God has to punish, or He wouldn’t be just!
Yet in the promised king we can receive the hope that was promised to Ahaz.
Forgiveness of our sin and freedom from sin’s binding power.
If you want peace and an hope for eternity, believe that Jesus’ death payed for your sins forever!
Jesus is the fulfillment of that promised hope.
What areas of your life do you need hope?
Has God given a promise regarding that lack of hope?
Trust it and watch Him work.
Transition:
Recognize that we can read Luke 1:30-34 and hear:
The Promise Arrives (Luke 1:30-34)
The Promise Arrives (Luke 1:30-34)
God’s promises can be applied by trusting in them!
According to Luke 1 where does this hope arrive?
In the womb of a virgin.
30 And 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 bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to 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 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
The angel Gabriel shows himself to a girl and has an announcement.
The promised, eternal King, the messiah has arrived in your womb.
The message is:
God’s grace will extend to the whole world!
The dispensation of Grace has arrived.
God does extraordinary things with ordinary people all through scripture.
This girl is engaged to a man and is now pregnant without ever having sex.
She chose to obey the Lord and that revealed her faith in God’s will.
38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Is that how you responded to the Lord?
Presenting yourself to the Lord as a willing servant?
Connection:
Mary wasn’t “special” the scripture says that she found favor with God, which isn’t unique to her.
There are at least 11 other people whom God said found favor in His sight.
Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, and at least 6 others.
Faith in Jesus is how we find favor with God.
If your sitting here and believe that God doesn’t care about you, you’re believing a lie.
Point:
Jesus the forever king came, He lived among us, was tested, was perfect, and He gave His life to pay for your freedom and was raised from the dead conquering death.
His next action is to come get His bride (the church) and bring her home and the church is all those who accept His grace by faith.
Every Christmas season society reminds us of these truths and the promised hope.
Conclusion:
God provided a sign of hope to Ahaz.
He only needed to believe and trust Him, instead of trusting himself and allowing fear to lead him.
You might not trust promises people make, mainly because sinful people have let you down.
God will never let you down, He keeps every promise; He is worthy of your trust.
Find hope in His promises.
Know that the future hope you and I have is secure.
Live each day in that hope!
Christmas is the celebration of hope that finally arrived as promised.
Christmas is hope through Jesus—hope you can trust, hope you can live in, and hope you can share.
Take one fear right now and commit to pray about it daily this week before acting on it.
Identify one promise of God you struggle to believe—memorize it and trust it every day this week.
This Christmas, remind one person of the hope of Christ and invite them to church and share your testimony with them.
This week, choose one fear to surrender, one promise to trust, and one person to share hope with.
-Pray!
