Hope Revealed

Hope Revealed

From the very beginning of human history, God’s people have always been a waiting people. This began as early as Eden. Right after the fall of our first parents Adam and Eve—when sin enters the world and hope seems lost—God speaks a promise. As He says to the serpent:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”

God promises a coming, conquering Son—born of a woman—who would one day crush the serpent and undo the curse of the fall.

From that moment on, faith has been marked by waiting. We can see it all throughout the Old Testament. Lamech names his son Noah, hoping he would bring relief from the curse—yet this would take place 600 years before the flood.

Abraham is promised a son, but has to wait 25 years before Isaac is born. Isaac then has to wait 20 years for his sons Esau and Jacob. Then Jacob works seven years for Rachel and ends up with Leah—yet it is through Leah that Judah (lineage) would come.

In Egypt God’s people waited over 400 hundred years for their deliverance from slavery through Moses. In the book of Ruth. Naomi waits through loss, bitterness, and despair, until in her old age God restores her line through Ruth and Boaz.

In 1 Samuel, Hannah endures years of barrenness before the Lord gives her Samuel.

David is anointed as a teenager, but doesn’t sit on the throne until after 30 years of suffering. And even then, God promises David a Son who will reign forever. But that promise doesn’t come quickly. For it wasn’t through Solomon.

As we saw a couple of weeks ago, that promise is echoed centuries later through the prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah 9, God speaks to a people walking in darkness and promises them a Child, a Son, a King whose government would never end. It was a promise of hope—but it was still a promise. And that promise would require another 700 years of waiting.

Then, as we saw last week in Luke chapter 1, the waiting finally begins to turn.

An angel appears—not to a king, not to a priest, but to a young woman in Nazareth—and announces that the promised Son is coming. Hope is no longer distant, its no longer theoretical. Hope is announced.

But even then, God’s people are still waiting. Waiting for the Child to be born. Waiting for the offspring promised in Genesis. Waiting for heaven to step into history. Which means that this has always been true: God’s people have always been a people who wait.

That’s why Luke tells us that when Jesus is finally born, the atmosphere is thick with expectation. Simeon is described as a righteous and devout man waiting for the consolation of Israel. For this reason when he takes the infant Jesus in his arms, he says:

Luke 2:29–30 NASB 2020

“Now, Lord, You are letting Your bond-servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation,”

So, after centuries of silence, the waiting is finally over. Hope is no longer promised. Hope is now revealed. But here’s an important point: Jesus’ arrival doesn’t end the posture of waiting for God’s people—it redefines it.

Before His crucifixion in John’s Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples, “I’m going away to prepare a place for you… and I will come again to take you to be with me.” and then after his ascension in Acts CH1 the angels tell his disciples, “This same Jesus will return in the same way you saw Him go.”

The apostles speak repeatedly of waiting—for His appearing, for the hope of righteousness, for God’s Son from heaven. And the Biblical canon closes with the church’s cry:

Revelation 22:17 NASB 2020

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.”

So here’s the pattern of redemptive history:

In the Old Testament, God’s people wait for Christ’s first coming. (His Incarnation)

In the New Testament, God’s people wait for His second coming. (His Consummation)

In both cases, the people of God live in the light of the Advent of Christ.

And that brings us to Luke chapter 2—the moment when waiting meets fulfillment, when eternity steps into history, when hope takes on flesh and is laid in a manger. So as we walk through this passage, I want us to see five ways—five realities—through which Luke shows us that hope has now been revealed. And the first way Luke shows us that Hope has been revealed is through God’s sovereign hand in history.

I. Hope Revealed Through - God’s Sovereign Hand in History

Luke 2:1–7 NASB 2020

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. (V2-3) This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all the people were on their way to register for the census, each to his own city. (V4-5) Now Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was betrothed to him, and was pregnant. (V6-7) While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

One thing Luke wants us to see right away is the following:

1. Hope does not enter the world by accident—it entered by design.

Luke opens the story of Jesus’ birth by anchoring it in real, verifiable history. This is not a fairy tale. This is not myth. This is not symbolic language. Luke tells us when this happened, who was ruling, and what was taking place in the world.

He tells us a decree went out from Caesar Augustus—the ruler of the entire Roman world. “All the inhabited earth,” From Luke’s perspective, this man represented the greatest concentration of political power the world had ever seen.

History tells us Augustus was the great-nephew of Julius Caesar. He clawed his way to power by defeating Antony and Cleopatra. Through force, strategy, and sheer will, he stabilized the empire and ushered in what many called the Pax Romana—the Roman peace.

He was the first Caesar to be given the title of Augustus, a word that means holy or revered. Until then, that title was reserved for the gods. Under his rule, decisive steps were taken toward treating the emperor as divine. Some cities even began their calendar year on his birthday, hailing him as savior. Ancient inscriptions called him “the savior of the whole world.”

So Luke wants us to feel the weight of this moment. At the center of the world stands a man who believes he is a god… who is celebrated as savior… who issues decrees that move nations.

And Luke now says: Now in those days… A census is ordered. And on the surface, it looks like nothing more than a political move—an administrative decision meant to strengthen the empire and extract taxes from its people.

But Luke is showing us something deeper.

Because when this decree goes out, everyone must move—each person to his own city. And that includes a carpenter from Nazareth named Joseph. Because he is from the house and lineage of David, he must travel to Bethlehem. And with him goes his pregnant wife, Mary.

And while they are there—Luke tells us—the time comes for her to give birth. Now here is where it gets good. Beloved this is not a coincidence. This is not luck. This is not poor planning.

2. Caesar thinks he is exercising ultimate authority. But God is the One directing history.

3. Unknowingly, the most powerful man in the world becomes an instrument in the hands of a sovereign God.

Moving a young couple exactly where they needed to be so that a prophecy spoken centuries earlier might be fulfilled.

Because God had already established through the prophet Micah that His Messiah was going to be born in Bethlehem:

Micah 5:2 NASB 2020

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”

Caesar issues decrees to secure power. God fulfills promises to bring salvation. And this is the first way Luke shows us that hope has been revealed: Hope is revealed when we see that even the world’s greatest powers are still under God’s absolute control.

Beloved, empires rise and fall.

Rulers make their plans.

Decrees go out.

But the purposes of God stand forever.

And the same sovereign hand that guided history to a manger is still guiding history today. Hope does not enter the world by accident. It enters by design.

Beloved, this matters—not just for Bethlehem during those days, but for us today. Because the same God who was sovereign over emperors and empires is still sovereign over the circumstances of our lives today.

Think about Mary and Joseph for a moment.

They didn’t choose the timing.

They didn’t choose the census.

They didn’t choose the journey.

They didn’t choose to give birth away from home.

From their perspective, everything felt disruptive, inconvenient, and overwhelming. And yet, God was not absent—He was at work. He was fulfilling and confirming His promise. And that’s often how God’s sovereignty feels to us.

We find ourselves in situations we didn’t plan. Under pressures we didn’t choose. Living through seasons that feel chaotic, uncertain, even frightening.

We look around at the world—political turmoil, wars, division, instability—and it can feel like everything is spiraling out of control.

But Luke reminds us of something crucial:

4. The world has never been out of control—because it has never been in human hands to begin with.

Caesar thought he was directing history. But God was fulfilling His promises.

And the same is true today.

5. The God who moved empires to bring salvation into the world is the same God who rules over our jobs, our families, our health, our finances, our suffering, and our waiting.

Now, this doesn’t mean everything will be easy. But it does mean nothing is meaningless.

Even when circumstances feel overwhelming… even when we don’t understand why things are happening the way they are… God is still writing His story. And that’s why this is hope.

Because our hope is not rooted in stable governments, peaceful headlines, or predictable outcomes. Our hope is rooted in a sovereign God who keeps His promises—no matter what the world looks like. And that leads us to the next truth Luke shows us.

Because the same sovereign God who rules history does something unexpected. He chooses to reveal hope through a child. However as we saw a few weeks ago this isn’t any mere child. This child is a King.

II. Hope Revealed Through - a Greater King

Luke 2:8–11 NASB 2020

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. (V10-11) And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Growing up son of an artist)

Luke now shifts the scene. We move from palaces and emperors… to fields and shepherds. And that contrast is intentional. The angel does not appear to Caesar. He does not appear to the famous, to politicians, or to the powerful. He appears to shepherds.

And this matters.

In the first century, shepherds were not respected figures. They were not admired. They were considered socially insignificant, often mistrusted, and religiously unclean by the standards of the day. Their work kept them away from regular worship. Their testimony was often discounted in courts. They lived on the margins of society—dirty, exhausted, overlooked. (David)

And yet, these are the first people God chooses to hear the announcement of the birth of His Son. That the angel appears to shepherds tells us something about the kind of King Jesus is.

6. God comes first—not to the impressive or the famous or to the powerful—but to the lowly.

Not to the self-sufficient—but to the broken.

Not to those who think they rule—but to those who know they don’t.

This points directly to the heart of Jesus’ ministry. He did not come for the healthy, but for the sick. He did not come for the righteous, but for sinners. He did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.

And then Luke tells us something overwhelming:

“An angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them…”

The glory of the Lord means God’s holiness, God’s weight, God’s presence—breaks into the darkness of that field.

And their response makes sense Luke tells us that:

“They were terribly frightened.” (Moses - God’s face / Hide behind a rock)

That’s always the response to God’s holiness. Isaiah cries, “Woe is me.” Peter says, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” John falls down as though dead.

But notice what the angel says:

“Do not be afraid.”

Why? Because holiness is not coming to destroy them. Holiness is coming to save them. We see this in the angel’s reply:

“For behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.”

This is gospel language.

Good news—not threats.

Great joy—not fear.

For all the people—not just the elite.

And here is the heart of the announcement:

“Today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

This child is not just a baby.

7. He is the Savior—the One who will rescue humanity from sin.

8. He is the Christ—the promised Messiah they had been waiting for.

9. He is the Lord—the true King with real authority.

Luke is making something unmistakably clear.

Caesar claimed to be lord.

Caesar claimed to be savior.

Caesar promised peace through power, force, and fear.

But Jesus brings true peace—

Peace through forgiveness,

Peace through reconciliation,

Peace through redemption. Through sacrifice

10. Caesar took from his people. Jesus gives Himself for His people.

Caesar ruled by fear. Jesus is announced with, “Do not be afraid.”

And this is the second way Luke shows us that hope is revealed: Hope is revealed when we see that the true King does not oppress His people—He saves them. And that’s the kind of King we need. And that’s the kind of peace our hearts were made for. And this now brings us to the third way Hope is Revealed.

III. Hope Revealed in an Unexpected Sign and Heavenly Praise

Luke 2:12–14 NASB 2020

And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army of angels praising God and saying, (V14) “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.”

Here in V12 Luke continues by establishing that the angel doesn’t just announce the birth of the Savior— he gives the shepherds a sign. Now biblically, a sign is not just a clue. A sign is something God gives to confirm His word and to reveal His purposes. In other words, the sign explains what kind of Savior this is.

The angel has just said,

“There has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

And then he says, “Here’s how you’ll recognize Him.”

He is Not in a palace.

He is Not sitting on a throne.

He is Not dressed in royal robes.

The sign is a baby… wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. That’s the sign. And it is completely unexpected. Because hope is not revealed in spectacle. Hope is revealed in humility.

Think about what this means.

11. The eternal Son of God—the second person of the Trinity— the One through whom all things were made— has entered the world not as a grown king, not as a warrior, not as a ruler. …but as a baby.

A baby who can’t walk.

A baby who can’t speak.

A baby who depends entirely on others to feed Him, carry Him, and care for Him.

This is not weakness. This is voluntary surrender to His heavenly Father. This is a divine sacrifice. As Paul tells us, He emptied Himself. But not by ceasing to be God—but by taking on full humanity. Taking the form of a servant,.The Creator placed Himself into the hands of His creation. That is astonishing humility.

And not only that—He is born into poverty.

Not to a wealthy family.

Not to people of influence.

But to a young, poor couple.

This is not where the world looks for salvation.

We look for hope in power.

In influence.

In wealth.

In politics.

In celebrities.

In leaders who promise control.

But God says, “Look again.” Hope is lying in a manger. And then Luke tells us that heaven cannot stay silent.

“And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God…”

Why?

Because heaven understands what earth does not yet fully grasp. This baby is undoing the curse.

12. This baby is the promised offspring in Genesis chapter 3. The one they have been waiting for.

The angels cry out:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.”

There’s praise in the heavens because this baby will not just bring peace, He is the prince of peace. And this is not peace as the absence of conflict. This is not political peace. What He brings is peace with God.

From Genesis onward, humanity has been at enmity with God because of sin. (by nature children of wrath) But this Child has come to remove that enmity.

To reconcile us.

To bring us back. (He is the bridge to the Father)

As Paul will later explain, He Himself is our peace. And that’s why heaven praises God. Because this baby will grow. And this baby will suffer. And this baby will die. So that sinners can be forgiven, enemies can become children of God and rebels can be reconciled to God. This is the sign.

And the manger tells us exactly what kind of King Jesus will be.

A King who conquers through humility.

A King who saves through sacrifice.

A King who brings peace—not by force—but by grace.

And this is the third way Luke shows us that hope is revealed: God reveals salvation not through power and spectacle, but through humility and grace.

IV. Hope Revealed Through Faithful Response and Witness

Luke 2:15–17 NASB 2020

When the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem, then, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” (V16-17) And they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen Him, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.

Luke now shows us what hope does once it is revealed. Because

13. Revelation always demands a response.

The angels leave.

The moment passes.

And now the shepherds have a choice.

Notice what they don’t do.

They sit down don’t debate what they heard.

They don’t delay obedience.

They don’t doubt whether it’s worth pursuing.

They move.

They say, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem.” They hear the word God has spoken and they act on it.

Luke tells us they came in a hurry.

There is urgency.

There is expectancy.

There is faith.

And when they arrive, they find exactly what God said they would find: Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. God’s word proves true. And this is the pattern of faith we see all throughout Scripture:

They hear the word.

They respond in faith.

They encounter Christ.

And then—they testify.

Verse 17 tells us:

“When they had seen Him, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.”

14. Hope is not revealed just to be admired. Hope is revealed to be believed—and proclaimed.

1 Peter 2:9 NASB 2020

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a Holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Beloved, the gospel always calls for a response. You might be here today and you’ve heard this story many times. You’ve sung the songs. You’ve seen the nativity scenes. And maybe, if you’re honest, it still feels distant—like a children’s story, like a tradition, like something familiar but not personal.

But Luke wants you to know:

This is not a fable.

This is not mythology.

This is history.

And history demands a response.

15. The truth that the eternal Son of God took on flesh— that the Creator entered His creation— that salvation has come near— That truth calls every person to decide.

Will you move toward what God has revealed? Or will you stay where you are?

The shepherds show us that genuine faith doesn’t just listen.

It moves.

It trusts.

And it speaks.

And this is the fourth way Luke shows us that hope is revealed: Hope revealed always leads to faith-filled movement and faithful witness. And now Luke closes this scene by showing us what hope revealed actually produces in people.

V. Hope Revealed Produces Wonder, Worship, and Joy

Luke 2:18–20 NASB 2020

And all who heard it were amazed about the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. (V20) And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

The reaction of those who heard from the shepherds makes sense. (amazement) When you experience something truly remarkable— when you see something, hear something, or taste something that genuinely surprises you—you don’t just move on like nothing happened. It kind of sticks with you. And before long, you feel compelled to share it.

I was reminded of that recently when Pastor Matt invited me to lunch. We went to this barbecue place here in town—Jim ’N Nick’s. I didn’t even order this particular item, but they brought out these little cheese muffins. And let me tell you—they were incredible. Soft, cheesy, warm.

And you want to know the first thing I did later that day when I talked to my wife? I didn’t say, “Yeah, lunch was fine.” I said, “We went to this place—and you have to try these cheese muffins.”

When something amazes you, you talk about it.

Now multiply that by a million. These shepherds didn’t just taste good food. They experienced the glory of God. They saw angels. They heard heaven announce that a Savior had been born. And the they went and saw the Child with their own eyes.

So when they start telling people what they’ve seen and heard, Luke says the people are amazed. There is wonder. There is awe. There is the recognition that something extraordinary has happened.

But How does Luke know this? He wasn’t there. Who is Luke’s source?:

“But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.”

This is such a beautiful detail. How does Luke know all of this? How can he tell Theophilus what happened that night? Luke went straight to the source. He didn’t just interview shepherds—he spoke with the mother of the child.

Mary was the one that told Luke what the shepherds had said. And she also shared how she received it. She treasures it, meditates on it and holds them close to her heart.

And then Luke brings us back to the shepherds one last time:

“The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.”

These shepherds go back to their fields—but they do not go back the same. Now they have become worshippers. The go back glorifying God. They return praising God. They have been transformed.

16. And that’s what hope revealed does. It produces wonder—we are amazed at what God has done.

17. It produces reflection—as we treasure and ponder these things in our hearts.

18. And it produces worship—as our lives begin to point back to God.

So, Beloved, don’t just hear this as a Christmas story. This is history. This comes straight from the eyewitnesses.

Hope has been revealed. The hope that was promised. The hope that was announced. And that hope has a Name and his Name is Jesus.

And that hope anchors us in God’s sovereign control of history. It reminds us we are not our own—we belong to the King of kings. It calls us to humility as we behold the miracle of the incarnation. It calls us to respond—not just with faith, but with witness. And if you allow that hope to truly take hold of you today, it will transform you.

19. For we cannot encounter Christ and remain the same.

Yes, as God’s people, we are still a waiting people—but now we wait differently. We are on the other side of the cross

We wait with hope already revealed.

We wait with joy.

We wait with confidence.

We wait with worship.

Because on this side we know that the Child who came did not remain a child. He grew up, lived a life of perfect obedience, went to the cross for our sins, rose in victory on the third day, and will one day return—so that we may be with Him forever.