Hope Has Come!

As we enter into the Christmas season, a number of things come to people’s minds. There are so many things on the “to-do list” that we want to get done. You might be like me and one that likes to do the gifts at Christmastime. That can be a chore as you seek to find the perfect gifts for the loved ones on your list.

Sermon Series: Christ Has Come! (Advent)

Sermon Text:

As we enter into the Christmas season, a number of things come to people’s minds. There are so many things on the “to-do list” that we want to get done. You might be like me and one that likes to do the gifts at Christmastime. That can be a chore as you seek to find the perfect gifts for the loved ones on your list.

One of the things that seem to be on a lot of people’s lists this year is not the latest gadget from Apple or the toy from Disney. No, it seems that what a lot of people are searching for is something called hope.

This time of year can be a very good time for some, but it can be a very hard time for others. As the weather turns colder, so do some of people’s hearts and drives. People look for a reason to keep going — they are looking for hope. It is interesting that even our local Christmas parade this year is themed, “A Season of Hope.”

As we journey through this Advent season, we are not going to focus on the gifts that may or may not be under our trees this year. The focus is going to be put on what many have called “the reason for the season” — the coming of Jesus Christ and what He brought to us.

This morning, we lit the first candle in our Advent wreath that represents “hope.” This morning I want to look at how hope has come to each of us through the coming of Jesus. I would ask that you look to as that will be where we will focus our time this morning.

READ

Galatians 4:4–7 CSB

When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir.

PRAYER

One of my favorite type of movies is a suspense-filled movie. This is one type that will keep you on the edge of your seats wondering if things will come together in the end. Can I give a spoiler? They just about always come together at some point.

God is always on time

As Paul is writing to the churches in Galatia, he reminds them of a wonderful truth: God is in control. Paul shows through these verses that no matter how crazy things may get… no matter how hopeless the situation may seem, He is right on time.

As verse 4 opens up, it declares that “when the time came to completion.” I like how the New Living Translation says this. It says, “when the right time came.” This verse reminds us that God is not required to work on our timetable. We are working on His. He has things perfectly set out so that they will take place at the most perfect time.

As verse 4 continues, we see that God sent His Son. Jesus’ birth as a human did not happen coincidently but at the perfect time in history. Jesus was sent by the Father.

God sent His Son strategically.

In verse 4, two things show that God sent His Son strategically. First, Jesus was “born of a woman.” Some of you might think, “well, how else is He going to be born?” Jesus didn’t magically come on the scene. He didn’t just walk into Jerusalem as a grown man and say, “Hey everyone!”

The phrase “born of a woman” is a common phrase used in the Jewish culture to point to one’s humanity. Jesus was God — the second Person of the Trinity, but He was also a man. He knew what each one of us had to go through because He walked this life as we do.

Another phrase that we see in verse 4 is that Jesus was “born under the law.” The law here refers to the Law of Moses — the expectations that God has set on mankind. Jesus knew and experienced even the expectations that we find ourselves under each day.

Jesus would grow up keeping the law of God as it should be. He was circumcised on the 8th day, attended synagogue regularly, would go over the Law of God (Torah) at home with His family. Jesus knew what it was like to live life under the law of God.

God sent His Son purposefully.

Not only did God send His Son strategically, but He sent His Son purposefully. We see this in verse 5. The Bible tells us that Jesus was sent “to redeem those under the law”. tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We all have broken God’s laws in some way. This has brought us under the judgement of God. The word “redeem” has the idea of buying back or delivering someone from bondage. Jesus came to bring back the hope that was stolen from us by our sin.

Romans 3:23 CSB

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

A second purpose in Jesus coming was not just to redeem us but to receive us into His family. The Bible says that “we might receive adoption as sons.” Jesus didn’t just come to break the chains of our sins. He came to bring us into His family as one of His own. tells us “But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name.”

John 1:12 CSB

But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name,

If that weren’t enough, tells us that when we trust in Jesus, God puts the Holy Spirit in our lives. This enables us the privilege that we had not previously had — to call God our “Daddy.” The term, “Abba”, is the Aramaic form of “Daddy”. It is a personal term that a small child uses for his or her father.

When we are brought into the family of God, we are also given access to the promises of God. This is shown in where it says that we are made “heirs.” One of these great promises is that we have hope that lasts for all eternity no matter what may come our way.

Conclusion

In this life, we may find ourselves surrounded by a sense of hopelessness. Things may look dark and dreary at times. The truth is though hope has come. It has come to us through Jesus Christ. This hope is offered to any and all who will come and receive it. This is just one of the things that makes the Christmas season so amazing. Because Jesus has come, hope is here!