What to Do While We Wait: Have Hope

Introduction

What is your hope placed in? Perhaps your hope is placed in a relationship, a thing, a place, or an idea. Lots of people place their hope and trust in various things and sometimes these things come through for us, but more often than not, they let us down. Nearly 15 years ago, something happened in the US economy. Times were great, the GDP was rising, Americans were making more money, the housing market was flourishing, and it seemed like the good times would continue for years and years to come. And then the Great Recession hit at the end of 2007 and its effects would linger for years. How did the Great Recession happen? Economists give several reasons. The subprime mortgage collapse as people defaulted on their home loans, lack of regulations across the board, questionable actions by Wall Street and Washington, and others led to this Recession. Prior to 2007, people had confidence and faith in the US housing market. People hoped that the economy would continue to excel - however, the opposite happened.

How many of you have been let down in recent months? We’ve experienced disappointment, betrayal, loss, and feelings of hopelessness as things have simply been outside of our control in many respects. Several studies have come out in 2021 regarding the growing number of people suffering with depression due to COVID and being isolated and alone. Friends, people are looking for hope left and right in order to get through these difficult days! If you’re here this morning and you’ve been struggling mentally, physically, emotionally, or financially and you’re unsure how you’re going to make it through these hopeless days, turn your eyes upon Jesus. Does this mean that if you look to Jesus, all of your problems will magically disappear? That’s not true at all! But, if you look to Jesus your problems often fall into their proper place. You can have hope in the midst of your problem because your trust isn’t placed in the housing market, it’s not placed in society, it’s not placed in a thing, you can have hope today because your hope is placed in a person who doesn’t ever change!

With Christmas just a few weeks away, it’s exciting to begin our short 3-week Christmas series together as we study several key themes of the “Advent” season. This morning we’ll be studying the theme of hope as we look at several Old Testament texts to see why we should have hope, especially during the Christmas season. Some people define hope as something that we wish for. For example, say your high school basketball team is playing your rival and you say, “I hope that we beat them.” What you’re saying is that you wish that your team would win. You might have confidence in your team, you might not, but you wish for one specific outcome. Is that how Christian hope works? Do we simply wish for something to happen? Do we have reasons to be hopeful? Christian hope can be defined as the confidence that God makes good on His promises and that God will continue to make good on His promises. We read in 1 Timothy that Christian hope is objectively placed in a person

1 Timothy 1:1 CSB

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope:

Whatever you’re going through today, understand that there is reason to have hope and to be hopeful in the future. The reason for this isn’t based on what’s going on in our hopeless world. Rather, we can remain hopeful because our God is good. Our God reigns. And Jesus Christ still saves sinners. While we live in this dark world, we must be people of hope.

Today we’re going to look at 4 Old Testament texts that contain prophesies concerning Jesus Christ and we’re going to have 4 application points as to why we can have hope.

We Can Have Hope Because of God’s Plan (Gen 3:15)

Sometimes whenever we think of Christmas, we think of Jesus Christ coming to earth and becoming the God-man and we assume that this was kind of a last minute type decision. How many of you are planner type people? In our world there are 2 types of people, people who love plans and people who loathe them! Some people think that God made an adjustment and at the very last minute decided to go from plan A to plan C and send Jesus to earth. Thankfully this isn’t true! We read in the New Testament that Jesus Christ was slain before the foundation of the world

Revelation 13:8 CSB

8 All those who live on the earth will worship it, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.

What does this mean for us? It simply means that God’s eternal plan is good and nothing you or I do makes Him have to go back to the drawing board. Somehow, you and I have a role to play in His perfect plan. He wants us to play a part in this plan! This is a humbling thought! It also should remind us that God’s plan is so much better than anything that you or I could imagine. Think of creation, God made everything and it was good. Then we get to Genesis 3 and we read that Adam and Eve sinned against God. For us, whenever we mess up, we have to go back to the drawing board and come up with a backup plan. Yet, that’s not the case for our God. God had a plan all along and we see it unfold throughout the Old Testament. Look in Genesis 3 as we see the consequences of sin and the hope for the future. Speaking to the serpent, God says

Genesis 3:15 NIV

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

We know the story in the Garden of Eve being tempted by the serpent to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and Adam eating of it too. As a result, they are banished from the Garden. They are separated from God, just as you and I are. This is due to sin. Yet, even in this time of being punished for sin, God is rich in mercy as he declares in verse 15 that the seed of the woman will will crush the head of this serpent. Scholars call this the “proto-evangelium” or the “First Gospel.” All the way back in Genesis, we clearly see God’s plan defined and the answer was Jesus Christ. Church, what is the answer to our greatest problem today? Jesus Christ. What will be the answer for all eternity to come? The answer is Jesus Christ - the snake crushing Savior! God’s plan all along was for Jesus Christ to come, live, die, and raise! This was the plan even before the foundation of the earth as Ephesians 1:4 shares with us in addition to Revelation 13.

How can this be? In the midst of everything going on, how can we trust completely in God’s plan?

Whenever you got to church this morning, you likely visited with a few folks and eventually you got to your seat and you did what? You sat down. Now, why did you sit down in the pew? You’re likely thinking because its the pew that you usually sit at or because you wanted to sit in the back away from others and way away from the pastor. But, why did you actually decide to sit down? Because in the back of your mind, whether you thought of it or not, you trusted that the pew would hold you up. Did you know that sometimes, pews break? Sometimes cars that we drive break down. Sometimes people that we trust let us down. We live in a world where things never work out the way that we expect. Our hope and trust is always broken… Yet, that isn’t the case with God. That’s certainly not the case with God’s plan. He never fails. He has a flawless track record. His plan is perfect. You can have hope today because of God’s perfect plan. You can have hope because we read in Galatians 4:4 that when the time came to completion, God sent His Son.

Wherever you’re at today, take heart because God sent His Son to save sinners.

We Can Have Hope Because God is With Us (Isaiah 7:10-16)

Not only can we have hope because of God’s plan, we can also have hope because we know that God is with His people today! Think of the vulnerable feeling associated with being alone in our world. You don’t have companionship, you don’t have security, and you don’t have people to encourage you in difficult times. John Paton and his wife were missionaries in the New Hebrides Islands and they encountered some opposition from the natives. One night the natives surrounded the mission house and planned on burning the Paton’s inside their home. During this night the couple prayed for the Lord to deliver them. When the morning came, the looked outside and didn’t see their attackers. The Paton’s continued to share the Gospel with these individuals and about a year after the attack, the chief came to accept Christ! Paton asked the chief why he and his men ran away the year before and didn’t burn their house down. The chief asked, “Who were those men with you?” Paton said that there were no other men with them, but the chief went on to say that they left because they had seen hundreds of “big men” in shining garments and swords. What happened to John Paton and his wife? God supernaturally delivered them from the hands of these individuals. God was with them and protected them.

One of the themes throughout the Old Testament is that God is with His people. God delivers His people time and time again, even when they are rebellious and unfaithful. One of the promises in the Old Testament is that there will come a Savior who will be with the people in the flesh. That God will be with them. We see this prophecy in Isaiah 7 with an exchange between the Lord and the King Ahaz

Isaiah 7:10–16 CSB

10 Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz: 11 “Ask for a sign from the Lord your God—it can be as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask. I will not test the Lord.” 13 Isaiah said, “Listen, house of David! Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men? Will you also try the patience of my God? 14 Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel. 15 By the time he learns to reject what is bad and choose what is good, he will be eating curds and honey. 16 For before the boy knows to reject what is bad and choose what is good, the land of the two kings you dread will be abandoned.

We see in these verses a prophecy concerning the son of the virgin who will be named Immanuel. 2 questions for us: What does this have to do with Jesus? And, what is significant with the name Immanuel?

What does Isaiah 7:14 have to do with Jesus Christ?

Isaiah 7:14 shares with us that the sign of the Lord is that the virgin will give birth to a son. In the days of Ahaz, there would have been a literal person named Immanuel who would have been born of a young woman. He would be the shadow of this prophecy - Jesus, born of the virgin Mary, would be the substance. Matthew 1:23 takes this prophecy and ascribes it to Jesus Christ

Matthew 1:23 CSB

23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”

Why is this the case? Because Jesus is born of a virgin and, leading to question #2, Jesus fulfills this prophecy in its entirety.

What is significant about the name Immanuel?

The name Immanuel simply means, “God with us.” John 1:14 shares with us that the Word became flesh - God reached down and put on human flesh in the incarnation as the God-man. You and I can have hope today because we know that Jesus Christ, in the incarnation, descended from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. What does this mean for us? It means this: Whatever it is that you’re going through today… Jesus knows. God is with you. Further, whatever it is that you’re going through, Jesus understands.

Hebrews 4:15 CSB

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.

Friend, you can have hope today because God is with you. God understands what you’re going through. He humbled Himself from the highest of highs to being a servant to those who would eventually crucify Him on the cross. This should give us hope.

We Can Have Hope Because of Who Jesus Is (Isaiah 9:1-7)

As Christmas arrives, yes, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, but we also celebrate who Jesus is. Spurgeon shared that every time he preached he aimed to preach his text and make a beeline to the cross. Why would the prince of preachers make this statement? Because every time we think of the manger, we must also think of the cross. Every time we think of the sacrificial lamb, we must also remember the roaring lion who will come again. Every time we think that we’ve got it all figured out, we must remember who Jesus is. Lots of people celebrate the birth of Jesus to some capacity but we don’t celebrate the cross with the same energy! Why? Because as humans we like to think that we just need a little help, we don’t need life saving surgery. We like to think that we just need a little confidence boost, we don’t need a savior. Everyone loves the manger but many hate the cross. Yet, it’s the same Jesus. You and I can have hope today because of who Jesus is. Because the same Jesus who was born in Bethlehem would live a perfect, sinless life, and die for sinners on the cross some 33 years later outside of Jerusalem.

Isaiah 9 contains within it one of the most beloved prophecies concerning Jesus and who He is. Isaiah shares the people walking in darkness have seen a great life - the light shines on those living in the land of darkness. The light will be with them in the darkness. Further, because the light is with the people they have joy and rejoice because God delivers them from their enemies and oppressors. This prophecy would have made the people of Isaiah’s day excited! They wouldn’t know when their victory would happen, but they would know that it would come in time. They could live with expectancy that God would come through!

Think for a moment about Jesus Christ.

John 8:12 CSB

12 Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

Jesus tells people that He is the great light that was prophesied about in Isaiah’s day. Further, He calls His followers to walk in the light! Not only is Jesus the great light, we know that Jesus defeats His enemies through the cross and resurrection. Isaiah goes on to describe the coming Messiah specifically in verses 6-7 with some well known names and details.

Isaiah 9:6–7 CSB

6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.

We see that the child will be born “for us” - what a profound truth in verse 6! Why did Jesus come? He came for us. He loves us. He died for us. This speaks to both the humanity and deity of Jesus Christ - He would be born as a man and do what only God could do!

Who is Jesus Christ? He is the Savior, the Shepherd, the God-Man, the Son of God, the Sacrificial Lamb, the Suffering Servant, and so much more!

Isaiah describes the coming Messiah with 4 words:

Wonderful Counselor

Mighty God

Eternal Father

Prince of Peace

Wonderful Counselor: This title indicates that the Messiah will do something with miraculous skill and give wise counsel in doing it. In looking to Jesus’ life, we know that the Jews were wanting a military leader to defeat the Romans. Yet, we see in the Gospel’s that the Messiah would do something even better: He would save them from their sins and give them wisdom for the days ahead.

The second term is Mighty God. The word mighty was used in the ancient world often in reference of mighty rulers and powerful warriors. The Messiah would be a mighty person but He would also be God. This highlights the hypostatic union of Jesus.

The third term is Eternal Father. This is another normal word coupled with a supernatural one. We all know Fathers and this is an everyday word for us, yet none of us are an eternal father. We have a birthdate and a death date. We are a father for a temporary time period. Yet, this Messiah will be an eternal father. A father from eternity past and a father for eternity to come. This only applies to God.

The last term is Prince of Peace. Our world looks for peace. The Roman world of Jesus’ day was one marked by relative peace. Yet, true peace never lasts. Jesus’ Kingdom and reign, though, is marked by peace because He is the Prince of Peace. He gives us peace with God through His life, death, and resurrection!

These titles describe what Jesus will do and who He is in His character - yet, verse 7 gives us an even clearer picture into this mystery as Isaiah shares that He will reign and rule His Kingdom with justice and righteousness and His Kingdom will never end. So much could be said about this but we don’t have enough time to uncover all the gems of truth in this text.

Did you know that the United States has only been a country for roughly 250 years? We’ve been the most powerful nation on the planet for a good while, but it hasn’t been forever. In Jesus’ day the major world power was the Roman Empire. If you include the Byzantine Empire you could say that the Romans were the major world power for nearly 1000 years. That’s a whole lot longer than 250, but it’s still not forever. We read in Isaiah 9 and Hebrews 12 that we receive a Kingdom that is eternal and one that cannot be shaken! This is good news, friends. Whenever the kingdoms of this world shake and rage, you can have hope because your King cannot be shaken. Your hope isn’t like the hope of citizens of earthly empires, though, your hope is an eternal hope thanks to your eternal Savior who came to the earth to do for you what you could never do for yourself.

We Can Have Hope Because God Doesn’t Forget (Micah 5:2)

Not only should we have hope because of what Jesus has done, we can have hope because our God remains true to His promises. He doesn’t forget His people. How many of you have forgotten something before? Whether it be an item at the grocery store or something for a trip, forgetting things isn’t fun. Forgetting something might be a little embarrassing for you in the moment, but there are things that sting worse than that. Have you ever been forgotten by someone else? Whether it be being forgotten to be picked up from a church event or being forgotten to be asked to do something, being forgotten by someone else cuts deep. Every human being has a deep desire to be loved - yet, more often than not we find ourselves being burned and left out. What we find in the contents of Scripture, though, is an ever present reminder that our God not only loves us but that our God will never forget about us. We read in texts like John 3:16 that God loves us so much that He sent His Son. We love being loved, but we can’t help but feel as though there’s a catch at times. That there’s something too good to be true. This might be the case with fellow humans, but church this isn’t true of our God! Our God is faithful and He does not forget His promises! He will always come through.

In Micah 5 we come across one final Old Testament prophecy pointing us to the Messiah and we read that the Messiah will be a shepherd for the people of Israel and that the Messiah will rescue the people from the enemy. This is a wonderful text some 600-700 years before Jesus Christ, but we find something astonishing in verse 2 of this chapter.

Micah 5:2 CSB

2 Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.

Bethlehem was located roughly 5 miles southwest of Jerusalem. Jerusalem had large, significant buildings, Bethlehem was seemingly insignificant and small. Jerusalem had the temple and housed the king of Israel. What did Bethlehem have going for it? Bethlehem was the home of David. As Jesus comes, where is He born? Is He born in the palace in the most significant city in the country? No. He’s born 5 miles southwest in a stable. Bethlehem was insignificant to the people of the 1st century world - but it was significant to the Lord. Why? Because God had made a covenantal promise with David hundreds of years before this prophecy in Micah 5 where He said this

2 Samuel 7:12 CSB

12 When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

2 Samuel 7:16 CSB

16 Your house and kingdom will endure before me forever, and your throne will be established forever.’ ”

Again with Old Testament prophecy there is a fulfillment of this much closer to David’s time. We know that David’s Solomon would be king after him and that he would build the temple and expand the Kingdom to great heights. But the dynasty of David would fall apart. The temple would be destroyed. The nation would go into exile. Did God lie? Did God forget His promise to David? No. The fulfillment of this covenant was not found with Solomon but with the Messiah. With Jesus Christ!

Church, God doesn’t forget His promises. He doesn’t forget His children. He doesn’t abandon His own. He walks with His people through the fire. Even in the worst of the worst, you can have hope because you know that God hasn’t forgotten about you and that God will not go back on His promises.

Conclusion

Where is your hope today, friend? My prayer is that during the Christmas season that you and I would wait on the Lord with hope. The Christmas season is one of waiting. The people of Israel waited on the Messiah for thousands of years. We have the benefit of living after Jesus and we can say with absolutely confidence and certainty that Jesus came Because Jesus came, you and I can have hope today. We can have hope because Jesus can sympathize with us in our weakness. We can have hope today because Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sin. We can have hope because we know that this world is not the end. We can have hope because we know that God is at work in all things for our good and for His glory.

What will you do with this hope? Will you allow your light to go out or will you allow your light to shine before others during the Christmas season? The candle has been lit, the fire is burning, time is running out. He has come and He will come again. I pray in the days ahead this Christmas season that you and I would be faithful to proclaim the truth of Christmas and share with others that all of our hope lies in the fact that He came, lived, died, and rose from the dead. Our hope is that Jesus still saves sinners! Have hope and rejoice today.