The Hope of Christmas

Introduction

The Person and Position of God in Our Lives — (Vs. 15a)

A. The Person

“Lord” is the Greek word (kyrios) and it means master. It conveys the idea of someone who is in a position of authority.

“God” is the Greek word (theos) and speaks of a transcendent being worthy of reverence and respect. In the Old Testament is the translation of the Hebrew word (elohim) and speaks of the God of Israel.

B. The Position

“Sanctify” is the Greek word (hagiazō) and it means to consecrate, to make holy, to sanctify, hallow or treat as holy. It describes the divine act of setting aside as sacred.

John MacArthur — But in this context it also connotes giving the primary place of adoration, exaltation, and worship to Christ. Believers who sanctify Christ set Him apart from all others as the sole object of their love, reverence, loyalty, and obedience. They recognize His perfection, magnify His glory, extol His pre-eminence, and submit themselves to His will.

“Hearts” is the Greek word (kardia.) It is used approximately 1,000 times in the Bible and although literally it speaks of the vital organ, it more often than not is speaking of the inner being of a person. The inner most part that controls every aspect of the human life. It speaks of perception, volition, and intellect.

In the Old Testament, when speaking of the heart it was given that you were also speaking of the mind as in the thoughts and intents of the heart. The two were intertwined and inseparable.

So, when Peter says here to… “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts”, what he is really saying is to make sure that God is holding the place of preeminence in your life that He deserves!

Is God Lord and Master of your life?

Does He hold the most prominent place in your mind?

If not friend, then the first thing you need to do is remove whatever it is that is in that number one position and place Him there!

Without God at the helm, calamity is sure to be your end but with God at the helm, there is no storm of life that can sink your ship!

We see the Person of God and the place that He should hold in our lives. Next, we I want you to see the Promptness of Our Presentation.

The Promptness of Our Presentation — (Vs. 15b)

“Be ready” literally means to be prepared!

“Always” means constantly and continually!

We are to be prepared continually to give an answer to every man that asketh the reason of the hope that is in us!

What does the Bible mean here though when it says we are to be continually prepared to give an answer?

The word “Answer” is the Greek work (apologia).

It’s where we get our English word “apology” and “apologetics” from but this word does not mean what our English translation means for it does not mean to apologize but rather in it’s original context it means to give a formal defense.

It means to defend oneself, to make a formal justification as in a courtroom setting.

So what Peter is literally saying here is that we ought to always be ready to give a defense of our faith.

Now, this isn’t in a derogatory way but rather we should be constantly prepared to tell people why we believe what we believe.

We ought to always be ready to defend our faith when questioned and be ready to explain what we believe and why!

Now, how do we ensure that we are continually prepared?

By studying the Word of God, Amen!

2 Timothy 2:15 — Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We are to study the Word of God and settle it in our hearts in order that we might be able to give a defense of our faith if questioned!

If I were to ask you why you believe in God this morning, how many of you stand ready to give a defense of your faith?

How many could stand up in a split second and begin to tell me who you believe in and why you believe what you say you believe?

Listen, when you have sanctified the Lord God in your hearts, when you have given Him the place of preeminence He deserves you know what will happen?

You will want to know as much about Him as you can so that if questioned, you would be rock solid in your answer to the questioner!

The reason most people aren’t continually prepared to give a defense of their faith is because they haven’t sanctified God in their hearts!

Do you stand ready to give an answer if asked this morning of the hope that is within you?

If not, do a quick priority check of your life and ask yourself where God ranks on your list of priorities!

So we’ve looked at the Person and Place of God in Our Lives, the Promptness of Our Presentation, and lastly before we get into the meat of the message, I want you to see the Posture of Our Presentation.

The Posture of Our Presentation — (Vs. 15c)

When someone questions us about our faith, we aren’t to get all up in arms but rather the Bible tells us to give every man an answer of the hope that lies within us with “meekness” and “fear.”

The word “meekness” means gentleness and humility.

Paul told young Timothy in…

2 Tim. 2:25 — In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

We are to be gentle with those who question us. We are to answer them with a posture of humility and not pride.

We aren’t to get angry at their questioning but understand that they may have never been taught what we believe.

They may not have been fortunate to have been raised in Church their whole lives like some of us have been.

They may have not ever had someone tell them of the goodness of God and how wonderful a relationship with Him is and therefore we are to answer them with gentleness and humility!

A prideful or arrogant attitude towards a lost person is the last thing that will bring them to Christ!

More than likely, it will do right the opposite and drive them from Christ for who wants to keep company with a prideful, arrogant person?

There is no room for pride or arrogance in the Kingdom of God and there ought not be room for it in the life of the believer either!

If there is a seed of arrogance or pride lingering in you today, do yourself a favor and lay it at the foot of the cross for pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall!

We are to be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh us about the reason of hope that lie within us with meekness and also with “fear”.

The word “fear” in some translations reads as “reverence.”

Reverence for what?

Reverence for God, reverence for the gift of His Son, reverence for the grace of God that was bestowed upon us, reverence for the opportunity to have a relationship with Him, reverence for His Holy Word that was left behind as a road map to lead us to Him, reverence for God’s sovereignty over all situations, reverence for salvation and most importantly for the opportunity to share it with others!

We are humbled by the opportunity and reverence the duty we have been given to share it with others!

We are to have a posture of meekness and fear, of humility and reverence when it comes to sharing with others the hope that lies within us!

Which brings us to the crux of the message today…what is our hope?

What is our hope in?

It’s not a what but a who, Amen!

Our hope, the hope of Christmas is not in Santa Clause. It’s not in elves or presents under the tree. Our hope lies not in family get together’s and full bellies but rather our hope this morning lies in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Paul told Timothy in the very first verse of his first letter to him that the Lord Jesus Christ is our hope!

In Titus, Paul refers to Jesus as our blessed hope, our God and our Savior!

To the Colossians, Paul says that Christ in us is the “hope of glory!”

Peter refers to Jesus in 1st Peter 1:3 as our lively (or living) hope!

You see friend, the Lord Jesus Christ is our hope! In Him was life; and the life was the light of men!

1 John 5:11-12 — And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Paul said to the Ephesians in...

Ephesians 2:12-18 — [12] That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: [13] But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. [14] For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us ; [15] Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; [16] And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: [17] And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. [18] For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Jesus Christ is the hope of Christmas!

Without Jesus the Christ there would be no Christmas and without Jesus there would be no hope for mankind!

Romans 6:23 — For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus is God’s gift to mankind to reconcile sinners like you and I to Himself!

He came as a babe born of a virgin that we might be born again, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes so that He might wrap us in a robe of salvation, He lived a perfect life because we couldn’t, He died a sinners death in our place, He rose again to defeat a foe that had power over us and He sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us because He is our propitiation!

He came the first time for us, He’s coming again to receive us unto Himself that where He is there we may be also!

He is our life, our Lord and our hope and His name is Jesus!

When asked of the Hope that lieth within us, we need be able to explain to people how Jesus is The Foundation of Our Faith!

The Foundation of Our Faith

Paul told the Corinthians in...

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 — [10] According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. [11] For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:19-21 — [19] Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; [20] And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone ; [21] In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Our faith, our hope, stands firm or crumbles upon the person of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Paul told the Corinthians in...

1 Corinthians 15:19 — If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

If our only hope of Christ ended with death what good would it do us?

That’s not much of a hope now is it?

But our hope in Christ lies not only in this life but in the life to come because He has promised those who believed upon Him life eternal!

Well preacher that’s all wishful thinking and that’s a great story about how this man named Jesus is the foundation of your faith but that all sounds like a nice fairy tale to me!

You’re going to have to give me more to go on than that.

I need you to tell me why you believe this Book called a Bible. Why do believe that this man named Jesus is who He claimed to be?

Our answer should be because of The First Hand Knowledge of Eyewitnesses who saw Him!

The First Hand Knowledge of Eyewitnesses — (1 John 1:1-2)

I want to take just a moment here and make sure we’re all on the same page.

When the Bible says, “that which was from the beginning” it’s not speaking of the moment that Jesus entered this world as a baby.

When it says, “that which was from the beginning” it’s speaking about eternity past.

Just as there is no beginning and no ending to God the Father, there is also no beginning or ending to God the Son!

John 1:1–2, 14

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

He is without beginning and without end, He is alpha and omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last! That which was, and is, and is to come, Amen!

John says, “that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”

John is telling us here, “look this isn’t someone we’ve only heard about but we have first hand knowledge of the events contained herein!

We have seen Him!

We have heard Him!

He have handled Him!”

Friend that’s why we believe the Bible!

That’s why we believe in this man named Jesus!

Because we have eyewitness accounts of the things written in these Books!

These men walked with Him, they talked with Him, they lived with Him and learned from Him!

Certain of these men even heard Him talk with His heavenly Father on the mount of transfiguration!

Peter said in...

2 Peter 1:16-18 — [16] For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. [17] For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. [18] And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

Peter and James were there!

They heard God the Father speak of His dearly beloved Son!

They witnessed the face of Jesus shine like the sun and His raiment turn white as the light!

These men, for a brief moment witnessed the glory of God revealed upon His Son and that kind of eye witness account is why we believe!

Now, if it had of just been one or two witnesses a man might say well they just made up the story and collaborated together to make everyone believe the made up story but friend when you have hundreds of people on the same page, there’s not denying it’s authenticity!

Paul told the Corinthians in...

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 — [3] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; [4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: [5] And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: [6] After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. [7] After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. [8] And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

He was seen by His 12 most trusted followers first. Then, over 500 people seen Him at the same time. Then His brother James and the apostles and finally as one born our of due time, the unbelieving Apostle Paul himself.

Hundreds of eyewitness accounts speak of a resurrected Christ!

Not one, not two, not ten but hundreds of people seen the Lord Jesus Christ after His resurrection!

These eyewitness accounts speak of our hope and give us hope, Amen!

And this hope, our resurrected Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is what brings us into Fellowship with the Father.

The Fellowship of the Father — (1 John 1:3,5-7)

Just as we have no hope without Jesus, we also have no fellowship with the Father or other believers without Jesus!

John 14:6 — Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

These people who believe they are going to make it into heaven without believing in the Son are sorely mistaken for without the Son, there can be no fellowship with the Father!

Ephesians 2:15-18 — [15] Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; [16] And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: [17] And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. [18] For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

In our fallen, sinful state, there was enmity between God and man because of our sin but Christ came that that enmity might be slain on the cross of Calvary through His blood thus ushering in a new living way which is through Him!

If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin!

Through his blood we are made clean!

Through Jesus we find fellowship with God and man!

And not only do we find fellowship but we also find forgiveness!

The Forgiveness of Our Sins — (1 John 1:8-10)

Romans 3:10 — As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:23 — For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Psalm 103:12 — As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Hebrews 9:22-28

22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;

26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

This morning, I want you to know that Christ not only died for my sins and your sins but He also died for the sins of all mankind so that all who would look to Him and believe upon Him, He shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation!

This means if you will believe upon Him, the hope of Christmas, the hope of all mankind, my hope and your hope, and be willing to tell others about Him you shall be saved which brings us full circle to where I want to end this morning.

When you come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, when you understand the price He paid with His life so that you might have eternal life, then you will be prepared to share that hope with others and experience the fullness of joy that relationship with Him brings!

The Fullness of Joy that He Brings — (1 John 1:4)

Jesus told John in...

John 15:11 — These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

1 Peter 1:3-9 — [3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, [5] Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: [7] That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: [8] Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: [9] Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

The hope of Christmas, the hope of all mankind, lies in the Christ child that was born some 2000 years ago named Jesus of Nazareth.

We have not seen Him, yet we love Him.

We have not held Him, yet we believe in Him.

We rejoice with joy unspeakable at His coming for without Him we are lost and undone in our sins and know that death and doom shall be our demise.

He is The Hope of Christmas and Our Hope of Eternal Salvation!

Is He yours?