I love Christmas. I don’t care that it’s a pagan festival stolen by Christians hundreds of years ago. I don’t care that, of all the dates that could’ve been chosen to celebrate His birth, December 25th is the least likely true date. I don’t care what the world or even what other Christians thinks about having a tree in your house, or decorating the tree, or having Christmassy food.
For me, Christmas is all about Jesus. Even the gifts hanging on the tree remind me of the greatest gift that God gave hanging on that tree 2000 years ago. Christmas dinner reminds me of the wonderful wedding feast that is yet to come – including the sprouts.
Even walking the streets at night-time and seeing all the lights reminds me that we, as Christians should arise, shine, for our light has come.
Christmas is all about hope. Hope that a world ensnared by sin and walking in darkness can be set free and drawn to His marvellous light.
Hope that a world torn apart by war and hatred and division can be healed, restored, forgiven.
Hope that peace can be known. There may not be peace between countries, but we can know peace with God.
That’s what peace on earth and goodwill towards men means. In sending a baby in a manger God declared that His wrath against man was ended. That God the Son would pay the price for our sins that we might receive the free gift of salvation found only in Jesus Christ.
If you are a Christian then you have that hope in you.
Hebrews 11: 1 says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
And you can’t be a Christian without faith.
Hebrews 11: 6 says without faith it is impossible to please God.
For some though we have got that used to our ‘faith’ it no longer has much of an impact on our lives. Faith becomes like a religious tradition; something we do on a Sunday morning. Those with really strong faith might turn up to a Thursday night bible study or prayer meeting.
But that’s not faith. Faith should fill us with joy and peace because faith in God is to believe something that is steadfast and certain and then to act upon it.
We might have hope, but the thrill of hope is gone.
Do you remember what it’s like the first time you do something outside your comfort zone?
The first time you went on a rollercoaster, or to a concert, or on a plane? Or the first time you had to get up and speak or perform in front of a large crowd.
Do you remember the fear? The excitement? The adrenaline rush? The thrill of it all?
We should live in the thrill of hope.
Romans 12: 9-12 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.
Paul here commands us to not be hypocrites, to hate evil and to grab hold and not let go of what is good. To be kind and affectionate with a practical love that is worked out in how we treat one another. The command to be diligent ties in with be fervent in spirit. It means to be on fire for Jesus and aglow with His Holy Spirit, and we should serve the Lord by serving one another. Each one of these commands is a sermon on its own, but I want us to look at those last three commands from Paul in verse 12.
Rejoice in hope; be patient in tribulation, and continue steadfastly in prayer.
Rejoice In Hope
Now when we talk about hope we are talking about spiritual hope. This is not hoping your football team will win, or that your lottery ticket comes up. This a hope that is steadfast and certain.
This hope knows that no matter how black and stormy the clouds may be on any given day, the sun is shining brightly above them.
Whatever this life may throw at you, Christ has won the victory.
In John 16:33 Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
This world is full of things that don’t really excite us. Instead, they drag us down into pits of despair.
But the Bible says that we can overcome the things of the world just as Jesus Christ has overcome the world. Therefore, we not only have hope, but we can be confident and bold in our hope.
And our hope is not in this world alone, but in the promise of another, better, place waiting for us.
1 Cor. 15: 12- 20 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead
Titus 1: 1-2 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.
That’s the hope; this is where faith kicks in. It’s the evidence of things not seen; And we can rejoice in this hope, regardless of how bad things might get in this life, our God promises to wipe away every tear, to clothe us in righteousness, and to change us into incorruptible eternal beings. To know as we are fully known, and to finally know His peace that surpasses all understanding. Now that’s something to rejoice about!
