The Birth of Hope
Two disciples of John the Baptist had traveled over dusty roads and many miles to see Jesus. Now they sat with Him, face to face. In eager anticipation, they asked him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
For the last 400 years before John, there had been no prophetic voices of God, no miracles recorded. Israel—once a mighty and sovereign nation—had come under the iron fist of Caesar and the Roman Empire. Hope for a better tomorrow was dim for most Jewish people.
But as John’s disciples looked on, “that very hour [Jesus] cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind he gave sight” (Luke 7:19-21).
Indeed, beginning with the birth of a baby boy in a manger, hope had been reborn for the children of Israel.
Soon, whispers and rumors started to spread of this man from Galilee who set captives free, cured many diseases, cast out demons, and healed the brokenhearted—a man who came to restore hope.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” -Luke 4:18-19
For some, the Christmas season can be a time of sorrow instead of joy and hope. Possibly the loss of loved ones, a bad financial situation, or various circumstances in life make it tough to rejoice.
But in instances of darkness, it’s always been our job to keep our eyes on the light. As long as we have the King of kings, the Prince of Peace, the Anointed One at our side—there is no mountain high enough we can’t conquer. There is no grave we can’t arise from. As long as we have Jesus, we have hope—a confident expectation of a better tomorrow.
If the waves of life are beating against you and you feel like you might drown, Jesus is with you to silence the storm (Mark 4:35-41).
If you feel like you are out of control, addicted to various things, maybe even harassed by evil spirits, Jesus can set you free (Luke 8:26-39).
Even if you’ve strayed from Christianity and God, or had a time in your life where you’ve denied Jesus, restoration is possible (John 21:15-19, Luke 15:11-24).
Time and time again, we see people in the Bible—imperfect, flawed, sick, demon possessed, etc.—who came into contact with Jesus and the trajectory of their lives radically changed for the better.
But this hope is not only for a victorious life on Earth. We know Jesus also brought hope for something even better—the opportunity to live for the rest of eternity in paradise.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” -Romans 8:18
As the wise men who followed the Bethlehem star, see the light of a better tomorrow with Jesus this Christmas. Surrender all worry, fear, and anxiety, and choose worship at the feet of the King of Hope.