With Christmas in the air- there’s a spirit, a sense of hope all around. It’s a lot like a child waiting at the window for Santa to arrive. Or the child that is waiting for Dad to come home or anticipating the arrival of Grandma and Grandpa. Maybe that was you, you kept looking out the window- you checked your watch or your phone numerous times to see the time. You waited with joy, anticipation, and an eagerness to see that person that you were waiting for. It was a hope that, that person would be there any minute. Waiting and watching looking out the window. That hope would be realized as that person arrived, or it would be crushed when they didn’t show. The Hope believers have in the King is a sure hope- one that never disappoints. It is the hope that we have in God’s promises and the hope that is available to each one of us.
First, what is hope? Our friend Miriam Webster says: Hope is: 1a: to cherish a desire with anticipation, to expect with confidence : trust, someone or something on which hopes are centered.
Hope is one of the most important emotions that we have. Hope drives us to stick with the task, to anticipate a better day ahead, even to follow a star. The wisemen- or magi were – hoping on a star! They recognized the signs of the times and knew that it was the time for the King of the Jews to be born. Matthew gives us a short account of the journey of these people.
“About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2.
These astronomers, men of science recognized a star, and the signs associated with that star. They also understood the scriptures written about the coming of the King of the Jews too. (not a king like Herod, but one with a Spiritual emphasis) – They were hoping, and they were acting on that hope. They didn’t wait around until He became an earthly king- they started out on their journey- up to two years before Jesus’ birth to meet this new King. Their ‘hope’ was to see this child and give Him their worship. With that hope they headed toward Judea- When they arrived in Jerusalem; thinking a king would be born there, but instead they met Herod and discovered through the book of Micah- in the Old Testament- that the new King would be born in Bethlehem.
Their hope was realized once they found the child with his parents in Bethlehem. They were able to worship and bow before King Jesus as He sat on His mother’s lap! They left rejoicing and hopeful for the future of the world, because of the arrival of King Jesus.
The writer of Hebrews said, in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. ”
As believers we have faith in God. And because of that faith we have hope that everything He has planned will come true. There’s a big difference between the dictionary meaning of hope and the Biblical meaning. True hope can only come from a relationship with God. True hope only comes though the God Factor. True hope knows that God always keeps His promises. Your hope must be based on the fact of who God is and nothing else. If God is not the object of your hope, then you don’t have true biblical hope because the certainty has been removed. Without that certainty, your hope simply reverts back to a wish. We can have this hope as believers because we have the certainty that God does not lie! We have the certainty that God always keeps His promises.
If God has said it, you can trust his promise because it is impossible for God to lie. This trust therefore becomes an anchor for the soul. Anchors are designed to keep you steady so that you will not be moved. This anchor; that it is impossible for God to lie, is the foundation for your certainty and the backbone for your hope. It is the reason why you and I can have hope today.
Whether what you’re hoping for is as simple as good weather for New Years Eve plans or a hope that the cancer will not return- you can place your hope in the certainty that Jesus Christ is the King. He is the one that came as a baby to Bethlehem. He is the one that healed the lame, the sick, the blind, got rid of demons and taught the multitudes. He is the one that went to the cross and died there. He is the one that went to the grave for 3 days and laid there. He is the one that rose victorious from the grave 3 days later!!! Our hope is secure- our hope is in a God that created the world we live in, and He can raise the dead!!! Our hope has a sure and certain foundation when it is built on Jesus Christ.
Hope isn’t delusional. It isn’t denial. It doesn't ignore the real challenges, details of the diagnosis, or dwindling money in the checking account. It doesn’t ignore the trouble, or make excuses, or deny danger. It is not pretending. Hope is acknowledging the truth of the situation and seeking God’s direction in it. It’s showing up and working through the hard stuff, believing that something better is possible. Persevering even when it looks hopeless. As we look towards the future we can Hope because we know that God is in control and that God always keeps His promises. Our hope is greater than any of our worries and fears.
Hope in the King- He is here, and He is coming again.
