December 8, 2024 NOTES NOT EDITED
Advent 2024: A Moment of Hope
Mat. 2:1-2; Lk. 2:1-14
Not everyone is full of hope at
Christmas time. Some are like the old, miserly, bitter man in the famous
Dicken’s Story: A Christmas Carol. Of course, I’m referring to Ebenezer Scrooge who
gives us one of the most recognizable phrases in English: “Bah, Humbug!” That’s this old, crotchety,
spiteful miser’s response to the Christmas Season.
The word “humbug” was common in Dickens day over a 170 years ago, as it is today. Some say it referred to bees and wasps and their buzzing sound and annoying behavior. It came to refer to something fraudulent, underhanded, or misleading. Scrooge felt Christmas was just a huge fraud to provide people a way to get out of working for the day, as Scrooge tells his employee, Bob Cratchet on one occasion.
Nothing will kill the Christmas spirit faster than the “scrooge of despair.” Every year at Christmas time stores put on dozens of new employees to cover the Christmas rush. In fact, many retailers make as much as 50% of their annual total sales at Christmas time. With the additional throng of Christmas shoppers, additional sales people are needed. Amazingly, the Devil does the same thing. Every Christmas season the Devil must work ten times harder to overcome the contagious spirit of HOPE that exists this time of the season. He puts his demons on double-duty to try to quench any small glimmer of hope that he sees building in the heart of men, women or children. His number one weapon against the joy of Christmas is despair--HOPELESSNESS. He knows if he can get you worrying about life, you won’t have time for worshipping the Lord.
The Devil knows that without “hope,” the hope of Christmas simply dies out and shrivels up like a leave at the chill of fall. So, this Christmas we need to spread the message: Christmas Is a Moment of Hope. Jesus was born to bring us a “Hope!” A hope that comes from a star, a song, and a Cross.
Without hope we all become like Scrooge—desperate for meaning in life. Desperate for love. Without hope life becomes one meaningless minute followed by another . . . and another, . . . and another until life runs out of minutes and the clock of life ticks no more.. Hope is as essential to happiness as air is to life.
In the Christmas story we find
three elements that give us hope.
Let’s read that hope-filled passage
together: Luke 2:1-7.
Luke 2:1–7 (NIV84) 1 In those days Caesar
Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman
world. 2 (This was the first
census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to
register. 4 So Joseph also went up
from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David,
because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was
pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the
baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in
cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the
inn.
The Christmas Story gives us the three essential elements needed to live a hope-filled life in a haphazard world: a star, a song, and a Savior. Let’s go first to Matthew to see the first element of hope.
1. We have a Star – the sign of God’s Providence (Mat. 2:1-2)
2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
Providence, (often initial capital letter), refers to the foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the earth. From “pro” (before) plus “video” (to see)
The “star” reminds us of the Providence of God – this gives us great hope because – like the “star” – God goes before us in life making sure and certain His plan for our lives will unfold just as He has planned they would, regardless of our circumstances.
The Bethlehem Star: what a
wonderful part of the Christmas story.
Today, skeptics deny the star; scholars debate the star; but, wise men still follow the star! The Star WAS NOT a Comet, or a Constellation, or some “natural” phenomenon. The star represents for us God’s miraculous providential guidance in our lives. It is this sense of direction that helps dispel any sense of doom or despair in our lives.
Despair is certainly not something new. It did not originate in
this the 21st century. Every generation has faced discouraging times. Yet, our present generations seems to be lacking something former generations counted on–direction. As a nation, until our present time, there seemed to be no doubt as to “who we are and where we are going.” We had a sense of “manifest destiny.” There was a mindset that the course of America was set by the compass of Almighty God and He had a plan for our nation. This sense of manifest destiny helped our forefathers throw off the yoke of British rule and forge this nation through a great civil war, two world wars, various conflicts and a great depression. We always seemed to land on our feet as a nation regardless of how bad the situation was at hand. We have always been a “hopeful nation” because we believed in the Providential hand of God upon our lives. We were indeed, One Nation Under God and, as such, we were invincible. Just like the Star of Bethlehem guided the Wise Men to Jesus, we have sensed that same guiding hand of God on our nation – until this present generation.
We seem to be a nation lacking in
direction. In generations past,
our grandparents did not debate when life began. They knew that a pregnant woman carried a baby, not just a blob of tissue. Today, we even kill babies “after they are born” – legally! We used to know marriage was between a man and a woman. We used to know the difference between a boy and a girl.
We have lost our way. We have lost our hope. In short, we as a nation have lost sight of the star of God’s Providence in our lives. Our wise men no longer look to God’s Book to find guidance as the Wise Men of Old looked to the Book to interpret the meaning of the Bethlehem Star. We have lost sight of the Star of God’s guidance and we wander aimlessly through life confused by the speech of experts and abused by those in power.
When Jesus was born there was a
Star. If we want to beat back
despair and find hope in our lives, we need to find the Star of God’s Guidance for our lives once again. Without God’s direction we will fall into the pit of despair. An anonymous writer wrote recently, “the greatest need of our time and our generation is to find a star--a singular goal, objective, or ideal--upon which we can fix our gaze and toward which together we can move. The tragedy of our time is that people are pulling in so many different directions that, rather than moving toward the Kingdom of God, we seem more likely to be headed toward anarchy.
It will most certainly get much darker in the future. Hopelessness will continue to grow. People will begin to grasp even more wildly for someone or something to follow. We need a star from on high to follow. We need a vision of a better world toward which to strive. If there is any urgent demand being thrust upon the Christian church today, it is the plaintive plea of society to the church to translate the concept of the Kingdom of God into concrete Twenty-first Century language.”
This is absolutely true. To find hope in life we need to find
God’s Star to follow once again.
2. We also need a Song to have hope for tomorrow. (Lk. 2:13-14)
13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!
Now, it does not specifically say that the angels “sang” these words, but it was definitely a “song of praise from a heavenly choir.” And, we have been singing Christmas carols ever sense.
Whether they sang it or said it, the key issue in having hope is “praising and pleasing God.” The word used here is almost totally a “Judeo/Christian” word. Eudokia means receiving the “eu”—good—dokia—pleasure” of God. The KJV calls it “good will.” The NASB refers to it as ones “with whom God is pleased.” The Message Paraphrase says peace comes “to all men and women on earth who please Him.”
Have you ever noticed how much
singing there is associated with
Christmas? Singing and Christmas are almost synonymous. Churches perform cantatas and everyone from rappers to pop stars put out a Christmas album.
But, what is most important is not that the angels DID or DID NOT actually sing, but what the MESSAGE actually was about. It was about HOPE for those that have found God’s pleasure through salvation based upon His free gift of grace. HOPE is something we can discover and appropriate for ourselves. HOPE is a gift from God.
Singing at Christmas time is as old as the Christmas story itself. . The text never really says directly that the angels sang, but it does give us the MESSAGE they brought. It was a message of HOPE.
13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!
The Jews at this time lived under the heavy hand of the Roman Emperor. They could not express themselves as the People of God without fear of retaliation. They were barely tolerated, but not much more. The angels sang (or heralded) about the hope of a brighter future of blessing for all men upon whom the favor of God rested. The song was a testimony of the power of the presence of God. If God’s favor rests upon us – that is we surrender to His grace in our lives – then, regardless of the circumstances of life we can have hope. War or peace. Feast or famine. Sickness or health. Good circumstances or bad. God’s people always have “hope.”
The circumstances were not good that first Christmas. Mary was young and unmarried. Herod, the Jewish King, was hostile to the very idea of the birth of a King of Kings. The night air was cold and the inn was closed to Mary, Joseph and Jesus. It was not at all an ideal situation. But, there is no note of despair in the song of the angels – only hope. Hope because a new day was dawning. Hope because the Presence of God now was dwelling among men. The Bible says that where people are singing praises, God’s presence will dwell. We can have hope regardless of our circumstances if we know that God is with us. He is still Emmanuel – God with us. And, we know that if “God is for us and with us nothing can stand against us. “
Oh how we need to hear the Song of Christmas that reminds us thatGod presence is with us. Where God’s favor rests, there is hope. We need the Star of God’s guidance to have hope. We need the Song of Praise reminding us God’s presence is with us if we want to have hope. But, more than a Star and more than a Song,
3. We have a Cross (Luke 2:11)
You won’t find many crosses hanging as ornaments on Christmas trees, or in light shows about Christmas. In fact, you won’t notice the cross in the story of Christmas . . . unless you look closely and listen carefully to the “Message of the Angel” delivered so heavenly to the lowly shepherds that first Christmas night:
Luke 2:9–11 (NIV84) 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
Unless Jesus is the Savior of your soul, you can never have the kind of hope that endures any situations and conquers any circumstance. As beautiful as it is to have a Star to follow and a Song to sing, without a Savior we have no reason to have hope.
Unless you come to understand that JESUS WAS BORN TO DIE for the world, you
will NEVER grasp the meaning, or gain the hope of Christmas. Christmas is most
certainly about decorating trees, but much more importantly Christmas is about
a SAVIOR WHO DIED ON A TREE—AND OLD RUGGED CROSS.
[[PERHAPS IT CAN BEST BE
SAID IN A SONG: “BORN TO DIE.”]]
How important it is to see the title given to that little child born so long ago. Who did the heavenly host say was born that day in the city of David?
“Today, in
the city of David is born to you a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord!”
Christmas is about salvation. It is about an “eternal hope.”
Throughout my life I have been
asked a strange question by strangers I’ve met.
On occasion a stranger I chance to talk with will ask me:
“What is your sign?” By this the person means, of course, what zodiac sign was I born under. Different months of the year have different signs. For example, my sign is “Taurus, the bull.” Now, many people take this “horoscope” stuff very seriously. But, I must tell you that it makes no difference whatsoever what sign you were born under – it has not affect on your life whatsoever!
Now, this is not entirely true of Jesus. He was born under a very special sign. The birth sign of Jesus defined His entire earthly existence. I’m not talking about some sign of the mythical zodiac. I’m talking about the Sign of the Cross. Even in the manger of Bethlehem the cross of Calvary cast a shadow over Jesus Christ. He was born to die for the sins of the world. He was born under the sign of the cross. From before the foundation of the world, Jesus was the Lamb that would be slain for our sins. He has always been, the Savior. As Jesus stood before Pilate, soon to be condemned to die a horrible death, Pilate tried to extract a plea bargain from Jesus so that Pilate could find reason to let this innocent man go. Jesus would not bargain. The cross was His destiny. Jesus replied to Pilate:
“FOR THIS CAUSE I have
come into the world, that I should
bear witness to the truth” (Jn. 18:37)
And what was “the truth?” It is the truth that we need a Savior
and God provided one for us in Jesus Christ. Friends, if you feel like you have no hope. If you feel like our friend George Bailey that you have nothing to live for there is “hope.” There is hope in the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jesus was dispatched by God OVER 2000 years ago to save us from sin
and despair. Our Savior Jesus Christ is
always standing near us. He is always
ready to deliver us from whatever crushing circumstance we might find ourselves. Because Jesus is always standing at the ready
to save us, we can have hope. God didn’t
give us a teacher to take away our ignorance. God did not give us a soldier to
remove the oppression of our enemies. God did not send us a doctor to alleviate
all our suffering. God did not send us a philosopher to fill our minds with
lofty ideas.
God sent us a SAVIOR, Born to Die for Our sins. Our problem was sin and God’s
solution was a Cross. [CAN SKIP THE FOLLOWING STORY FOR TIME]
There is an old story told many times that explains beautifully what the Bible means when it says, “To us a Savior was born.” It was Christmas Eve and the man's wife and children were getting ready to go to church. He wasn't going. "I simply can't understand what Christmas is all about, this claim that God became man," he told his wife. It had been snowing all day and it was beginning to snow harder as the man's family rode off to church without him. He drew a chair up to the fireplace and began to read his newspaper. A few minutes later, there was a thudding sound at the kitchen window. When he went to investigate, he found a flock of birds out in the back yard. They had been caught in the storm, and in a desperate search for shelter, were trying to fly through the kitchen window. He was a very kind man so he tried to think of something he could do so the birds wouldn't freeze. "The barn!" he thought. That would be a nice shelter. He put on his coat and overshoes and tramped through the deepening snow to the barn and opened the door wide and turned on the light. But the birds didn't come in. Food will bring them in he thought. So he hurried back to the house for breadcrumbs which he sprinkled on the snow to make a trail to the barn. But the birds ignored the bread crumbs and continued to flop around helplessly in the snow. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around waving his arms. They scattered in every direction except into the warm, lighted barn. "They find me a strange and terrifying creature," he said to himself, "and I can't seem to think of any way to let them know they can trust me."
Puzzled and dismayed, he pondered this thought, "If only I could be a bird myself for the moment, perhaps I could lead them to safety." If only I could be a bird myself . . .
Just then the church bells began to ring, pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. The man stood silently for a minute, then sank to his knees in the snow. "Now I understand," he whispered as he lifted his gaze to the sky. "Now I see why You had to become man."
Friends, to have hope we need a Star. We need the guidance that only God can give. To have hope we also need a song. This is the song that a heart sings when it is overshadowed by the presence of Almighty God breaking in upon one’s life. We need a star to follow and song to sing, but most of all we need the CROSS.
Christmas is not about a baby in a
manger, but a Savior on a Cross.
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