Advent: Week One

In the busyness of the holidays, it is so easy to get worn out and exhausted as we look at the never-ending to-do list. BUT JESUS. Because of Jesus, we can have HOPE. The prophets of the Old Testament spoke of the HOPE that all people could be counted as part of the family of God and that Jesus the Messiah would come. Jesus Himself spoke of the HOPE we can have to spend eternity with Him and knowing that He will return. 

After his anguish,
he will see light and be satisfied.
By his knowledge,
my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will carry their iniquities.

Isaiah 53:11, CSB

Hope for all People (including Gentiles) to be included in the Family of God

I’m not Jewish by birth or ancestry. Chances are, you are not either. Only 0.2% of the world’s population is Jewish. Back thousands of years ago, as told in Genesis 12, the Israelite people began. These are the same people that were later called “Jews.” Many times God refers to them as His “chosen people” throughout the narrative of the Old Testament. Since I'm not Jewish, where does this leave me? Am I automatically uninvited from following God and becoming one of His “people”?

No, this gives me hope: Isaiah 49:6:

he says,
“It is not enough for you to be my servant
raising up the tribes of Jacob
and restoring the protected ones of Israel.
I will also make you a light for the nations,
to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

God already had envisioned a world where all nations would be able to follow Him. “To the ends of the earth” is a comical statement to me because to have a physical end would mean something has to be any shape but spherical. Obviously our planet is a sphere… so can there be a physical end? I take this part of the verse to mean all nations, all people, everywhere. 

We see the conclusion of this hope in this verse: 

Galatians 4:4-5: When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

We non-Jewish, non “Chosen People” of Israel; we sinful, selfish, Gentiles; God has allowed US to be redeemed. God has adopted US to be His sons and daughters. Verse 7 of that same chapter says that “God has made you an heir.” It’s not like God went to the pound and felt pity for that sweet, yet dirty puppy and said “ehh, I have enough space, money, and love. I might as well adopt it.” No, God decided, long before you and I were even imagined, to send Jesus to redeem us. He chose to adopt us as children; to make us like His own blood relative; to include us in His “last will and testament” and inheritance. So what are we inheriting? Keep reading and you’ll find out.

Hope for Jesus’ First Coming

For the prophets of the Old Testament, life was tough. I mean look at the book of Joel - plagues and judgements and warnings abound. I can imagine the righteous people could easily have been overwhelmed by the “doom and gloom” being shared because of Israel’s sins. But we see glimpses of HOPE sprinkled throughout the prophets; signs of a coming Savior who will avenge. Even greater than that, we see a Savior who will save people! It’s really not hard to imagine being hopeless and lost and stuck in sin- we’ve all been there. Can you remember the HOPE you felt when you realized that this isn’t all there is to life?? I imagine that is how the people of that day that heard this message might have felt. 

Jeremiah 33:14-16:“Look, the days are coming”—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
“when I will fulfill the good promise
that I have spoken
concerning the house of Israel
and the house of Judah.
In those days and at that time
I will cause a Righteous Branch
to sprout up for David,
and he will administer justice
and righteousness in the land.
In those days Judah will be saved,
and Jerusalem will dwell securely,
and this is what she will be named:
The Lord Is Our Righteousness.

The HOPE of the Messiah’s coming helped the people feel excited and expectant. They would’ve been like the wide awake child staring at the clock on Christmas morning, just waiting to wake up mom and dad and go open presents. The HOPEFUL anticipation and knowing that God would redeem them and enact His justice would have been palpable- at least in the moments after hearing this prophecy. As with all things, as time passes, the anticipation and excitement faded as the people doubted God’s promises. May this never be true of us.

Future Hope for Jesus’ Second Coming and Our Eternity with Him

When I consider the word HOPE, I think of the excitement and anticipation in the future. One definition I saw for HOPE was “expect with confidence.” As believers we have HOPE for our future, whether that is for the continued relationship with our church family, the knowledge of God’s presence with us (see our post about how God is always present everywhere), Christ’s second return, or spending eternity with Him. We can see hope for these last two in scripture. 

John 14:3,  If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 You know the way to where I am going.”

Acts 1:11, They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”

I greatly look towards this future with Christ. Confidently expecting to spend eternity with Christ is a motivator for me to live each day as devoted to God as possible. Jesus Himself literally says that He will prepare a place for us. For US! How neat is that! When my dad and I built my home, there were so many choices to make. It was such an exhausting process. Not only do you have to decide on the floor plan, but the flooring and the bathroom tile, and the cabinets, and even what kind of door knobs you want. SO many decisions. I imagine Jesus making all 2,462 decisions about the place we get to spend eternity, yet He is doing that and preparing our place with joy and as an overabundance of love. And thankfully decisions aren’t really even decisions for Him. It’s not like Jesus has to contemplate or weigh the choices, He knows what is perfect and has the details worked out already. His plan and design for eternity has been since the beginning of time.

Right now I am in love with Big Daddy Weave’s song ‘Heaven Changes Everything.’ As someone who recently buried my remaining parent, I am so familiar with grief. Thankfully I can say with joyful confidence that both of my parents had a relationship with Jesus, so I know I will see them again. However, as anyone who has dealt with the sad reality of grief knows, living in the here and now of planet earth can be challenging without our loved ones. It’s been ten years since I said ‘see ya later’ to my sweet mom, who was my best friend. It’s now been almost eight months since I said the same thing to my dad, who was my rock and my protector. Some days the physical loss is overwhelming and I have such an enormous sense of loneliness. So the lyrics from this song hit me deep and bring me back to reality: “These tears would just be tears fallin' down my face; And this hurt would just be hurt with no healing on the way; Thank You, Jesus; Heaven changes everything.” Because of Jesus, because of God’s immense love for you and me, because heaven is a reality, we have HOPE. HOPE that tears and hurt and pain and disease are only temporary. HOPE that feelings of loneliness or depression will fade. HOPE that this world is not our home. “In the light of eternity, I have this hope; You hold my heart and I'm never alone; One day, You're comin' back; One day, I'm comin' home; Thank You, Jesus; Heaven changes everything.” We can know for sure that heaven is a reality and if we have truly been changed by Jesus Christ, we will spend eternity with Him. 

As we prepare for this holiday season, our minds may be filled with “what gifts do I still need to get” or “which event is this weekend?” or “is my home decorated for Christmas enough?” For some people who may be spending this Christmas season in a new way due to life changes, it may even be a time of anxiety, sadness, and loneliness. But regardless of our busyness or complicated emotions, we can have HOPE. The prophets of the Old Testament HOPED for the promised Messiah’s first coming to this earth, even if they didn’t realize it would be as an innocent baby. We, as believers, can also HOPE for Christ’s second coming and to spend eternity with Him. How can you share this HOPE with others this season?

Check out this resource that can help you understand the four aspects of Advent.