In the movie, A Christmas Story, Ralphie’s greatest hope was a Red Ryder BB gun. When you were a kid, was there something that you really hoped for that you got for Christmas?
For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:8-13
Every great initiative in world history has had a common ingredient: Hope. So it should be no surprise that the greatest initiative in world history promised the greatest of hopes: eternal redemption. And it was initiated by God himself.
There are not a lot of Old Testament verses on hope, but the concept was certainly there. Before Christ, the nations are described as dwelling in darkness – deep darkness (Isaiah 9:2, 60:2). In other worlds, they had no revelation of God beyond the general revelation of Creation, and thus, no hope. Romans 15:9-12 offers multiple Old Testament passages that foreshadowed the day when all these lost nations would finally have a reason to hope. Their opportunity to hope in Israel’s promised Messiah would change everything.
Today, our hope is not backward-looking, toward Christ’s first coming, but forward-looking, toward the certainty of his second coming. Hope is more than an expectation; it is a longing and yearning for something, or rather… Someone.
Romans 15:12 above says that God wants us to not merely have hope, but to “abound in hope.” How? Not by mental gymnastics or or personal will-power, but “by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Christ is coming, but what do we do with that information on a day-by-day basis?
Here are some passages that can help us focus on the hope that we have in a more concrete way: Matthew 24:29-31, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11, 2 Peter 3:3-13, Revelation 21:1-8.
Reflect
When was the last time you felt hopeless, or despairing? What difference can the thought of Christ’s second coming make in our present difficulties?
How does our daily relational closeness (or distance) from Jesus make a difference in our ability to hope?
How would your life look different if you “fixed your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13)?
