For millions of people, the
Christmas season means nothing more than parties, gifts, decorations, and time
off work. For Christians, however, this time of year is a happy reminder of the
hope we
have because of Jesus Christ.
Christ means
hope—to the person out of work, to the struggling single mother, to the dying
believer. Even if you're just slogging your way through the disappointments of
life, if you have Jesus, you have hope. And he is not a false hope,
a childish fairy tale that we wish will have a happy ending. When Christ rose from the dead,
that ended the argument. Period. Our hope in him is solid and it is real.
Christmas is a renewal of that
hope. It reconfirms it for us if our vision has grown dim. It was settled long
ago, so we don't have to doubt any more. Jesus is the fulfillment of our hope,
our deepest longings come true.
We have lasting hope through
the salvation we have in Christ ... Hope means that even when it looks like
it's all over, it's not all over yet. That's why the Bible says we can rejoice
even in our tribulations. God is working in our hard times to produce proven
character and hope in us.
