Hope in the Gospel Christmas Story

“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”

If you’ve been around long enough, there’s a good chance you’ve waited and hoped for something in your life. A spouse, a better job, a college admission letter, or for Halloween to be over so Christmas decorating can finally begin! But talk long enough to a few families, and you’ll find many have waited longer than they wanted to conceive children.

In Luke 1:11, we find that Zechariah and Elizabeth, seen as righteous in God’s eyes, had been waiting to conceive a child for a long time. Scripture says they were “advanced in their years,” and Elizabeth was barren. But even so, God made a way in His timing. Zechariah was approached by the angel Gabriel and told his prayers and petitions had been answered—they would conceive a child. But there was even greater news: this baby, named John, would play a key role in foretelling and preparing the way for the coming Messiah. In verse 17, Gabriel said, “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

The John we read about here is famously known as John the Baptist. The one who is introduced in Matthew 3 by quoting the prophet Isaiah in chapter 61, “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord; make straight paths for Him.’” John was sent to prepare the way of the Lord and preach a message of repentance and the coming kingdom of Heaven. He was necessary in preparing the people for Jesus’ ministry and His path to the cross.

Zechariah and Elizabeth personally understood the agony of waiting within their own family. This sense of anticipation wasn't exclusive to them; it resonated with the people of Israel as they held onto hope of the coming Messiah. Jesus's birth was the "thrill of hope" during Israel's lonely exile, with the dawn of "a new and glorious morn" now closer than ever as hope took the form of a helpless babe. In this advent of hope, reflect on and remember God’s sovereignty as you wait for whatever is next in your life, knowing that God is never late to His promises or plans for you. May you personally experience your own “thrill of hope” in this Christmas season.