Joy to the WorldSample

Hope

Can you imagine what it must have been like to have God fall silent for 400 years before Christ came? His people were left with a grim prophecy from Elijah and found themselves without hope. But God was working behind the scenes and in the silence. He was making ready a “people prepared for the Lord.” This moment in Luke’s gospel where the angel is speaking hope over Israel is the same hope that we cling to today as believers. Becoming a people prepared for the Lord is not an easy thing. In our own human instinct, we try to prepare for the Lord by striving after perfection and examining our hearts. While these lead to righteous living, it is impossible to achieve a righteous state on our own. The truth is we come as we are to the Lord. This isn’t an easy concept for us to grasp because our finite minds tell us that preparation is required for achievement. Yet, the Gospel of Jesus Christ allows us to come before the Lord as we are with nothing capable of purchasing the mercy and grace He gives. This is why it is so hard for us to be a people prepared. It’s actually impossible. This is why the hope of Christ’s birth is the most invigorating hope we could ever cling to. It's the hope that at our weakest, the moment we fully surrender and accept we have no power, He is strongest.

I remember one Christmas growing up when our family had very little money. So little in fact that my single mother had to break the news to us that we wouldn’t be able to do presents that year. Of course, my brothers and I were upset but we did our best to look forward to the holiday nonetheless. When Christmas morning came, we woke up with little excitement but made our way to the living room. We were stunned to see the living room busting at the seams full of presents! How? Somewhere along the line someone heard about our situation and decided they were going to provide the gifts we couldn’t afford. To this day I don’t know who bought those presents but I will always feel grateful for the moment I realized somebody gave me gifts that I couldn’t earn.

That’s our lot with Christ as well. We didn’t earn nor did we deserve the great gift of grace he gave us. But at Christmas, we are reminded that God sent His Son down to this earth to pay for the price of our sins. Now we may come as we are before the Lord because He has done the preparation. This is the hope of Christmas!

LISTEN TO THRIVE WORSHIP'S CHRISTMAS EP HERE!

Written by Corbin Phillips of Thrive Worship