Advent: Exploring Hope, Peace, Love, and JoySample

Week One: Hope

Jesus came to give humanity hope. This glimpse of hope is present as early as Genesis 3:15, when God tells the serpent that “‘He [Jesus] will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.’” Ever since the beginning of time, ever since God created the world, there has been an anticipation that Jesus would soon be coming, though it took many years for Him to arrive.

The Old Testament is filled with prophecies about Jesus’ coming, even though the recipients of those prophecies didn’t necessarily fully understand the implications of what was going to take place. A few such prophecies include Isaiah 11:1 and Jeremiah 23:5, which subtly hint to the hope that would soon appear on the earth.

But what about us today? Jesus already came to earth, and many of the prophecies in the Old Testament have been fulfilled. But the hope that you have, the hope that Jesus brings, is as present today as it was back in Genesis. Why?

Jesus is your hope each and every day. He is your Savior who delivers you from sin and renews your withering heart with His rich love. Every time you ask for forgiveness, every time you trust in Him, He is giving you hope that you will join Him in heaven one day.

You can anticipate Jesus showing up in your life in the same way those in the Old Testament anticipated His coming. Psalm 130:5 says, “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.”

And beyond that, Jesus will be coming again. This Advent, let’s remember the anticipation that the prophets felt as they were prophesying about Jesus—and eagerly anticipate His second coming with the same hope and joy.

Questions:

1. What do you think hope means in the context of Advent?
2. How does our hope today differ from the hope in the Old Testament, since we are looking toward Jesus’ second coming instead of His first?
3. What does it mean to “wait for the Lord” (Psalm 130:5)? How do you think that applies to Advent—and to your life today?