In certain expressions of the Christian faith, the month of December is defined by Christmas but outlined by the four weeks of the Advent season. The purpose of those four weeks is to look at four key concepts that sit at the heart of Christianity, highlighting attributes that should constantly be on display in the lives of those who follow Christ. Of these four, three of them – Love, Joy, Peace – correspond perfectly to what the Apostle Paul referred to as the “fruit of the Spirit”, meaning that those attributes must necessarily be demonstrated in the lives of any who claim to be Christians. The fourth concept highlighted by Advent, Hope, is the focus of the first week of Advent, and is no less important than the others even if it is not a part of Paul’s famous list.
We have a different concept of hope in our standard language today. We hope that our children will grow up healthy and happy. We hope that our favorite team wins the championship. We hope that we can get some time off and have a nice vacation. In other words, our use of the word “hope” is almost interchangeable with the word “want.” The problem with that concept of hope is that there are far too many variables that can impact the outcome, so that the things that we hope for fail to come to fruition. Children sometimes get sick or suffer tragedies, only one team wins a championship, and sometimes life just doesn’t allow for a new adventure. When we get our hopes up, disappointment is almost sure to follow.
Hope in Christ is very different, however. What the Christian hopes for is the fulfillment of the promises of God – promises of salvation, restoration, reconciliation – based upon prophetic words given to us through Scripture. Unlike our worldly hopes that can be cast aside by any number of variables, the promises of God are subject only to the will of God, and God is unchangeable. Throughout the course of human history, God has spoken through his prophets about events to come, and then brought those events to bear so that we would be able to reflect on his track record of faithfulness, knowing that God is the ultimate promise keeper. And we need to be mindful of that, because the one thing that God has told us that only He knows is the timing for when He will come again in glory.
This week, we reflect on promises made and promises kept, so that our hope is based on the One who always keeps His promises. The variables of life can deliver harsh and sometimes crushing blows to our wants, but all who put their faith in Jesus should exhibit, throughout any hardship, an underlying hope that gives them reason to persevere. It is appropriate that hope is the emphasis for the first week in Advent, because without it, there is little reason for love, joy, or peace. The birth of Christ was the fulfillment of multiple promises made by God, so as we look forward to celebrating his birth, let us hold firm to the hope of our salvation that is also promised through Him.
Peace, blessings and hope – Pastor Aaron