Our pray group does “Monday School” lessons instead of Sunday School. When I was asked to write these, I had to do a tall lot of praying. 1. Because I’m still young in the faith. My knowledge base isn’t very deep. 2. I don’t want to say the wrong things to actually kill someone curiosity or turn them away from asking questions about religion or God. I work very had to make sure everyone that might read these knows that theses are based on my walk with Christ.
The Gift of Hope
One of four gifts Jesus’ birth gave us.
Hope is a word that we use like love. Overused but not used enough in the right context. We hope for a new car. Hope for a new job. We hope our love life or the lack there of will improve. We hope for better weather. Some people hope to win the lottery. Oppressed people hope for change. Is this hope or wishful thinking?
Hope is a powerful tool.
“The miserable have no other medicine but only hope.” William Shakespeare
“Hope is that part of faith that focuses on the future. In biblical terms, when faith is directed to the future, you can call it hope.” http://www.desiringgod.org
“Hope is a precursor to faith. While faith is believing and trusting in something that you cannot see, hope is imagining that there is something there to even believe and trust in. It is the belief in what could be. Hope redefines what is probable and opens the paths to the impossible.” http://www.noemiphotography.com
Jesus was not the earthly king the Jewish people hoped. Jesus was born into a world where the Jewish people were under Roman rule and hoped for a messiah to fight Rome. Jesus rejected this role. John 6:15 This didn’t sit well with many. He was not their greatest hope. Hope to crush Rome.
We have a saying, “hell have no fury like a woman scorned.”
Perhaps we can use this one for hope; “sorrow knows no depths when Hope is gone.”
Jesus is hope. He showed us in so many ways:
He came from a broken family. Just like so many of us.
He is love.
He gave relief to the weary.
Fed the hungry.
Healed the sick.
Raised the dead.
Freed the possessed.
Is the embodiment of compassion.
Wept.
Is the good shepherd.
Is the Prince of peace.
He was the spotless lamp so that I don’t have to go to Kroger and try to find that perfect sacrifice. Wait in the temple for a blood soaked priest to butcher my lamb. What if the priest dies before my lamb can be killed? What if we find a blemish after death? What if? Are you ready for this panic attack?
Jesus is hope.
He gave his life on a cross so that sinners like me had the hope of going to heaven. Hope of eternal life in him. Hope to be freed from the chains of earthly bondage and the bondage of sin. Hope in a sin filled world. Hope to change me into a better person.
Jesus is hope.
So, he wasn’t an earthly king. So, he rejected an earthly crown. He is so much more.
Have you accepted Jesus’ gift of hope?
http://www.noemiphotography.com
The Bible
‘Measure For Measure’ (1604) Act 3 sc 1, 1.2 William Shakespeare
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