Colossians 1:27
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Christmas is about hope.
Children hope that Christmas morning will bring them all the toys and games on their Christmas lists.
Parents hope to find at least some of those items still left on the picked-over shelves of local stores.
Families hope that travel plans work out for college kids to come home, for grandparents to visit, and for everyone to get along!
But hope goes a lot deeper than wishes for a nice holiday!
Someone once wrote,
“Human beings can live forty days without food, about four days without water; four minutes without air; but we can’t live 4 seconds without hope.”
I would argue that part of what makes human beings unique among all the creatures of the earth is the capacity to hope. All human beings hope; we all hope in or for something. The only question is where do we place our hope?
I can place my hope for happiness in winning the lottery, but I will very likely be disappointed. (I read the other day that there is a greater chance of being killed by a vending machine than winning most lottery games!)
I can invest my hope in science finding a way to extend human life indefinitely. But I will face disappointment again because, to date, the human mortality rate is still100%.
Here’s how the Apostle Paul describes hope:
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
By the phrase “hope of glory” Paul is talking about ultimate hope, the hope of eternal life promised in and through Jesus Christ.
He’s talking about the hope that Peter describes in these words:
In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you...(1 Peter 1:3-4)
This is the hope of the gospel. This is the hope of Christmas. And this is a hope that will not disappoint!
Paul summarizes what we have been talking about all week in this beautiful paragraph in Romans:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:1-5)
If you read carefully, it’s all there. Everything we most want and need is ours through faith in Jesus Christ.
Love.
Joy.
Peace.
Hope.
Whatever else is under your tree on Christmas day; whatever brightly wrapped gifts you give or receive; remember that, in Christ, you already have everything you could want and everything you need.
Lord Jesus,
Thank you for giving us both what we want and what we most need. Help us to recognize and receive your love, your joy, your peace and your hope; and enable us to share these gifts with those we love.
Amen.
Pastor Brian Coffey
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