Centuries of Hope

As we enter the holiday season, it is a wonderful time to reflect even deeper on Jesus Christ our Savior. Meditating on how much He loves us reminds us that it brought Him joy not only to create us, but also to suffer and redeem us. The love Jesus shows is indescribable—the Creator of all things humbling Himself, uniting His infinite nature with a finite human nature, entering His own creation as a helpless child, living a sinless life in a sin-marred world, and ultimately allowing Himself to be crucified by the very ones He came to redeem.

Unless you are already a Christian, the idea of an invisible, all-powerful Creator God becoming human and saving the world may sound far-fetched. Yet this is exactly what God has done—and He declared from the beginning that He would accomplish it. From the protoevangelium in Genesis 3:15 to the prophets who described Christ’s coming in remarkable detail, Scripture has foretold where and when Jesus would be born, along with everything He would accomplish in the world.

From that moment Adam and Eve first sinned to the day Jesus arrived when the Angels heralded the shepherds, many saints of old held onto hope for the coming Messiah, the One God promised would redeem both them and the world. Hallelujah—Christ came and brought salvation to the world by fulfilling the Law of God in His first advent. And now, like those who trusted God and His Word in centuries past, we also wait in hope for His second advent. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus.

But until He comes, let us not grow cold in sharing the Gospel or in obeying His commandments. This holiday season is a wonderful time to begin conversations with family, friends, and even strangers who don’t know Christ. It naturally opens the door to talk about God or to find meaningful ways to serve our community and show the love of Christ through our actions.

Keanan Fischer