Wednesday, December 11, 2024

A "thrill of hope" this Christmas season

In the 1800’s a familiar song was written that start with these words: “O holy night!  The stars are brightly shining.  It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.  Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.  A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.  For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”  This, of course, is “O holy night” and it is one of my favorite Christmas songs, but I’m concerned that it has become so familiar that these lyrics lose their power and wonder. 

For all of its distractions, Christmas is about celebrating that holy night all those years ago, when a miraculous baby, the Lord Jesus, entered our world.  In fact, when it happened, a messenger from Heaven announced the news to a group of lowly shepherds.  “I bring you good news that will cause great joy to all people,” the angel said.  “Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).  “Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘til He appeared and the soul felt its worth,” says the beloved song.  In other words, the world had been immersed in bondage and sin; waiting and waiting for this Savior, this Messiah, to come.  And when He finally did come, as “O holy night” puts it: there was a “thrill of hope, [and] the weary world rejoice[d].” 

I think everyone wants to experience a “thrill of hope” but they don’t necessarily know where to look for it.  In Hosea 2:15, God speaks of “a door of hope”.  A whole blog should be written on this verse in context, and the beauty of what the Lord is saying; but for now, consider the imagery: God is saying there is “a door of hope”.  It’s not found in getting everything on our wish list this season, or having life line up just the way we wanted it.  Hope is found in person of the Lord Jesus Christ.  If I didn’t believe this with my whole being, not only would I never write something like this, but my entire life would look completely different.

When Jesus came, people misunderstood who He was, and what He came to do.  Jesus, if you’ll permit me to use superhero terminology, was – and is – the God-man.  No one else in human history was qualified to do what He did.  That is, to live for us, and then die on a cross, and rise again from the dead. Only He was perfect, sinless, and God in human flesh.  We are sinners, all; He is the Savior.  In Matthew 1, Joseph was told to give this special baby the name of Jesus because “he will save his people from their sin” (verse 21).  The name Jesus literally means “The Lord saves.” 

So what does one do with this?  Acts 3:19 puts it well: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”  My urgent prayer is through these words on a blog post, someone would turn to God in faith and trust for the very first time.  Or, maybe you’ve done this once upon a time, but you’ve drifted and you need to return to God.  I think any honest Christ-follower will admit that this can happen; I’ve certainly been there.  Don’t delay, turn back to God today.  The Bible says, “His mercies are new every morning.”  Come home.  This Christmas season can be an amazing “thrill of hope” because of Him.

God bless,

Kevin

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