O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
Let’s focus on the line “the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight” from this famous Christmas hymn. Our hopes and fears and the hopes fears of all people throughout time are answered in Bethlehem, in the baby Jesus, Immanuel, God come to be with us to fulfill the deep hope we have for salvation.
Our hope in what Scripture tells us about this Savior to be born in Bethlehem is a confident expectation for the future based on the character and plan of God. This character and plan of God are found in God’s written word, the Bible. The apostle Paul tells us this in Romans 15:4,
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
There is nothing wrong with having other “hopes” or wishes like setting plans to take a trip to a favorite destination, or getting involved in a non-profit organization, or having a set of expectations for what you want to happen over the holidays. It is important that our truest and deepest hope be built on the promises of God in Holy Scripture and not on our wishes or desires or expectations.
God’s plan for His people extends into eternity. Then we will know the fullness of God’s kingdom and eternal life in the new heavens and new earth. Part of the issue with our hopes and expectations is that these desires may be good but not necessarily based on what God has promised for in this life. There are parts of God’s promises that will find fulfillment in the life to come but will not be fully realized in this life. All of this to say that we need to have realistic hope and expectations based on the promises of God. Here is the challenge of the Christian life: that we be transformed in the renewing and rewiring of our minds and hearts so that we think and desire to do God’s will first and foremost (Romans 12:1, 2).
As we enter into another season of Advent leading up to Christmas, may we celebrate with joy the coming of our Lord into the world for our salvation and may we anticipate with the certain hope of the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ who will bring to completion the salvation of God’s people.
