A Season of Hope

“Israel’s strength and consolation,

Hope of all the earth Thou art;” -- Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus

“O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! 

Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!”

When life is darkest, when I am sick, lonely, afraid, sad, I still have hope. When my parents died, I had hope. When I hurt my neck, I had hope. When I’ve been out of work, I’ve had hope. When I pray for loved ones who are sick or hurting or grieving, I have hope. Christmas reveals the reason for my hope: Christmas celebrates the One who is not only my source of hope, but the One is the “hope of all the earth.”

For centuries, prophets foretold of this hope, the Messiah, the Chosen One who would one day deliver the nation of Israel that languished in exile, ruled by one oppressive kingdom after another, begging God for deliverance. The prophetic tone of the advent hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” recounts this truth and reveals the plan about which prophets told Israel through the ages: that God would one day send His Deliverer to them. For Christians, Jesus is this Deliverer; He is “Emmanuel,” God with Us, the Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. He came that He might offer hope to all who trust in Him. My prayer is that this Christmas those without hope will come to realize they can trust the One who gave His life for them and promises to love them now and for all eternity.