“Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.”
This hymn by Charles Wesley puts words to the waiting that can feel so painful during the holiday season. Colder weather, red and green, family gatherings, and twinkling lights have lost their luster to so many of us.
These symbols that once brought joy and peace are now a daily reminder that things are not as they should be. Another year has passed, and the things we prayed for feel even further out of reach. Hearts are still broken, family ties still severed, and loneliness still overwhelms us.
Our unanswered prayers seem to scream, “Where is your God?!” (Psalm 42:3). The King who came as a child two-thousand years ago has yet to return riding on the clouds. How long until he makes all things new? How long until the Kingdom he came proclaiming is fully realized on earth? How long until he comes back like he promised? With these questions ever ringing in our ears, we find in the promises of God a deep and sustaining hope.
We have hope because Jesus understands our suffering. In Hebrews 5, we see that because Jesus took on flesh, he sympathizes with our weaknesses in every way. “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death…”. Jesus, like us, cried out to God with anguished fervor, begging him to draw near. Because of his cries, we now have a great High Priest who hears and understands the grief of his people. That High Priest is not helplessly waiting for God to appear, for he himself has become the appearance of God, the proclamation of hope to a suffering people.
We have hope because he is with us now. Emmanuel, God with us, first appeared as a child, and once he had accomplished the Father’s purposes on earth, left us with the Holy Spirit to sustain us in our waiting. In Matthew 28, he promises that he is with us always, until the very end. In Romans 8, we’re told that the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings that words cannot express. In Romans 15:13, Paul prays this over the church in Rome, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Hope did not abandon us when the incarnate Christ ascended into heaven. Hope abounds all the more through the Holy Spirit, the Helper, who is the presence of God with us now.
The hope that we have in Jesus serves as an anchor for my work at Impact 360. On the days when the work feels long, heavy, or tedious, I’m rooted in the promise that in Christ nothing is wasted. The hope that came to earth as a child is still my hope in both the beauty and the struggle of my daily work here.
We have hope because he will return. When God spoke the earth into being, he was good. When sin entered the world, he was faithful. When Abram left his homeland because God would make him a great nation, God was sovereign. When Abraham nearly killed his own son on an altar, God provided. When the people of Israel ran from God, God kept the covenant. When they waited for ages for the coming Messiah, God sent him. When they thought he would come as a warrior, God sent a baby boy. When Jesus had been in the grave for three days, God raised him up. What choice do we have but to hope? Revelation 19:11 shows us who we are hoping for. “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.”
Friends, we have hope because God always keeps his promises. When the Faithful and True returns, he will make all things new. Let your soul say, as the Psalmist, “Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” (Psalm 42:11)
Next time you see the twinkle of Christmas lights, or hear a familiar carol, or feel the bite of cold wind on your face, be reminded of the hope we have in Christ. He came, and he is coming again.
Maranatha.
By Landry Hodge
Impact 360 Institute
Program Specialist, Summer Experiences & The Three Initiative