Jesus Brings Hope to the Hopeless

Christmas is About Jesus – Jesus Brings Hope to the Hopeless Micah 5:2

Intro: Little things matter! I know at times it might feel as if no cares about you or your circumstances. It is easy at times to really believe that no body ever notices you. I can remember in High School being at a point in my life where everything came to a screeching halt. I was dumped by my girlfriend, my rock band died and even though I had the coolest sport car I wanted friends who liked me for who I was not what I owned. I believe that one of the main reasons why God had Jesus be born in an insignificant place, Bethlehem, was to help us see that He truly cares for the little people that are usually forgotten.

#1. What is hope? Why do we need hope?

It isn’t easy to define hope because in one sense it is something that is always looking towards the future. The dictionary would say that hope is a desire for something with the expectation of it happening. One might say that hope is what gives you the ability to keep going even in the face of rough circumstances. The challenge is what is the basis of the hope that you hold towards the future. If you aren’t a Christ follower than your hope is based upon your own accomplishments, skills and means. It ultimately means that your hope is based totally on yourself and your belief that you can do it. The problem with this is at times I fail or quit because I don’t have the ability to keep going.

Faith and hope are related to one another. My faith isn’t in myself but in God and my hope is that He is faithful to his promises and will always be there to help me as I face life circumstances. Today most people place their faith or trust in their careers, education, possession or network of friends and not God. We live in a society where often a faith in God or hope in God’s faithfulness is scorned. So how do find hope in the face of a gloomy economy or a family tragedy?

#2. Jesus brings hope because he is the eternal ruler.

It again is amazing that God would send Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem to have Jesus who by name is the one who will save his people from their sins. The word Bethlehem meant house of hope or place of hope. I believe that God wanted to show both the Jews and those outside the Jewish Family that His love and our redemption isn’t based upon our accomplishments but upon the work of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus is the eternal God, creator and ruler who has always existed he becomes the true basis for any hope in life.

If Jesus were truly born of royalty he would have been born in a place like Jerusalem which was the religious center of the world. God wanted to show that his heart has and will always be for the poor both physically and spiritually. He is opposed to the proud and arrogant, who think they are capable of living life apart from Him. Mary and Joseph were literal no-bodies that become the parents of the God-Man and savior. He is not only born in a manger but grows up among the poor in Nazareth as the carpenter’s son.

#3. How do you get hope in a hopeless situation?

It shouldn’t be any surprise that God sends his angels to proclaim the coming of Jesus not to the Palace or Temple of rulers but to lowly shepherds out in the field. They come to proclaim that God has brought the hope of the ages to Bethlehem in a stable. The shepherds and wise men search for the baby Jesus understanding the implications of what might happen if Jesus truly is God’s Son, the Savior of mankind and the Messiah.

I will be the first to admit that I can act as if I am strong and have the ability to do and face anything in life. The reality is that this would be a total lie. If I place my faith and hope for the future solely in myself I am totally lost and will lead others down the path of self –sufficiency. Today’s world totally promotes the image that honesty and dependency on others is a sign of weakness. The coming of the Christ Child to Bethlehem gives us a hope that God’s love is truly not based upon where you live, what you own or who you know. So the only way to have hope in any situation is to trust Christ with your total life. As we confess our sin, rebellion against God and our need to be redeemed we have a hope that can face anything in life, even tragedy and our own death.

Conclusion: Live like you have Hope!

When you face tough circumstances what do you do? Often we allow the fear of the unknown to paralyze us. John tells us that perfect love or hope casts out all fear. When we have placed our lives in God’s hands He will give us His peace and the ability to trust him both with the outcome of our circumstances and not to worry or fear about tomorrow. Remember Jesus said seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will fall into place.