Jesus Gave Us Hope
So, I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. -- Romans 15:13
God remained silent for more than 400 years. It was as though Israel was never chosen. Who could blame Him? We humans are a selfish, sinful bunch of folks. We’d rejected our Father and our Creator. Yet, He loved us still.
His people watched and waited, hopeful that their God would return to them. They remembered the promises of old. They sought the Messiah, their King. God had promised to send someone from David’s line, someone who would reign forever and would defend them against those who sought to destroy God’s people. They expected someone grand, someone magnificent, someone filled with power and authority and glory. They didn’t expect Jesus.
One ordinary night in the small town of Bethlehem, a virgin named Mary gave birth to the Savior of the world. No one expected a baby, a carpenter’s son born in a stable. How could He ever live up to the expectations of a religious order more concerned with rules than the heart of God? Yet this baby boy grew into a man who changed the world forever.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. -- Isaiah 11:3-5
Jesus didn’t come to give more power to the Pharisees. He didn’t come to take over the government or lead warriors into battle. He came to bring hope and salvation to a world that was lost. He came to show us how to love each other and live as God wanted us to live.
Jesus defied everyone’s expectations -- everyone, that is, except for God. He paid no attention to the laws and the rules, instead reaching out to touch, to heal, to love, to weep. Jesus only preached three years before dying on the cross, yet His Presence changed us all forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment