The Thrill Of Hope

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

SCROLLING THROUGH A LIST of the most thrilling, dangerous things you can do on vacation, I (Kristin) can’t say I’ve tried any of them. A cliff walk in China, ice swimming in Finland, skydiving near Mount Everest, free diving in the world’s deepest known seawater blue hole in the Bahamas, a marathon in the Sahara Desert, and something called “volcano boarding” . . . Those all sound amazing—just not for me.

But I have strolled under the Eiffel Tower, gone white water rafting, glided through a glass-encased waterslide inside a shark-filled tank, climbed to the top of the Statue of Liberty, gazed at crystalline, turquoise glacial waters and lofty peaks from the heights of Sulphur Mountain in Banff, ridden one of Europe’s largest Ferris wheels (the London Eye), and breathlessly made it to the top of a fourteener in Colorado. Those experiences were unforgettable.

But the truth is, I don’t think about them that often. Certainly not daily or even monthly. I’ll recall them with fondness occasionally—especially if someone mentions them in conversation or asks about a certain location and it triggers a memory—but that’s all. I don’t dwell on them.

Unfortunately, the same can often be said about our response to Jesus. Stop to think about it: it is staggeringly impressive that the Savior of the world left behind the power and privilege of heaven to arrive on earth as a simple, helpless babe—knowing all the while that his purpose was to sacrifice himself to save us from our sins. If you and I are not constantly bowled over by how wild that feat was and by how it’s changed the course of history, then we’re due for a little reminder.

As an adult, fully human and with no hint of divinity within me, I find the idea of returning to infancy unfathomable. To transform from an autonomous being to a vulnerable child, as Jesus did, seems like an extreme proposition. Can you imagine willingly sending yourself into such a situation? I sure can’t.

And yet, in a single act of matchless grace, that’s what Jesus did. He came to earth, entrusting his care to fallible humanity. And the world has never been the same.

Jesus was the culmination of the world’s collective hope. In him, all the Old Testament prophecies that people read about, dreamed about, and talked about for centuries were fulfilled. Isaiah 7:14, for example, spoke of how Jesus’ birth would come about: “The Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” The location of his birth, too—Bethlehem—was revealed long before Christ arrived (see Matthew 2:6, referencing Micah 5:2 and 2 Samuel 5:2).

Perhaps most familiar of all are the words of Isaiah 9:6, which speak to the hope that we have in Jesus:

For a child is born to us,

a son is given to us.

The government will rest on his shoulders.

And he will be called:

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The hope the world was clinging to and longing for was fulfilled in Jesus, our wise, powerful, and eternal Ruler, who brought reconciliation and peace between us and the Father. His birth was the spark that lit a global movement that has impacted millions, lasted thousands of years, and ministered to people from all over the world. That is astonishing!

And it’s this same spark that lights a fire within us—if we’ll only stop to consider these truths and allow them to kindle our awe of Jesus.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is the Christmas Eve service at church. Toward the end of the service, a single flame is lit by one of the pastors and then shared with everyone else in the audience. Candle by candle, the wavering flames move down the rows and across the aisles. They are held aloft by families, friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike. Music plays softly until the melody emerges and we begin to sing.

O Holy night! The stars are brightly shining

It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

’Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth

A thrill of hope—the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

As one, our voices strengthen to a triumphant crescendo.

Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born

O night, O holy night, O night divine!

As I listen to the swell of singing all around me, emotion rises. Eyes full of unshed tears, I can’t help but look down the row at my family and beyond them to friends and strangers, all coming together to celebrate the birth of a King. The beauty and mystery of a virgin birth, the stillness of the audience, and the miracle of the world’s Creator coming to earth as Savior and King can all be felt in that hushed moment of collective wonder.

The promise and the hope of Jesus last long after the final note has been sung and the final flame has been extinguished. In Jesus, we receive the ultimate promise and the hope of eternity. Our soul feels its worth.

And just as the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled when Christ arrived as an infant in Bethlehem, God still keeps his promises. Today’s verse from Romans reminds us that God is the source of hope and that trusting in him helps us to “overflow with confident hope” because of the Holy Spirit within us.

This overflow of hope is what spills out of us—out of our overwhelming sense of awe—helping us to share the good news of Jesus. He is our hope, our light; he is our promise, forever.

Dear Jesus, what hope we have in you! Thank you that your birth was the match that lit a flame of hope that can never be extinguished. May your light—the light of the world—always be our guide. Help us to feel fueled and renewed by the awe-inspiring events of your birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Remind us that your promises are true and will remain forever. Let us continue to live a life full of hope as we place our trust in you. Amen.