I recently read that “hope is like a match in a dark tunnel, a moment of light, just enough to see the path ahead and a way out”. In our darkest times, hope sustains us. In the hardest moments, when nothing around us seems to be good, we have a desire for, and belief that better things are ahead. That is hope.

Without hope there is only despair. Without hope people make bad decisions because they don’t believe that there is a better path ahead. It creates an impatience that says I need to take what I want now regardless of the consequences, or it will cause others simply to give up.

In Jesus we have a light coming into a weary world. The Bible tells us that the word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Jesus is the word made flesh. A hope that exceeds any other hope. A light that isn’t temporary like a match, but lasts forever. A hope that tells us that this life isn’t the end. It is this hope that Paul wanted to write to the church in Rome about.

Romans 15:7-13

Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, And sing unto thy name. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; And laud him, all ye people. And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, And he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; In him shall the Gentiles trust. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

There were deep cultural divides between Jews and Gentiles in the early church. Paul is admonishing them to receive each other and to focus on the bigger picture. I think this Christmas it is a good admonishment for us. There is a lot of craziness going on. Everyone thinking their way is right, and missing the bigger picture of accepting one another like Christ did us.

Jesus came bringing hope and not just a little hope, but hope that abounds in us. A thrill of hope. Maybe you have experienced the thrill of hope. We feel it with the arrival of a newborn baby, or the beginning stages of a relationship when we haven’t seen all the persons flaws yet and just focus on the thrill of what could be.

Our God is a God of hope. In that hope we find joy and purpose that surpasses anything this life has to offer. This Christmas Eve I hope we will put aside our differences as Paul admonished the church in Rome, and focus instead of the hope that is Jesus. Emmanuel, God with us, and remember that thrill of hope. Or maybe you are hearing this today and you have never experienced the hope of Jesus, let me tell you it is not just a Christmas story.

And, it wasn’t just for then. It is for us, here and now. A light in the middle of all the darkness around us. A hope that springs eternal with the promise of eternal life. That is what Christmas is about. That is why we look at the Christmas story.

Luke 2:8-20

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

There is something we should know about shepherds in this time. They were considered the lowest of low. Their testimony wasn’t even admissible in a court of law because they were so mistrusted. They were thought of as thieves and criminals, and certainly not trusted. This is how God sent the angels to.

The angel said to them “unto you is born”. Maybe some of us need to hear that today. Christ was born for us. Maybe you feel like you have messed up too much. Or, maybe you think He came for others but not you. God wants you to know, that Jesus came just for you. Your status, your past, your reputation; none of that matters. The Christ has been born, and He was born for you and for me.

The first people to see Jesus besides His parents, were these shepherds. Imagine being Mary and Joseph. Your child is born and all of a sudden, the rejects of society come to greet Him. I imagine a little apprehension was there. I imagine they may have been a little more alert than at other times. But, they were welcome.

What about us. When the angel of God is calling people to come and behold the Messiah and birth them in their hearts, are we ready to receive them? Is anyone welcome here? Or do they have to pass some religious test of our choosing to have fellowship with us?

Christ came to call the sick, not the healthy. He came so that those who were ignored by society would have comfort from God. We are to be ambassadors of Jesus. How are we doing?

From what I can see, we care a whole lot more about other things than this thrill of hope. We look at the weary world and judge and condemn it, instead of welcoming it and tending to its wounds. The world needs a little hope. It is the cure to shame. It is the antidote to what ails us.

As we started, we talked about how those without hope behave. They either give up and waste away, or they act out and do whatever will make them feel better in the moment. If we can just bring a little bit of hope….. If we can just shine the light of Jesus into that tunnel for them, what a difference we can make.

Romans 5:1-5

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

The hope we have is that our God is for us, not against us. The hope we have is that love came down and paid the debt that we owed. We are made free in Him, given the gift of eternal life. This is the thrill of hope that we have, that we no longer have to be ashamed of who we are. In Jesus, we find purpose and meaning.

Yes, there will be hard times. There will be dark roads ahead, but because we believe those tribulations work in us a patience that is filled with hope. And the more we experience Him and have patience in His work, the more our hope grows.

We can know that we are loved, we can know that we are accepted just as we are. Let that be the thought we leave here with. Unto us is born a savior and now that we have greeted him, let us go and share the good news with others and invite them to come into His presence.