“Jesus is our ultimate hope, and not only at Christmas but every single day of our lives.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – December 22, 2024
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
During this season, we hear a lot about hope. Considering that we come from various backgrounds and experiences, we likely have different ideas about where we can find hope. Some people think of hope as something they can count on in life. Many people count on and place hope in their careers or bank accounts. Some place their hope in their family members or their physical abilities. All of those may be good, but they’re temporal. Wishing or hoping for them to be the foundation of your life is not the best plan because they don’t last. Hope is an optimistic state of mind based on an expectation that things can get better tomorrow, no matter how tough they seem today. So, where do we find our true hope?
Hope has a name—his name is Jesus. Jesus is our ultimate hope, and not only at Christmas but every single day of our lives.
The original Christmas story is considered to be a source of hope for many people around the world. Christianity Today explains it this way: “When Jesus was born over 2000 years ago, his birth announced the rescue many people at the time had been longing for.” The name Jesus actually means “God saves.” It comes from the Hebrew name Yeshua, which also means “to rescue.” It was believed that Jesus would come and rescue them from hopelessness.
This is why it’s so important that we take the inspiration in the first Christmas story and help people find hope wherever they are. That first Christmas was a statement of the good news for everyone. It was the hope that God hadn’t forgotten about the world he made, and today, we need to remember that same promise. If the name Jesus really means rescuer, then as Christians, we can believe that we can still be rescued from hopelessness because of that first Christmas.
The scripture says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3, ESV). We have hope because Jesus came as a man. He lived, died, and rose again. Jesus is our living hope and the promise of eternal life.
The hope we find in Jesus is not just a fleeting feeling, but something eternal. Placing our hope in him is a guarantee from God about securing a future outcome for our ultimate good. It’s anchored in who Jesus is, and this eternal nature of hope in Jesus brings us comfort and peace.
“For you are my only hope, Lord! I’ve hung on to you, trusting in you all my life” (Psalm 71:5, TPT).
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for being my cornerstone and the ultimate hope for my life. Amen.
Application
During this Christmas week, consider who you can share the story of who our ultimate hope is.
Related Reading
Jeremiah 29:11; Colossians 1:27; Hebrews 10:23
Worship Resource
Hillsong Worship: King of Kings
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