Advent is a time of reflection and preparation for the arrival of the Son of God at Christmas.  Advent begins with hope.

1 Corinthians 13 is a famous Bible chapter.  It concludes, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”  This sounds strange, but I think love is the greatest because one day faith & hope will fade away.

Christmas morning, opening gifts, you’ll be hoping the things you asked for are inside.  Once you open your gifts, there’s no more hope – only celebration or disappointment.  When we see Jesus face-to-face, when God’s kingdom fully comes and everything, literally everything, is done on earth as it is in heaven; what will you & I still be hoping for?

  • Until that day, we need faith & hope.
  • Faith in Jesus and Hope tomorrow.

Our ultimate hope is that death itself is defeated, we become one with Christ, one with each other, so that God may be all in all.  The work that secured forgiveness is done.  The work of remaking Heaven & Earth into New Creation remains.  Eden must still be restored.  This is our hope.  It’s a big hope.

We can never give up this hope – hope of New Creation.

 

Select Bible Verses about Hope:

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” -1 Peter 5:10

“But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.” -Psalm 9:18

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” -Hebrews 10:23

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” -Jeremiah 29:11

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” -Psalm 42:11

“And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.” -Hebrews 11:11

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” -Romans 15:13

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 1:6

“But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” -Romans 8:25

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” -Micah 7:7

Romans 15:13 ~ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Romans 12:12 ~ Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Hebrews 11:1 ~ Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Isaiah 40:31 ~ But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Romans 8:24-25 ~ For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

1 Peter 1:3 ~ 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.