Living Hope

John 1:1-14

God has entered our story. He took on flesh and entered into the darkness of the world to bring us light and life. There’s nothing more amazing at Christmas than this: God has come to dwell with us as one of us. Even as God set up his tent here on earth among us, his plan wasn’t just to commiserate or suffer with us. His plan was to suffer FOR us. To die FOR us. And to conquer death by rising from the dead FOR us. All these things he could do if he shared in our flesh and blood. Thank the Lord for Immanuel—God with us!

Titus 2:11-14

In Titus 2, the apostle Paul tells us that the Christchild was the appearance of God’s grace to all people. Christ’s appearance shapes us and changes us still today because he came to purify for himself a people that are his very own. This purification cost the price of redemption: Jesus Christ gave himself for us. His death on the cross, however, changes us. God’s people are redeemed from wickedness and now are eager to do what is good. This grace of God teaches us to live changed lives in the present age—lives as Christ’s own people who are waiting with certain hope for his coming again.

1 John 1:1-9

In words that echo the first chapter of his gospel, John proclaims what he, too, has “seen and heard.” Jesus has come to bring the light of salvation from sin, righteousness and fellowship with God. The Word of life has appeared for all the world to see!

Matthew 11:2-11

Jesus wasn’t matching up, point-for-point, with John the Baptist’s expectations. John was impatient for Jesus to clearly take up the work of Messiah and make it more obvious. When Jesus didn’t match his expectations he started to entertain the glimmer of a doubt. Maybe Jesus wasn’t the One who is to come.

John’s struggle here is an honest look at impatience and doubt in the life of a believer. Some of these same concerns might lurk in our hearts. But God dispels our doubts with his Word and points us to the many fulfilled promises of the past. We can trust that He will bring us to a future where every expectation will finally be met, point for point.

Matthew 3:1-12

With all of John the Baptist’s preaching about repentance, calling certain people a brood of vipers, and his message of an axe ready to chop and unquenchable fire ready to burn, he seems like kind of a Christmas buzzkill. His message doesn’t really seem to jive with Christmas spirit. But one important thing to remember is that John is associated with the season of Advent, not Christmas. John the Baptist’s purpose was to prepare people’s hearts by pointing

out their sin and need to repent. But his even higher purpose was to point people to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. And in that sense, his message is right on point with the season of Christmas when our Savior arrives to save us from our sins.

Philippians 4:4-7

People eagerly anticipate the Christmas season. The Latin word adventus means arrival, and in the Christian church we eagerly anticipate three arrivals of Christ: the commemoration of his birth, his return on judgment day, and the moments he touches our hearts in Word and sacrament. This time of year (and always!) we get to feel the excitement of an imminent arrival. The Lord is near!

Joel 2:21-27

The book of Joel makes for a great “Thanksgiving” themed book of the Bible. Our lives are not always filled with plenty and abundant blessings. But if the Giver of the blessings is with us and on our side then we can give thanks every day. Whether his hand brings hardship or blessing, we know his purposes are good and he wants us to trust in him and turn to him in faith. He is a God with a track record of restoring his people. We can trust he will do the same for us.

Joel 3:1-3, 12-16

“The day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” The Valley of Decision. Is that a place you want to visit? Probably not. The sickle will swing. The grapes will be trampled in the winepress. The Valley of Decision is the place where final Judgment will be divvied out on the Last Day and wickedness will not be allowed to stand. But there’s a game-changing difference for us. Even when there is cosmic upheaval and the sun and moon stop shining, even when the earth and the heavens tremble and God tramples wickedness in his winepress, we will be safe and secure. Because we have a refuge.

Joel 1:13-20, 2:12-20

Today we really get to tackle what this sermon series is all about—finding clarity in calamity. Joel is pretty much the Bible’s textbook on dealing with calamity, so let’s dive in and see God’s purpose in calamity in our lives and to see his mercy shining through it all.

Joel 3:17-21

This whole section of Joel 3 could be pictured as God putting his hand under the chins of the downhearted and lifting up their eyes. We get clarity in calamity and hardship because of the abundantly good and clear picture God gives us of our destination. The destination is eternal life with God. No matter how hard the journey is, no matter the calamities along the way, it’s the thought of home that gives you comfort and stamina to keep going.