Christmas is often presented as neat, quiet, and resolved. But for many people, December 25th comes and goes, and life is still messy. Problems don’t disappear overnight. Questions remain. Pain lingers.

In week three of our Messy Beautiful Christmas series, we asked a simple but honest question: Can I find hope in this mess?

Walking through the early life of Jesus, we see that the mess didn’t disqualify Him – it confirmed Him. God was at work through detours, disruption, and uncertainty, fulfilling His promises in ways no one expected. And that same hope is still available today, right in the middle of whatever you’re walking through.

Check out our recap.

This video offers a brief recap of Sunday’s message and celebration at Redemption Church. We reflected on the baptism we celebrated and the message Can I Find Hope in This Mess? – a reminder that the mess didn’t disqualify Jesus, it confirmed Him. If you’re walking through a season that still feels unresolved, this message is for you.

This message was preached by Chris Fluitt on December 21, 2025, as part three of our Messy Beautiful Christmas series at Redemption Church. As you read through this message, our prayer is that God meets you right where you are and reveals the hope He is already working in your life. Blessings as you study God’s Word.

Hope doesn’t wait for life to get cleaned up. God meets us in the middle of the mess.

This is Redemption Church of Plano, Texas. We are so glad you are here!
It is amazing time of year and we are so glad to spend it with you. Merry Christmas!
My name is Chris Fluitt, and I pray blessings on every one of you.

I am going to start with something real… 

For most of us… December 25th didn’t fix anything.

The calendar turned.
The decorations came down.
And the situation stayed the same.

You were hoping Christmas would bring relief.
Instead, it just reminded you how unresolved things still feel.

And that leads to a deeper question.

Can I find hope in this mess?

Can hope still work when nothing has changed?
Can hope hold when the story is unfinished?
Can faith stay alive when the mess hasn’t moved?

Because that’s where many of us are living right now.

Hope is Hard to Find

What a mess!

If that’s where we are, then maybe the question isn’t, “What’s wrong with us?”
Maybe the real question is, “What kind of hope does God offer in a world like this?”

Because messed up world is exactly the kind of world the Christmas story was born into.
 

What’s often missed in the Christmas story is this:

The mess doesn’t end when Jesus is born.

We have very sweet nativity scenes… Jesus is born and everyone is happy. It gives “and they all lived happily ever after vibes.”

We picture calm. Peace. Stillness.

But the truth is this: The mess doesn’t end when Jesus is born.

If anything, the mess multiplies.

Let’s walk through 3 messes.

Mess #1: Bethlehem

Jesus is born in Bethlehem, not because it’s convenient, but because it’s required.

Mary and Joseph don’t live there.
They’re forced there by a government order.

Stressful.
Disruptive.
Unplanned.

A mess.

Jesus is born… they are still in Bethlehem.

They still have no place to go… there is still no room for them in any inn… and Jospeh, Mary, and Baby Jesus seem to be forced to stay in Bethlehem for several months.- until the magi/wisemen come…

Then things get worse…

Mess #2: Egypt

“King” Herod wants Jesus dead. (We talked about that last week.)
So God warns Joseph in a dream.

(Matthew 2:14)

They become refugees.
They leave everything familiar.

For this season, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were asylum seekers, fleeing danger to find safety in another nation.

This is another mess. Mess after mess..

Finally relief… Herod R.I.P.

Now finally, there’s relief. “king” Herod dies.

It’s time to go home.

But Matthew tells us this:

(Matthew 2:22)

Archelaus was one of Herod the Great’s sons.
Violent. Unstable. So dangerous that Rome eventually removed him from power.

Mess #3: Nazareth

Another detour.
Another disruption.
Another mess.

Joseph wants to go one way.
God redirects him again.

And they settle in Nazareth – a small, overlooked town that was never part of the plan.

Not important.
Not impressive.
Not expected.

Just messy.

Mess after mess, after mess.

Bethlehem…
Egypt…
Nazareth…

The Message Hidden in the Mess

So… who cares?

Life is hard.

Things go wrong.

They had problems. Big deal.

What’s the point of all this mess?

Here’s the point.

There is a message hidden in the mess.

And if you miss it, you miss what God was doing.

Let’s walk back through it one more time.

Bethlehem.

They didn’t choose it.

They were forced there.

But Scripture had already said:

“But you, Bethlehem… out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel.” (Micah 5:2)

The Bethlehem mess was prophesied hundreds of years in advance.

Egypt.

They fled in fear.

They crossed a border to survive.

But God had already spoken:

“Out of Egypt I called my son.”

(Hosea 11:1)

The Egypt mess was part of God’s message. Again prophesied hundreds of years in advance.

Nazareth.

Not impressive.

Not expected.

Not the dream.

And Matthew tells us:

“So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.” (Matthew 2:23)

Matthew is underscoring a Messianic prophecy from Isaiah 11:1.

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” (Isaiah 11:1, NIV)

Branch – Netzer – Nazereth 

The Hebrew word for Branch is netzer.

Nazareth is a town that shares the name of that messianic prophesy about the Branch.

Three messes.

Three detours.

YET Three fulfilled promises.

What felt random wasn’t random.

What felt like chaos wasn’t chaos.

The mess wasn’t in the way of God’s plan.

The mess was the way God plan was fulfilled.

Mary and Joseph couldn’t see it in the moment.

But we can see it now.

Because they went through the mess… we can see the message. We can trust and believe that Jesus is the messiah and savior of the world.

Jesus fulfills 3 of these promises…
Born in Behlehem.
Drawn out of Egypt.
And the Branch from the town of the Branch – Nazareth.

And here’s why this matters to you.

God usually reveals the meaning after the mess, not during it.

The season you’re frustrated with may be the season God is using.

You may not understand your mess yet.

But that doesn’t mean it’s meaningless.

That’s why hope doesn’t come from having answers. Hope comes from trusting the God who’s still writing the story.

Here’s the truth.

The mess didn’t disqualify Jesus.
It confirmed Him.

And the mess you’re walking through right now is doing more than you realize.

WHEN YOUR MESS BECOMES SOMEONE ELSE’S HOPE

Sometimes your mess isn’t just shaping you.
It’s showing others that God can be trusted.

Your kids learn hope by watching how you handle pressure.
Your friends learn hope by watching how you trust God in uncertainty.
Your coworkers learn hope by watching how you endure.

The financial mess you’re navigating might teach someone else how to depend on God.
The season you wish would end might help someone else believe.

That’s exactly how Jesus lived.

People didn’t find hope because Jesus avoided suffering.
They found hope because He entered it.

He touched the broken.
He ate with sinners.
He walked straight into pain.

And the cross, the greatest mess, became the greatest hope.

And when Jesus rose from the grave, He opened the way for new life.

That’s what baptism represents.

Going under the water is a picture of death.
Coming out of the water is a picture of resurrection.

It’s saying, “My old life is buried, and I’m stepping into new life with Jesus.”

Not because everything is fixed.
Not because the mess is gone.

But because hope has a name.
And His name is Jesus.

And here’s the invitation: You can have this.

You don’t have to clean yourself up first.
You don’t have to have it all figured out.
You don’t have to wait for the mess to be over.

God has come to give you new life.

Today, Xavier Schniefer has received this hope.

And today, in a few minutes, he’s being baptized.

His story isn’t perfect.
His life isn’t problem-free.

But he’s saying, “Jesus, I trust You with my life.”

And if God can meet Xavier in his mess,
He can meet you in yours.

And if you’re here today thinking,
“I want that. I need that. I’m ready for that,”
you can respond too.

Baptism is available.
Prayer is available.
Hope is available.

So where do you need hope today?

Not after it’s fixed.
Not when it makes sense.

Right now.

You don’t need answers to have hope.
You need trust.

Hope grows when you trust God while the story is still being written.

AN INVITATION TO HOPE

Here’s what I want to invite you to do.

1. Pray that hope is revealed in you, right in the middle of your mess.
Not later. Right now.

2. Worship while you wait.
Worship re-centers your heart when circumstances don’t change.

3. Stay open and pray for God’s direction.
Even if it feels like a detour. Even if it doesn’t make sense yet.

This space is open. Transformation happens when we turn to God.