As we inch our way closer to the end of 2020, many of us are searching for joy. This year has definitely been one for the history books. The worldwide pandemic known as COVID19 dramatically affected most of what we had planned for the entire year. Significant life events, such as graduations, weddings, funerals, even births were all affected. Virus induced isolation from loved ones has taken a tangible toll on our mental (and for some physical) health. The wearing of masks even affects our abilities to relate with perfect strangers. The result: many Americans are craving connection, but most importantly, I think they are craving hope.
Proverbs 13:12(MSG), puts it like this, "Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around." Hope defined is the cherished desire or expectation that something good is going to happen or that life events will turn out for the best.
So it is no surprise then as we bookend 2020, we find the majority of Americans craving Christmas.
Social media is flooded with images of people putting up their Christmas tree and decorations since the beginning of November (far earlier than years past). These are symbols for what our souls really crave which is hope. And I'm here to tell you, that you are not alone. There were others at Christmas who were craving for hope. And they knew exactly where to find it. It had been promised to them and they were given explicit directions on exactly where to find it. That sounds great, right?! A road map to hope? Let me explain.
We need look no further than the original Christmas story. The individuals I am going to highlight are the Shepherds. Most of you know the account in Luke chapter 2.
"In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is [h]Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a [i]manger. "
Just like us, these men were also looking for hope, but it was not to be found in decorations. The source of their hope was 'wrapped' up in a person known in scripture as the Messiah. Messiah means "promised one", or the person who was to deliver the nation of Israel. The first thing you should also know is that these were not just any shepherds. These shepherds were in Bethlehem. This is significant for two reasons. First, it was foretold in the Bible hundreds of years prior that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Micah chapter 5 explicitly states, "But for you, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel." Secondly, these shepherds in particular had a unique job. Bethlehem shepherds were responsible for raising the sheep that were to be sacrificed for the atonement of sins by the priests for the people at the temple in Jerusalem. Therefore, they had to be perfect, without blemish or defect. Their job was unique. Bethlehem sat on a hill and at the top of this hill was a lookout tower, called Migdal Eder. It was a place where the shepherds could get a vantage point to keep watch over their flocks. This tower also had another purpose. When it was time for young lambs to be born, the female sheep were brought into the base of the tower. The newly born infant lambs were then wrapped tightly in cloth and placed in a trough to keep them from thrashing around and potentially injuring themselves, getting stepped on or causing a defect. The strips of cloth were likely made from the priestly garments of the temple priests since these lambs ultimately served a holy purpose, the atonement of sin.
So when the angels appeared to the shepherds and told them they would find the Christ in Bethlehem, wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger, they knew exactly where to go. Some translations actually say the wording wasn't "a manger" but instead, "the manger". The Lamb of God, who would be the one to take away all sin, would be found in the tower where all sacrificial lambs are born. He would be wrapped in priestly clothing. The source of expectant hope they were desperately craving would be found in a person, THE person of Jesus Christ.
"Lets go straight to Bethlehem, then, and see this thing that has happened, that the Lord has made known to us."
What was true for them is still true for us. As you round out 2020, are you craving hope and joy? As we approach the end of the year, do you find that your soul is craving connection? I want you to know, it is found in a relationship with the person named Jesus. The apostle Paul affirmed this in Timothy 1:1. "Jesus Christ, who is our hope." God sent his one and only son, so that you __________ (insert name here) can find hope. John 3:16 puts it this way.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him."
You are craving hope because your soul is wired that way. Stop and read that sentence again.
It is wired for eternity. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) And when your eternity is secure, your perspective will change. It will change the way you view viruses, disappointments, elections and unfulfilled plans. You will be able to find hope, even in the middle of a pandemic. God wants that kind of life for you and for me. How can we know this? Because He gave us His Word (the Bible) as the 'roadmap'; it is embodied in the person of Jesus. God always keeps his promises, and one of them is "those who diligently seek me, will find me." (Proverbs 8:17) Let's make Christmas 2020 the year where we intentionally restored our Hope.
