Jack Countryman - The Hope of Christmas

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The Hope of Christmas

2012 Jack Countryman

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Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Italics in Scripture indicate the authors emphasis.

Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION
1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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ISBN-13: 978-1-4003-2114-8

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God makes a promise.

Faith believes His promise.

Hope anticipates its fulfillment.

Patience quietly waits.

Contents

I ts a timeless storythe account of Jesus birthwith familiar details such as shepherds, a star, wise men, and angels. But perhaps the details, if not the story itself, are too familiar. Are we any longer able to hear the wonder of this world-changing, history-altering story?

God planned the birth of Jesus before time began, and throughout the Old Testamentthousands of years before a Baby was born in BethlehemGod hinted about the coming of this Messiah, this King of kings, Lord of lords, Prince of Peace.

Looking at these hintsthese ancient propheciesand their fulfillment in the New Testament accounts of Jesus birth can help us recapture the wonder of the Christmas story and marvel at the gift of Jesus, a gift of sacrifice and love, of Immanuel, God with us.

May seeing the promises of God and their fulfillment reignite in you the very hope of Christmas.

It came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace,

goodwill toward men!

Luke 2:114

F or centuries, voices in the Old Testament called Gods people to look for the Messiah, yet most Jewish people missed the significance of the prophets words. Micah, for instance, said the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. In Psalm 89:27, 36, David foretold of a firstborn when he spoke of the Lord declaring that Davids seed would endure forever. Isaiah made the preposterous claim that the Messiah would be born of a virgin. Hosea revealed that at a certain time God would call His Son out of Egypt. Such Old Testament prophecies and promises were spoken five hundred to seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, and devout Jews would wonder, Will the Messiah come in my lifetime? Will I see the Promised One with my own eyes?

In a sense, when we open Gods Word today, we see with our own eyes as well as the eyes of our hearts that all of Gods promises regarding the Anointed One of God are fulfilled, detail for detail, in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In fact, New Testament passages take us on a journey, revealing this carpenters son to be the Messiah, a descendant of Abraham, an heir to the throne of David, born of a virgin in the city of Bethlehem. Throughout Jesus life and ministry, Old Testament prophecies become living, breathing New Testament realities. What better time than the Christmas season to reflect on these promises of Scripturepromises fulfilledthat point to our ultimate Hope: Gods Son, Jesus Christ.

Now the LORD had said to Abram:

Get out of your country,

From your family

And from your fathers house,

To a land that I will show you.

I will make you a great nation;

I will bless you

And make your name great;

And you shall be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

And I will curse him who curses you;

And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy five years old when he departed from Haran.

Genesis 12:14

W hat an amazing promise! The Creator of the universe chose to make this everlasting and irrevocable promise to Abraham and his descendants. Speaking these words recorded in Genesis, the Almighty pointed to the greatest blessing of all, a blessing that would be for all the earth: God would give His Son to die for sinners like us, that we might know forgiveness and eternal life. Through two thousand years and forty-two generations, a new chapter in the sovereign Lords plan for humanity was beginning to unfoldand all the families of the earth would indeed be blessed.