The Advent of Hope

We've all gone through various hardships and crises through the years.

Of course we have.

But overall, for many of us, life has been relatively good.

And we need to be abundantly grateful to God for that.

But we also need to recognize that fortune has the potential of acting like an anesthetic

that numbs us to the reality of brokenness in our lives.

Too many people understand this.

And so what they do is they spend their lives chasing after fortune,

thinking that prosperity is actually the only hope that we have

against the brokenness that seems to pursue us.

Right?

So we don't set our hope on things that are religious at all.

We don't set our hopes on people necessarily at all.

We set our hopes on fortune.

If I can just get my hands on blessing,

if I can just get my hands on more stuff,

that's the thing that is going to give me security.

That's the thing that's going to provide real hope that I can escape the just travesties of my life

and the hardships that I've experienced in my life.

If I can just get to the blessing,

that's where hope and brokenness will ultimately be found.

And then when blessing finally comes,

and for many of us it does,

it quickly sets us on a path of what we would call blissful ignorance.

We're ignorant now sometimes of our own brokenness,

and we're happy to be so.

Blind to the suffering of others in some cases.

It's numb, especially to our own sinful condition.

Now if you're ignorant of brokenness,

the problem is you'll also be ignorant of gospel hope.

Because remember, it requires brokenness,

the recognition of brokenness,

before we can actually get to anything good and substantial about hope and about the gospel.

Think about it.

There's a reason Jesus said that it is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Why did he say something like that?

It's nearly impossible for those of us who have been extraordinarily blessed

to get a sense of our own need.

And when we do,

it's very difficult to transfer our hope from wealth,

and from pleasure,

and from money or whatever it is that we would describe as being fortunate and blessed.

It's very hard to transfer our hope from that

to a Messiah that was said to have been born 2,000 years ago.

That's a hard thing to do for anyone.

It's especially a hard thing to do

for someone who feels secure in their blessing.

But there's also a kind of spiritual prosperity

that is just as damning.

On one hand, we have the ignorance of brokenness

because we are a wealthy people.

Maybe not in comparison to other Americans,

but relative to the world,

we have been extraordinarily blessed.

And that blinds us sometimes to some of the realities of suffering,

but also to our own brokenness.

But then there's this spiritual dynamic as well

that's at work here.

It's an enemy for us.

The Pharisees, for example,

were so proud of their ability to keep the law

that they lost all sense of their own sinfulness.

Theirs wasn't a material blessing necessarily.

It was a religious blessing.

It was a path of prosperity in terms of their faith.

They rejected Jesus, ironically.

The only true hope that they actually had.

And why did they reject him?

Because they expected when the Messiah would come,

he would come to reward them

because they had done so well

because of their spiritual prosperity.

Messiah, when he comes,

yeah, Jesus can do these wonderful works.

He can do these amazing things.

But if he was really the Messiah,

he would be here to reward us

for our ability to keep the law.

But what Jesus actually came doing was warning them.

You can go to some passage where he pronounces

extraordinary woes against the scribes and Pharisees.

Why?

Because their spiritual prosperity

had actually blinded them

to the reality of their own sinfulness.

Self-righteousness became their hope,

making them ignorant of their own brokenness.

Okay?

So we've got at least two enemies

that I'm dealing with today.

The first one is just ignorance.

Sometimes that's ignorance

that comes from material blessing

and we just kind of get numb to the fact

that we're sinners

and that we've got issues

and that other people have issues

and we're just content to set our hope on wealth.

Then there's the ignorance

that comes from spiritual blessing.

You know, we're just really good Christians

and when we're really, really good Christians,

we start to forget

that we're actually really, really bad sinners too.

And the gospel gets muddied up and all of that.

Okay, enemy number two.

The enemy of denial.

The enemy of denial.

Now, how is this different?

We can also be oblivious to brokenness

simply because we choose to be.

We just choose to be.

An awareness of brokenness,

both spiritual and material,

is an immensely heavy burden for us to bear.

Many of us, we have a particular way

that we want to view ourselves.

We have a particular way

that we want to view the world around us

and we will consciously turn away from things

that interfere with that vision.

This is why churches stop dealing with issues of sin

in their services

because it's uncomfortable

to understand the reality of our sinfulness

and to see holiness and justice in God

is a heavy burden.

We don't like to hear those things,

so we don't hear those things.

We choose not to hear them.

We choose not to say them.

It's far easier to cope

when you just remove any reminders

of how broken the world really is.

We do this in all kinds of ways, don't we?

People aren't always so genuinely interested

in helping a people group like the homeless,

but they really don't like it

when the homeless colonies are set up

with all their tents and their tarps

on someone's commute into work.

They're not always so interested

in actually helping those people,

but they want them moved out of the way

so they don't have to look at it every day

when they're driving to work, right?

It's this ignorance of denial

we see brokenness,

but we don't want to see it anymore.

We just want to get it out of the way

so we don't have to think about that anymore, right?

We refuse, in some cases,

to use language of death, right?

Why do we do that?

We choose rather.

We want to use phrases like,

well, they've passed on

or they've moved on.

Why do we do that?

Because death is a heavy burden to bear.

We want to try to deny its reality

as much as we possibly can.

And so we try to soften it

even with the language that we use.

We don't want to watch the news.

We don't want to read the newspaper.

You know why?

Because all it does is tell us

how broken we actually are.

We don't want to read about

nearly 6,000 children

who have been killed in the last two months

because of Israeli airstrikes.

6,000 in two months' time.

That's hard to read about.

That's hard to acknowledge.

So what do we do?

Well, we do everything we can

to just get those things out of the way.

We don't want to see it.

We don't want to look at it.

And there's a spiritual version of this

denial among some professing Christians

that completely destroys the gospel.

I told you about a conversation

I had last night with Herman.

I had a conversation earlier this week

with another man named Mike

who's connected with a Presbyterian church,

USA, in Rock Hill.

And he was sharing with me

some of his frustrations about this church

because the pastor has now decided

to be a universalist.

He denies now that there is a literal hell,

that there is a place of conscious torment

for anybody at this point.

And his statement would be

basically a Christian version of atheism

and atheistic arguments,

which is if God really is loving,

then he would never actually send someone

to a place like hell.

And they have adopted this doctrine as a church

to where even in our own backyard in Rock Hill

and probably all over the place,

even here in Cornelius and Davidson,

there is teaching that,

no, hell isn't a real thing.

That's not really what the Bible is teaching.

And no, everybody's gonna be fine

because Jesus is loving,

because Jesus has died.

Everybody's good now.

Well, it's just not true.

It's totally inconsistent with the Bible.

So where does such teaching come from?

It comes from a place of denial

about the realities of sin

and judgment and hell.

It comes from those

who have a way that they want to view God

and a way that they want to view the world,

and they will not even let the Bible

interfere with that vision.

Just put these two things together,

the ignorance and the denial.

Both of those things come with a measure

of security, don't they?

If we're ignorant of brokenness and sinfulness,

if we're in denial of brokenness and sinfulness,

then we feel secure in that position, right?

We fight for it even in some cases.

But this security is a false hope.

It's not actually real.

But there is a true and lasting hope

that can be found,

but it requires that we first come to terms

with the fact that we are broken, sinful people.

Scriptures actually go to great lengths

to tell us that.

Not because they want to beat us up,

not because God's just trying to beat us up,

but because it's only through that recognition

that we can actually get to

any kind of true gospel hope.

Now, Jesus shows us a better way,

and he shows us this better way

in just a glimpse here in this text

in verses 22 and 24.

In the incarnation,

Jesus does not ignore our brokenness,

neither does he deny our brokenness.

In the incarnation,

Jesus enters our brokenness,

willingly enters it,

endures it,

in order that he might identify

with those that he came to save.

Just look here at the first couple of verses.

Verse 22,

and when the time came for their purification,

according to the law of Moses,

they brought him up to Jerusalem

to present him to the Lord,

as it's written in the law of the Lord,

every male who first opens the womb

shall be called holy to the Lord,

and to offer a sacrifice

according to what is said in the law of the Lord,

a pair of turtle doves

or of two young pigeons.

So the presentation of Jesus

at the temple in Jerusalem,

it involved purification rituals

that included sacrifice.

And at some point along the way,

circumcision would have been linked to this process.

I don't know if it would have happened

on this particular moment at the temple

or if it would have happened prior,

but this would have been a part of the process as well.

Well, all of these things were commanded

in the Old Testament law of God

as a symbol of sin,

as a reminder of our need

for spiritual cleansing.

But that brings us to an interesting moment

of conflict.

If Jesus is the Son of God,

the sinless Son of God,

why was it actually necessary

or was it even necessary

for him to go through these same practices?

Why would he need to go through circumcision,

which is just all about cutting out sin?

Why would he need to have a sacrifice

done for his purification as a baby?

I thought he's the sinless Son of God,

and yet Mary and Joseph still take him

and they do this thing with him.

Why?

Is that not a contradiction?

Well, no, it's not.

On one hand,

this shows the faithfulness

of Joseph and Mary.

Now, I want you to think about something.

I don't know if you've ever thought

about this before,

but we see all of these moments

in the Gospels

about angels appearing

to Joseph and Mary

and telling them what to do.

You're going to have a child?

Call his name Jesus.

Do this.

Do that.

So on it goes.

Then the angels appear

to the shepherds,

and they give a little more information,

and then there's the Lord's working

in all these different ways.

Here's something that we never read about

in the Gospels.

No angel ever comes to Joseph and Mary

and says,

all right,

here's the manual

on how to raise the Son of God.

This is what you do,

and this is how you go about it,

and this is what you teach him.

There's no manual for that.

So surely at some point in Bethlehem,

after Jesus has finally been born

and Mary perhaps was able

to get some rest,

perhaps Joseph looks at her

and says,

what are we supposed to do now?

There's no more angels.

What do we do?

And what was their answer?

Well, what does the Scripture say

that we're supposed to do?

Well, the Scripture says

on the eighth day,

he's to be circumcised,

he's to be presented

because he's the firstborn

from your womb.

That means that he's holy

unto the Lord,

and we have to do these things.

And so what does Mary and Joseph do?

They faithfully follow the Word of God

and praise God that they did

because that's essential

for him to be Messiah.

For Jesus to be the Messiah

means not only that he dies,

it means that he fulfills.

And the only way he can fulfill the law

is if the one born under the law

goes through the circumcision

and is presented at the temple.

It wasn't done for his sake.

It was done for our sake.

Isn't that amazing?

He enters our brokenness,

and then he identifies with us

in our brokenness.

And in this salvation,

the righteousness of Christ

is imputed to us,

and it is a complete righteousness.

No portion of the law

was left unturned

in terms of Jesus fulfilling it.

He fully obeyed

and fulfilled God's law

on our behalf.

And much like his later baptism,

these rituals were not performed

because he was a sinner,

but because he desired

to identify with sinners.

Think about this.

Sacrifice of birds

and young pigeons.

That's not the typical sacrifice.

Why did they have to do that?

Because they were poor.

They had no money.

They couldn't afford a lamb

to sacrifice.

So Jesus not only comes

and identifies with us

by going through the rituals,

but when he comes,

he comes to the lowliest of people.

He's born in the humblest

of scenarios.

Why?

To identify

with sinners

leaving the riches of heaven.

Jesus identified

with the lowly on earth.

He was born under the law,

Galatians 4,

so that he might redeem those

who are under the law

to make us

sons of God

like him.

So rather than ignore

and deny our brokenness,

Jesus was broken

for us.

Isn't that amazing?

And until you see

your hopelessness

without him,

you'll never understand

the immense hope

that you can have

through him.

That's why we begin here.

I'm not just trying

to beat you up.

I'm not just trying

to tell you how bad you are.

In fact,

relative to other people,

you're probably pretty good.

But the comparison

and the bar

that has been set

for us

has not been set

by other people.

It's been set

by a holy God.

And the reality

is that each of us,

whether you're 80 years old

or you're 8 years old

in this room today,

no matter who you are,

you are absolutely

hopeless

and broken

and sinful

without Christ.

And until you begin

to understand that,

you'll never really

understand

that he is hope.

You'll never understand

the advent of hope

in the advent of Christ.

All right.

Number two.

Hope not only requires

that we recognize brokenness,

hope requires

we believe

the brokenness

can be fixed.

Hope requires

that we believe

that the brokenness

can actually be fixed.

Now,

my desire

is that all of us

are thinking truthfully

about brokenness

at this point,

but the fact is

that most of you

probably didn't need

to be convinced.

Some of you

may not identify

at all

with the predicament

that Michael Buble

found himself in.

In fact,

you're routinely

in your life

plagued

with the reality

of sin

and suffering

that is not only

in you

but around you.

You know what that's like,

which brings us

to the next point

of emphasis.

Are we to expect

that any of this

can actually be made

better?

Can it be fixed?

Can it be made better?

Even more,

can it be made right?

Or are we just

on this

crazy path

of

we're just here,

there's no purpose,

we're just

got to do the best

that we can?

Some seem

to struggle

to see how bad

things are.

Many find it difficult

to believe

that it can actually

be made better.

Well,

again,

there's two dangers

at this point.

The first danger

is cynicism,

which causes

a person

to resign themselves

to the notion

that none of it

can actually

be made right.

In that view,

our only course

of action

is just do

the best you can

and hope that

you fare better

than other people.

That's cynicism,

right?

Just,

it can't be made

better.

The other danger

here

is a misguided

optimism,

okay?

Misguided optimism.

This is what

we see predominantly

at this Christmas

season,

at least in our

secular world.

It leads an

individual to set

their hope on

things that

cannot actually

make any difference

in their life,

but they just

really believe

that it can,

and they really

hope that it

can,

but it can't,

it can't do

anything.

Hard work,

a positive spirit,

even a strong

moral compass

cannot provide

what we need.

So how can we

actually come to

believe that a

real and lasting

hope exists?

This is where

Simeon and Anna

are so helpful

to us,

because both of

them show us

what it's like

to live with

a hopeful

expectancy

that's not rooted

in the human

spirit or in

the, quote,

Christmas spirit,

but is rooted

in the power

and the promises

of God,

okay?

Look with me

in verse 25.

Let's read first

about Simeon.

Now there was

a man in

Jerusalem whose

name was

Simeon,

and this man

was righteous

and devout,

waiting for the

consolation of

Israel,

and the Holy

Spirit was upon

him,

and it had been

revealed to him

by the Holy

Spirit that he

would not see

death before he

had seen the

Lord's Christ,

and he came in

the Spirit into

the temple,

and when the

parents brought

in the child

Jesus to do

for him according

to the custom

of the law,

he took him up

in his arms,

and he blessed

God.

He's not

only expecting

that this is

going to happen,

but he recognized

when it does

happen,

and he blesses

God for it.

Now skip to

verse 36.

Let's look at

Anna.

And there was a

prophetess,

Anna,

the daughter of

Phanuel,

the tribe of

Asher.

She was advanced

in years,

having lived with

her husband seven

years from when

she was a virgin,

and then as a

widow until she

was 84.

She did not

depart from the

temple,

worshiping,

fasting,

prayer,

night and day.

Why would she

do that?

Hopeful expectancy,

right?

And coming up at

that very hour,

she began to give

thanks to God

and to speak of

Jesus to all

who were waiting

for the redemption

of Jerusalem.

Now Simeon and

Anna here are

wonderful examples

of the spirit of

Advent that we

talked so much

about last week.

Remember Advent

from the Latin

Adventus.

It means coming

or arrival.

There's two

Advents in the

scripture.

The first Advent

being the

incarnation of

Christ.

The second Advent

being the return

of Christ.

And of course

they're awaiting

for the first

Advent of Christ.

And I want you

to think about

this in terms

of the Advent

season for just

a moment.

The Advent

season is a

time of longing

and hopeful

expectation that

Christ will come

to save his

people.

Just as Israel

and Simeon

and Anna

longed for

and awaited

the Advent

of the Messiah,

Christians now,

us,

we long for

and await

the Messiah's

return.

In the same

spirit of it.

And no one

in the Christmas

narratives

displays this

sense of hope

and certainty

quite like

Simeon and

Anna do.

Though they

understood the

deep reality

of brokenness

and sin,

they were fully

convinced that

God would

fulfill his

promises of

salvation.

Fully convinced.

It's unmistakable

in this passage.

Not even yet

with the Christ

coming to the

temple, but just

the practices of

Simeon and Anna

before that,

full of hopeful

expectation,

trusting God,

believing in

his promises.

They both gave

their lives to

prayer and to

worship and

proclamation about

this hope,

and God blessed

both of them to

speak prophetically

about the hope

that had come in

the child Jesus.

But the question

is, how could

they actually

possess that kind

of hope?

What gave them

such assurance

in that moment?

Is it that they

were doing what

everybody else was,

they were just

picking something

to put their

hope in, and

they just happened

to be the ones

that were right?

No, that's not

it.

And I think the

answer can be

found for us if

we look a little

closer at

Simeon.

If you notice

in these verses,

Simeon's hope

is directly linked

in the text to

his righteousness

and devotion.

He was a

righteous and

devout man.

Now this is not

that pseudo form

of hope that

attempts to

will or to

manifest things

by the power

of positive

thinking.

That is all the

rage these days,

and there's some

Christians that are

dabbling in this,

and let me just

take this as a

byway for just a

moment.

Stay away from

this manifesting

ideology.

It's not real.

It's demonic

New Age theology

that says if I just

think it hard enough

and I think it over

and over and over

again, I can

manifest into

existence the good

things that I want

in my life.

There are Christians

who are treating

God that way,

where they just

think if I just

think positively

enough, if I pray

enough in Jesus'

name, I can

manifest through

this power, this

divine power that

is in me.

I can manifest

these things that I

want out of life.

Stay away from

that.

That's false.

That's not a

gospel.

That's a false

gospel.

Stay away from

those things.

That's not what

Simeon is doing

here.

Rather, Simeon's

hope is grounded in

an objective source,

the written word

of God.

Righteous and

devout are terms

that can only be

understood in this

context in light of

a commitment to the

scriptures.

Righteous means that

Simeon lived according

to God's commands.

Devout means that he

was devoted in

genuine faith and

service to the

Lord, including

trusting the promises

of a Savior.

And furthermore,

God blessed

Simeon graciously

with the presence

and the power of

the Holy Spirit

who drove him

forward in

hopefulness.

That's the source

of his hope.

That's the source

of his certainty

here.

And there's

something significant

in this for us.

True hope is a

divine gift from

the Holy Spirit.

that is grounded

in the Bible.

True hope,

if you have it,

is a gift

from the Holy Spirit

that is rooted

in the word of God,

which Paul says

later is the

sword of the Spirit.

It is the weapon

that the Spirit

yields and

wields in order

to do the work

of God in our

lives.

hope can only

be understood

and strengthened

as we submit

to the leadership

of the Holy Spirit

and devote ourselves

to the faithful

study of the

inerrant,

authoritative

word of God.

It is in the

scriptures alone

that we find the

hope of the gospel.

faithful.

And it is the

Holy Spirit

who illuminates

the word in our

hearts and minds,

giving us the

same assurance

that Simeon

and Anna had.

You say,

I just feel so

unsure

of everything.

Well, are you

devoted to the

word?

Are you

righteous in your

obedience to it,

faithful in your

devotion?

A cynic will

never experience

hope because they

refuse to believe

in anything at all,

but neither is a

sense of hopefulness

itself worth

anything if it

isn't rooted in

an objective

truth.

the brokenness

of this world

can and

ultimately will

be fixed.

It will all be

made right.

But the only

place you will

find true

grounds for

believing that

is in the

Bible.

It's the only

place.

Hope is not

something you

can conjure up

from deep

within you.

It is a gift

from God that

he delivers

through his

word.

So if

you're without

hope today,

what you need

is the word.

You need to

come to the

word because

it's the word

that the Spirit

will use to

give you this

hope.

Okay,

finally,

we've seen

hope requires

we recognize

brokenness.

Hope requires

that we actually

believe that

things can get

better.

If you don't

believe that,

then you

literally don't

have any hope

at all,

right?

Thirdly,

hope is made

certain only

through Jesus.

Hope is made

certain only

through Jesus.

Now,

everything we've

covered up to

this point has

been framed

around hope's

potential.

Okay?

Hope's potential.

But now I want

you to see that

through the gospel

of Jesus,

true hope is a

certainty that you

can personally

experience.

okay?

Are you with

me still?

Right?

I know it's

kind of warm.

Give me your

eyes for just a

second.

Will you do

that?

I'm going to

say that just

once more.

I want you to

know,

okay,

are you listening?

Everybody,

I want you to

know that the

hope of the

gospel is a

certainty.

It's a certain

hope and you

can have it.

Okay?

So I want you to

know and hear me

out for just a few

more minutes.

It's okay.

And the Bible

speaks of hope.

It doesn't speak of

it in reference to

wishful thinking.

That's how we

typically use that

word.

It's not how the

Bible uses that

word.

The Bible uses it

in terms of a

present assurance

of a future

reality.

Okay?

I am certain

today of what

will be

tomorrow.

Okay?

That's kind of the

terms of biblical

hope that we're

working with here.

And this

assurance that the

Bible gives us,

it has everything

to do with

Jesus.

With the advent

of Christ came

the advent of

everlasting hope.

And we can begin

to see this if we

look at what

Simeon said.

Okay?

Verse 28.

He took Jesus up

in his arms and

blessed God and

said,

Lord, now you are

letting your servant

depart in peace

according to your

word.

For my eyes have

seen your salvation

that you have

prepared in the

presence of all

people.

A light for

revelation to the

Gentiles and for

glory to your

people Israel.

And his father

and mother marveled

at what was said

about him.

These are not the

words of a man

who simply wished

that this child

would be the one

to bring salvation,

but of someone

who was entirely

convinced of it.

But don't you

find it interesting

that for some

reason now he's

interested in dying?

That doesn't make

a lot of sense.

If he believes that

Messiah has now

come, why is it

that now he turns

and he says to

God, okay Lord,

I can die now.

I've seen him.

Wouldn't he want to

stay around for a

few more years to

see what would

actually come of

this child?

But that's not

what he asked for.

He says, I'm ready

to die.

Simeon's hope

as gifted to him

by God's spirit

was so certain

that he didn't need

to see anything else.

He didn't have to

ask any more questions.

He was so assured

that eternal salvation

would come through

this child

that it gave him

complete peace

to just go ahead

and die.

He wasn't worried

about what was

coming next.

Why?

He was so certain

of what was true

about this baby Jesus.

But it gets even

better.

Simeon declares

that this gospel

hope was not

just for him.

He says it has

been revealed

before all peoples.

That means you

and I can also

benefit from

this certainty

at least as far

as Simeon is

concerned.

In other words,

the hope that

Simeon possessed,

it can be yours.

It can be mine.

But we have to

take one step

further to understand

why.

What exactly

is it about

Jesus

that assures

us so certainly

of this salvation?

Well, look at

verse 34.

Simeon suddenly,

and I would imagine

solemnly at this

point,

turns and he

looks at Mary

and he says,

Behold,

this child is

appointed for the

fall and rising

of many in Israel

and he will be

a sign that's

opposed.

As much as I

love him and

am blessed by

his presence,

Mary,

not everybody's

going to be

blessed by him.

In fact,

a lot of people

are going to

oppose him.

And then he

gives this little

parenthetical statement

to Mary.

In fact,

Mary,

a sword will

pierce through

your soul

also.

Why?

So that the

thoughts from

many hearts

may be revealed.

Okay,

now we're getting

to the heart

of the gospel

here,

aren't we?

Simeon declared

that Jesus

would be the

judge who

would bring

about the

fall of the

prideful,

and he would

be the savior

who would exalt

the humble.

Okay,

that's the

first phrase.

Appointed for

the fall and

rising of

many in

Israel.

Then he

hinted that

this work

of salvation

would come

through such

opposition that

it would feel

for Mary as

though her

very soul had

been pierced

with a sword.

Now at the

time that Simeon

says those words,

it's shrouded in

mystery.

There's no way

for Mary and

Joseph to really

understand what

he was getting

at about that.

we have the

blessing of

looking back on

that moment

now, don't

we?

And we

understand exactly

what this is

about.

This was

pointing toward

Jesus' crucifixion,

which Mary

herself was a

personal witness,

eyewitness of.

Now can you

imagine, those of

you who are

mothers, can you

imagine watching

your child go

through such

torment and

pain and to

be murdered in

such a cruel

way?

Would that not

feel like your

own soul has

been pierced

with the sword?

Is that not

what he's

getting at

here?

Jesus indeed

is the Lord

and Savior who

brought the

hope of

salvation, but

he did it by

dying in our

place as a

substitute.

Remember all

that brokenness

of sin we

emphasized earlier?

Jesus came to

give his life as

an atonement for

that sin.

He lived the

life that we

were meant to

live.

That's the

fulfillment of

the law.

Then he died the

death that we

deserve to die.

That's the

crucifixion on a

cross.

So that instead

of eternal hell,

which is a

reality for those

who go to death

without Christ,

we might instead

inherit eternal

life by faith as

the true children

of God.

That's what he

did.

That's why he

did it.

But the hope of

this salvation was

ultimately secured

after the

crucifixion.

Because the

crucifixion doesn't

mean anything until

the resurrection

happens three days

later.

How can we be

certain that Jesus

has brought

salvation?

Because God

raised him up to

say, I proved it.

He's the one.

He fulfilled the

law.

He has satisfied

my wrath.

And now you can

have life through

his life.

That's what the

resurrection says.

It's what we read

about in 1 Peter just

a few moments ago.

I'll read it again.

Blessed be the God

and Father of our

Lord Jesus.

According to his

great mercy, he has

caused us to be born

again to a living

hope.

And what is that

living hope in?

The resurrection of

Jesus Christ from the

dead.

And what does it do?

It gives us an

inheritance.

Remember Galatians

4.

We are now heirs.

And what is the

inheritance that we

receive as heirs if

we're in Christ?

Peter tells us it's an

inheritance that's

imperishable.

It is undefiled.

It's unfading.

And it's kept in

heaven for us.

It's secure.

Who is it secured

for?

Those who by God's

power are being

guarded through faith

for a salvation that's

ready to be revealed.

Do you see that?

Salvation ready to be

revealed.

Salvation, present

possession of a future

reality.

That's what we call

hope.

And that hope comes

only through the

crucifixion and the

resurrection of the

Lord Jesus.

Jesus.

And Jesus offers this

hope to you now.

Now.

If you will just

trust him by faith,

he will save you.

He will forgive all of

the sin that has led to

the brokenness you have

experienced in your

life.

He'll forgive it.

He'll cleanse it.

He'll give you his

righteousness.

He'll give you his

life.

He'll satisfy God's

wrath that is

determined against you.

And today can be the

advent of hope in your

life.

If you will just turn and

believe.

And why wouldn't you

believe?

It's so awesome.

And it's real.

That's the best part of

it.

It's not this.

It's not this

therapeutic mumbo

jumbo that we're just

like really hopeful

because that's the kind

of people we are.

We're super positive and

good things happen to

positive people.

No,

really bad things happen

to positive people too.

No,

this is real hope.

And it will only be

found in Jesus.

Let me finish this way

as we set our thoughts

back on Advent again.

Jesus is the Savior

who came to die

for our sins.

He's also the

sovereign Lord

who will return

to judge the earth.

So if

the issue

of our brokenness

in terms of our

personal

sinful condition

is

met

at the cross

of Christ,

what are we then

to do with

the news

that we read

about the 6,000 kids

dead in Gaza

or about

all of the

Jews who were

kidnapped as hostages

and many of them

subsequently

have been killed?

What do we do

about the conflicts

between Russia

and Ukraine

and all of the injustices

that are happening there?

What do we do

about when we turn

on the news

and we see

the people again

this week

who don't get a job

and they're so mad

that they didn't get the job

they take a gun

and they go

and they kill

a bunch of people

at the place

that they were

hoping to work?

What do we do

with that?

How will that

be made right?

That's what we're

longing for isn't it?

That's the second

advent.

He is the

sovereign Lord

and he will return

and when he returns

he will make

everything right.

Those who do not

belong to him

will be judged.

Now we take that

as a warning

on one hand

to make sure

that you're

in Christ

okay

but those of us

that are in Christ

we take that

as a joyful

thing

not that we

want to take

pleasure

in the destruction

of the wicked

not even God

takes pleasure

in the destruction

of the wicked

the Bible tells us

that plainly

no we rejoice

in the justice

of God

that he will

make all things

right

so Simeon and Anna

they're going to

the temple every day

and they're longing

for the Messiah

who will come

to bring them

salvation

you know what

we're doing

now that we've

received that

salvation

day by day

we're longing

for him to come

back

come back

and just make

it all right

Lord

come back

and rescue us

from the presence

of sin in our

life now Lord

rescue us

make the world

what it was

intended to bring

bring us back

to the garden

that's what

we're longing

for

that's the spirit

of advent

for those of us

who are in Christ

still a spirit

of longing

and expectation

and just as we

are certain

of the first

advent's

fulfillment

of our salvation

we are just as

certain that he

will return

and he will

make things

right

so live in

light of that

certainty

you know what

that brings

joy

yeah life

is hard

but he's

coming back

and he's

going to make

it all right

and we can

rest in that

better

!

better

better

better

better