THE HOPE OF
Meeting the one who brings real stability into our daily uncertainties
THE HOPE OF CHRISTMAS
Are you afraid of 27th December?
Christmas—love it or hate it—is a bit of a safe haven where the ships of our lives draw aside from the choppy waters of daily uncertainty into the warm predictability of the festive routine. The same tins of chocolates; the same jingly songs; the same roast dinners; the same friends and family, paper hats and bad jokes; the same films, afternoon naps and board games.
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day . . . whether they are busy or quiet, joyful or reflective, they bring an annual predictability. But what happens on 27th December? Or the day after, or the day after that? What happens when you must pull away from Christmas Harbour and back out into the waves and storms of a world that’s constantly changing?
The events surrounding the first Christmas were anything but safe for the people who actually lived through them.
Consider Mary: a teenage girl not only entering the lifechange of pregnancy, but learning from an angel that the child is God and will change the world! Her bravery must have been mixed with fear and loneliness.
Consider Joseph: a man discovering his fiancée is already pregnant (and not by him!), and then being told the full story by an angel. Doubts and worries must have plagued his mind.
Soon after baby Jesus was born, he was hunted by the murderous King Herod. This young family, likely already shunned for
their scandalous child, was forced to flee. They became refugees in Egypt during Jesus’ infancy. When they returned home to Israel several years later, did it feel like home to any of them? It was a place Jesus would not remember; it was a community that looked down on women like Mary.
Those early, uncertain years of fear, rejection, shame and being without a home bled into the challenges of Jesus’ adult life. No two days followed the same pattern. He would be loved for his wisdom in some cities but sought only for his healing in others.
People would follow him hoping to see a miracle or get a free meal, but would desert him as soon as he taught things they didn’t want to hear. He was called evil by some, and mad by others. Many thought he was a prophet, others longed to make him into the revolutionary leader who would free Israel from Roman occupation.
Some people were his friends, following him through thick and thin. But even then, one of them betrayed him and the rest fled when he was finally executed—though he was found innocent of all charges brought against him.
“I am the light of the world,” Jesus once said. “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.” He is the God who knows what it is to live in uncertainty. He knows what it feels like to navigate the storms and stresses of this difficult and unpredictable world. He is the one who lights up the way ahead when we trust him, helping us to walk through each day in his strength, rather than our own. He is the one who appreciates how hard it is to face 27th December after the momentary festive break.
He is the one who promises, “I am with you always.”
He is the God who walked out of his tomb three days after his execution, bringing rock solid certainty in this uncertain world. When we trust him, we are not alone—ever. The one who offers to walk with you truly understands the anxieties and stresses of this world. He understands your struggles more than you might think.
FIND OUT MORE
Everyone who places their trust in Jesus enters a lasting and secure relationship with God. That’s the hope of Christmas; it gives us a new foundation for our lives, one that isn’t based on what happens in this unpredictable world, but on God’s promises to us in the Bible. For today—and all eternity—our lives and our destiny will be kept safe with Jesus. He will be our strength and our hope; and he will never let us down.
There’s so much more to discover about the Christmas story and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We want to encourage you to attend a local church during the festive season to find out more about the God who brings stability into our daily uncertainties.
Our Daily Bread Ministries is also here for you. For over fifty years we’ve been helping people in the UK and Europe open up the Bible to meet the God who cares. Follow @ourdailybreadeurope on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok for daily encouragements. And visit odb.org to see all the resources we have available to help you get to know Jesus for yourself.
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