Abound In Hope
Scripture References
Isaiah 11:1-10
The Righteous Reign of the Branch
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. 6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. 9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. 11 In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.
Romans 15:4-13
The Example of Christ
4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles
8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Matthew 3:1-12
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” 4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Wish Upon A Star
Have you ever wished upon a star? I remember watching the evening sky, and when the very first star appeared in the twilight, I would say… Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight; I wish I may I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight. Then closed my eyes and made a wish for something special. I don’t remember if any of my wishes ever came true. But I am sure if they did, wishing on that star had nothing to do with it.
Star Of Bethlehem
Now with Christmas quickly approaching, we turn our focus to the first star we see so bright… the star of Bethlehem. The star that appeared so brilliantly over a stable that first Christmas night. The star that guided the Magi who brought gifts to the King of Kings who lay in a manger in swaddling clothes. A bright star that provided light to the shepherds who watched, and the angels that sang. And a star that welcomed God’s only Son, Jesus… who would soon become the star that will never be darkened. The light of the world.
Advent Hope
Today, we light the second candle of the advent wreath. Like was mentioned last week, this serves as a reminder that advent is a time of preparation and anticipation for the coming of Christ. Not only through the ever so familiar Nativity. But also looking forward to the promise of His second coming as Christ Triumphant. The blue candles we have here thus represent this hope. As they are lit, the light of the world draws a little closer, the light gets a little brighter.
Paul speaks of this hope in his letter to the Romans. He says in our Epistle lesson verse 13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
This message of hope is especially meaningful during this second Sunday in Advent. When we might find ourselves or our loved ones looking for that star amid a world of darkness. Satan would like nothing better than to blow our light of hope out. God has other plans. As we journey through these weeks of Advent, this light reminds us that God’s promises are steadfast. And that our faith is rooted in something far greater than fleeting wishes. The hope we have is not just for gifts or gatherings, but for the fulfillment of God’s love in our lives… past, present, and future. Let me explain.
I Wish I May, I Wish I Might
If you think about it. It’s natural to think of hope in the same context as… I wish I may, I wish I might. It reminds me of this summer… prior to our granddaughter’s birthday… we asked her what she wanted. She said, “I want an iPad or art stuff… but I really don’t need art stuff…” Her hopes and wishes were well defined. This hope, as explained by webster, is an expression or desire in something that may or may not happen.
Yes, it changes somewhat if the request is given to grandparents… But regardless, I would venture to say that is the way most of us interpret this kind of hope as well. Like wishing upon a star… I hope I get the job, I hope it warms up, I hope I don’t get sick.
Biblical Hope
But the hope that is burning brightly within these candles and in us as believers… is the confident assurance of what we know will occur. You see, the Greek word the New Testament uses for hope is much stronger than the English interpretation. This use of Hope is the firm expectation rooted in what God has done. A Biblical hope in something we have been promised and by faith we know will happen in the future.
This hope is trust… We look at this hope as faith leaning forward… Additianally, this hope is evidenced through countless stories of how God used imperfect people like you and I to accomplish His plan. Through scripture, we know God worked hope through Abraham and Sarah in their waiting. Our Lord worked hope through Moses with his patience and rejection. He worked hope through Joseph in his abandonment. God worked hope through Job in his suffering. And God worked hope in Daniel through prayer. We could go on and on… All these examples give us hopeful Christians a track record of God’s behavior on which to base our hope. And how to abound in hope. Have you experienced this hope in your walk with God?
Faithful Expectation
In ways great or small, we each have a story we could tell where God has worked through our life.
It might have been in the form of waiting. In a test of patience, painful rejection, Or a sense of abandonment. Maybe endured suffering, or through a prayer that was answered. It could be that God has pulled you or someone you know out of the clutches of death. One way or another, God is at work in all our lives… and through faith we can abound in the hope of His eternal promise. In fact, this gift of faithful expectation found in trusting hope is nothing short of a miracle. Like I said earlier, our enemy Satan, wants to extinguish that light, by working on us in our time of weakness.
But as we consider stories of hope in Scripture and acknowledge our personal struggles… we’re reminded that God is always with us, guiding and encouraging us through every situation. Even when darkness and despair seem overwhelming… when hope feels faint because of sin within us or in the world. But we must cling to the truth that God remains by our side. Issues like political division, ongoing wars, declining morality, anti-Christian attitudes, and our own shortcomings only add to life’s difficulties. Yet the presence and support of God give us the strength to overcome these things.
Christ With Us
My friends, that is why we can be rest assured that God patiently waits for us to lean into His promises. To surrender our anxieties, and to rest in the assurance that He will never abandon us. Therefore, if we keep our focus on that star. All our darkness is rendered differently by the words our Savior cried out on the cross when He too knew that darkness better than any of us. When He pleaded “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He cried that cry with you and me.
He then unites Himself to you and I in our dark moments. To give us confident hope as we follow the star that leads all hope to Calvary mountain. That Easter hope through Christs resurrection and the life of the world to come.
The Kingdom
In our Old Testament reading, Isaiah gives us a glimpse of this life of the world to come. The Easter star light, star bright so to speak of His eternal promise. He depicts it shining radiantly over a new world of which no one harms or destroys. Jesus will take us there. A place where our faith points us to a coming Christ whose kingdom goes beyond our expectation. A Kingdom where all creation dwells in peace… The wolf and lamb lie down together. The lion eats straw like an ox. The child plays over the adder’s nest and is unharmed. This kind of peace is beyond our comprehension.
But Isaiah also reminds us that every silver lining has a cloud. A cloud of sin that obscures the light of our shining star. Clouds that threaten us with storms and prevailing winds that blow us off course. He shares this through his insight on the judgement that will come from the root of Jesse’s branch, pointing to Jesus coming againx. Even though Isaiah was referring to the exile to Babylon and the subsequent return. It leaps us forward to what John the Baptist was preaching.
Repent
Which brings us to the Gospel lesson in Matthew chapter three. Here John the Baptist uses Isaiahs words to represent a new and greater return from exile… through repentance. He says in verse 2, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” John was inviting folks to spiritual transformation with a baptism of repentance.
I agree, he was also calling out the unrepentant Pharisees and Sadducees for their self-righteousness. But it also speaks of what we must do in this sinful world to prepare for… as John says, “the one whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.”
According to Matthew, John also states that those who have faith in Jesus and repent for their sins will be forgiven and gathered. Much like wheat being collected into a barn. Those who do not believe will be thrown like chaff into the fire. This is why we get these texts during Advent. Pointing us to prepare the way and get our house in order for Christ’s second coming. As we openly confess in the creeds… “who with glory will judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.”
Look To Christ
Yet even though we declare this truth in the creeds. Like the exiles who faced many dark clouds… there are times when hope seems fragile, and our vision of God’s promises grow faint.
But these Advent lights invite us to persist in our faith and look beyond our immediate circumstances. The assurance that Christ has come and will come again reminds us that God’s light ultimately prevails over darkness. Transforming our fears and uncertainties into steadfast hope. This hope is not passive; it calls us to actively trust and forsee the unfolding of God’s plan. Even when the path ahead, in our eyes, is not clearly marked.
Pass It On
Our Christmas calling is to pass this hope forward. If you look in the narthex, you will see an angel tree that represents hope.
On the surface it may seem like a wish upon a star. But the hope that God will give through a gift given by an angel can create an eternal memory within a child.
The support we give to the food pantry also finds its way into a home that is needing hope. An Adopt a Chaplin care package that end up in the arms of a man or women in the military gives them uplifting hope in a dark world.
Hearing the nativity story coming up here in a couple weeks… gives renewed hope in many hearts as the community rejoices in where all hope comes. In ways great and small there are many other ways to abound in hope. Through the promise of our Lord and Savior… inside and outside of these walls.
Trust In His Promise
Hope, then, is not just a wish upon a star, but a living assurance that God’s purposes are being fulfilled. Even when we cannot see the outcome.
That is why, during Advent, we not only wait… we also bear witness. In every act of kindness, every prayer offered for another. And every effort to lift someone’s burden. We mirror the hope that was first revealed in Bethlehem. Each candle lit and each carol sung becomes another proclamation that the darkness will never overcome the light. Our daily choices can reflect this living hope. Inspiring those around us to trust in God’s promises and look forward to His second coming with expectant hearts.
Abound In Hope
Yes, in this Christmas season, we are once again reminded that hope is not merely a fleeting wish upon an evening star. But a steadfast anchor for our souls.
It is the light that guides us through uncertainty. Encouraging us to persevere even when shadows gather… As we celebrate the birth of Christ, let us become beacons of encouragement and compassion in a world that desperately needs it.
Star light star bright, first star I see tonight… Brothers and sisters in Christ… Jesus is that star. He is the one who will light the path for all believers. Look to Him for the true north star that will be your guide to eternity. And when He comes again in glory, there will be no more suffering, sorrow, or pain… We will wish no more… Abound in that hope.
Amen