Hope At Christmas Series

The Heart of Christmas: Hope

Isaiah 9:2-7; Matthew 1:18-25; Romans 15:4

Christmas is almost here! It truly is a special time of year. Before we open God’s Word together, I’d like to invite you on a short journey into the past—to remember what Christmas has meant to you through the years. Many of us carry a lifetime of warm memories—and I certainly do. As a child, I looked forward to Christmas with almost breathless excitement. School shut down, homework paused, and the long, dark evenings seemed to glow with the light of candles, decorated trees, and sparkling ornaments. At church we sang those beautiful carols — Away in a Manger, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Silent Night — and to my young heart, the words felt alive.

But what I loved most were the days before Christmas. I remember lying awake long past midnight — not because I enjoyed losing sleep, but because I was overflowing with excitement, wondering what gifts I and my family might receive. And of course, the celebration didn’t end with the opening of presents. Weeks before Christmas, my mother filled the house with the rich aromas of pies, cookies, cinnamon rolls, sweet breads, and chocolates. If I behaved, I even got to lick the bowl! Those Christmas feasts made the taste buds rejoice and the belt loosen. Then came the visiting — aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents — each home warm with wood stoves, shining trees, and hugs that could chase away any winter chill.

But as we grow older, we learn that as wonderful as Christmas can be, it can also be a season of loneliness, darkness, and deep sorrow. The Bible tells us, “The whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:22). And Ecclesiastes reminds us that “time and chance happen to them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11). Life hands us heartaches, losses, disappointments, and uncertainties we never expected. Many face Christmas not with excitement, but with questions: How do we find hope in chaos? Light in darkness? Joy in suffering? Peace when life has shattered our plans?

In Luke’s Gospel, the shepherds were watching their flocks in the dark fields of Bethlehem when suddenly, “the glory of the Lord shone around them” (Luke 2:9). In the middle of the night, a great light broke through. And if we’re honest, many of us long for that same light to shine into our world today. That is why today’s message takes us back to a prophecy spoken seven hundred years before Jesus was born — Isaiah 9:2–7. Isaiah wrote to a people living in deep darkness, fear, and despair. Yet God gave them a promise: A great light is coming. A child will be born. A Son will be given. And His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Today we will see that the same Child who broke into ancient darkness shines His hope just as brightly into ours. No matter how grim our circumstances, no matter how heavy our burdens, Christmas declares: Light has come. Hope has come. Jesus has come — to set captives free and to give meaning, forgiveness, and peace to all who trust in Him.

Background: Israel’s Darkness and Despair

But long before our world wrestled with darkness, God’s people walked through a darkness of their own. To grasp the hope of Isaiah 9, we must first understand the world Isaiah spoke into. Isaiah preached during one of the darkest seasons in Judah’s history. The mighty Assyrian Empire was sweeping across the ancient world like a flood—crushing nations, destroying the northern kingdom of Israel, and now turning its eyes toward Judah. Cities were burning, people were terrified, and the shadow of invasion hung heavy over Jerusalem. Spiritually, Judah was crumbling from within: the nation had drifted into moral corruption, idolatry, and deep injustice (Isaiah 1:4–6; 2:8; 1:17, 23). Even King Ahaz rejected the Lord and led the people further into darkness, turning to political alliances for security (2 Kings 16) and even offering his own son as a pagan sacrifice (2 Kings 16:3–4).

The rising power of Assyria only intensified Judah’s fears, especially after they watched their northern relatives—Israel—crushed and carried into exile (2 Kings 17). The threat was real, the darkness was deep, and the future felt uncertain. And yet, into this world of fear, unbelief, and encroaching despair, God raised up Isaiah to speak a word of hope. Long before deliverance came—long before the Angel of the Lord struck down the Assyrian army in a single night (2 Kings 19:35)—God promised that a great Light would shine and a child would be born whose kingdom would never end (Isaiah 9:2–7).

And just like Judah, we too know what it is to walk in darkness. None of us are righteous (Romans 3:9–18). We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and with that fall often come the heavy burdens of guilt and shame. We like to imagine ourselves walking beside still waters with reverence, awe, and obedience, yet if we are honest, our lives often resemble the broken cisterns God spoke of (Jeremiah 2:13)—leaking, empty, and chasing after things that cannot satisfy the eternity He has placed in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). And if our own sin were not enough to weigh us down, the circumstances of life sometimes press on us with such force that sorrow deepens, hope fades, and we feel as though we are being pushed to the very edge.