The Blessed Hope

The Blessed Hope

Titus 2:11-13

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

Titus 2:12 It teaches us to say No to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

Titus 2:13 while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

Christmas is a time when all of us in the church are reminded just how much our heavenly Father loves us. We celebrate the first appearing of our blessed hope who is Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

This is our blessed hope that we might have eternal life.

God fulfilled a promise that a Saviour would be born.

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 700 B.C.

Immanuel means - God with us. This fact alone should make us hopeful knowing that God is in fact with us and decided to be among us as one of us in the person of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 2:17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

There are those who think it foolish to hope that this world will one day know peace and be ruled by justice.

Romans 15:12 And again, Isaiah says, The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.

Yes we can and do put our hope in Him. Our world is full of conflict of every kind, we have natural disasters and economic crisis we have political unrest and social disorder.

Still for the Christian there is a blessed hope.

1Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?

I realize that in celebrating Christmas our hope is only fulfilled in part but each year as we celebrate Christmas it brings us closer and closer to the day when we will celebrate in full.

Isaiah 11:10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.

Some think it strange that we should find hope in a little child.

Isaiah 11:6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.

God’s word tells us plainly that our hope is not misplaced in this little child. It is at Christmas that we all must once again become little children we must peer into the manger with the awe and wonder of a little child.

Luke 18:17 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.

My challenge to you this Christmas is to hope as a child hopes. A child at Christmas hopes and trusts that what they pray for will come to pass.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

You see when we hope we are exercising our faith.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

We do not see peace in our world today yet by faith we can hope for it.

We do not see the end of poverty or hunger in our world today yet by faith we can hope for it. We do not see a world living with one another in love and peace yet by faith we can hope for it.

Psalms 33:22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

Titus 2:12 It teaches us to say No to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

Titus 2:13 while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

Friends the whole world is without excuse when it says that there is no hope for the human race.

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world Gods invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.