Lynns Musings
December 2005
This is an article I received today and thought it would be good to share with all my friends...
HOPES AND FEARS
Tomorrow evening, Christians all over the world will gather together for candlelit Christmas Eve services. The carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem" seems to be a perennial favorite at these services for good reason. The hymn makes a bold claim, which can easily be lost in its familiarity, saying of Bethlehem: "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight." This is a sweeping statement; the hymnodist did not simply say that Christ's birth met the hopes and fears of Israel, or of those who put their trust in him. Rather, all hopes and all fears ever felt on this earth somehow find their answer in Jesus.
It is easy to see how Christ's coming meets our hopes. He is Emmanuel, God with us, and He meets our hope that we are not alone in this struggle. His coming confirms to us that there is more to life than what is seen. Christ's presence is the fulfillment of all God's promises. Of Jesus, Paul writes, "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory" (2 Cor. 1:20, ESV). Jesus is the hoped-for Messiah and Redeemer, the King and the Lamb. Hundreds of years before, Jeremiah had cried out, "O you hope of Israel, its savior in time of trouble, why should you be like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?" (14:8). The Incarnation proved to Israel that God was not a stranger, but walked in their midst.
Likewise, the fears of all the ages are met in Christ's coming. For those who fear that God is merely a figment of their imagination, or doubt that He cares for us, He has stepped into history. Jesus met the fears of those who dread sickness and death. He proved his sovereignty over illness by healing those who were incurable. He proved his power over death by dying and living to tell about it! For those who fear losing those they love, Jesus said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). For those who fear they will never be worthy of love, Jesus' coming showed that we do not have to be worthy, because He himself is worthy. Jesus can confidently enter the presence of his father, and we gain our access to God through Him.
Yet there are other fears that are met in Jesus, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say they are realized. Some feared the coming of the Messiah. Herod is a prime example. His hunger for power made any other king his rival. He professed to want to worship Jesus, but truly desired to kill him. For many like Herod, Jesus' coming is a threat, the realization of lifelong fears. Those who want to be lord of their own life see Jesus as a rival competing for the throne. His coming realizes their fears that there may be someone more glorious than they. His coming confirms that earthly power and success are not the ultimate goal of life; for those who have spent their lives striving for success, this is bad news. For those who want to earn favor with God, Jesus is a threat because he is more righteous than they could ever hope to be. He destroys all hope that we may be able to save ourselves. His coming reminds us that we are sinful people, in desperate need of a savior. Some hear this not as good news, but as the realization of their fears.
Let us not be these people. Let us willingly surrender our lives to Jesus. Let us freely confess the sinfulness of our hearts, and greet him as our cherished savior. Let us seek Him as the realization of our hopes and the one who meets our fears. If we do this, Christ's coming will truly be good news to us. As the carol concludes,
No ear may hear his coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still
The dear Christ enters in.
When you feel hopes or fears rising within you, stop to consider how Christ meets these. Fix your thoughts on Him and your hope will increase and your fear will subside.
This Christmas, may you hope in God and find yourself joyfully satisfied in Jesus.
posted by Lynn at Friday, December 23, 2005
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