Hope

Advent:  Hope

(Isaiah 9:1-2)

Yearly Theme:  “Peace is…”

Series Title:  “Eternal Peace”

November 28^th, 2021

Something to think about:

A person who has hope is capable of looking beyond trials, sorrow, and difficulty and toward a future of peace.  However, hope isn’t hope unless it’s grounded in the eternal, otherwise it’s fleeting at best, and torture at worst.  And here’s the key to real hope:  The only Eternal Truth (and Good News) is that there is a GOD who not only created everything, but is particularly concerned about the most important aspect of His creation:  Humankind.  That concern drove Him to come into the world as an infant, born to a virgin girl from Nazareth in the small town of Bethlehem, grow in wisdom and stature, establish His kingdom, and conquer sin and death by dying on a cross and rising from the grave.

So even in our darkest moments, we have hope, and His name is Jesus!

The prophet Isaiah (in the Old Testament) looked forward to this moment in time when GOD would send His Messiah into this dark world and shine the Light of Truth into the darkness.  Some 700 years before the birth of Christ, Isaiah foresaw something that people in his generation had dreamed of and longed for centuries.  And with certain accuracy, Isaiah proclaimed the deep mysteries of GOD’s salvation.  Let’s take a look:

Isaiah 9:1-2 (NLT), 

¹ Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever.  The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

²  The people who walk in darkness

will see a great light.

For those who live in a land of deep darkness,

a light will shine.^[1]

Here’s the key point this morning…

Key Point:  “When it seems that all hope is gone, GOD’s timing is perfect.”

There are a couple of takeaways from this passage that are significant and pertinent to our discussion for today in light of the Advent season. 

First, we need to consider Isaiah’s references to certain geographical locations as a basis in the foreshadowing of the Hope that was to come…

•  and  ;  in  .

Isaiah 9:1 (NLT),  Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever.  The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

What is the key rule in real estate?  Location!  Location!  Location!  The timing and location of Jesus’ arrival is consequential to His perfect plan of redemption.

•  of deep  ; a  will  .

Isaiah 9:2 (NLT), The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.  For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.

Jesus is the light of hope in a dark world.

Something to take home:

One of the early explorers of South Africa’s ocean waters, Bartolomeu Dias, went around a cape on a stormy sea.  His ship threatened to go to pieces, so he called the place the Cape of Storms.

But King of Portugal, John II, who came later, supposedly changed the name to the Cape of Good Hope, for he saw ahead of him the jewels and treasures of India.[2] 

You can call this a life of storms if you wish.  But if you can see the glorious redemption of eternity ahead of you, you can call it what it is only in Christ—a life of good hope.

When all hope seems lost, there is a Savior who makes a way in the darkness.  When we struggle and grope about in this dark world, there is a Light, a perfect Light, that came into the world to show us the way because He was the Way!

No matter what you’re going through, no matter who you are, GOD desires to be for you, not against you.  When you step into His love and grace through faith in Jesus Christ, you realize the worries of this life are merely temporary compared to the eternal life that Christ gives.  We need not be anxious about tomorrow, but trust that GOD will see us through.  He is good and faithful, and His timing is perfect.

Key Point:  “When it seems that all hope is gone, GOD’s timing is perfect.”

^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Is 9:1–2). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

[2] “Cape of Good Hope.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.britannica.com/place/Cape-of-Good-Hope.