Part 3–The Christmas Spirit: A Light of Hope

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

Do you believe that good can and will prevail today? God has given us a light of hope – a reason to be certain that any and all things are possible through Him.

Introduction

When the world was at its darkest, God moved with passion, doing what was just, to redeem and restore.  In this series, we’ve seen that we ought to be moving with the same spirit, but do you believe that will do any good? Do you believe that good can prevail today?  Today, I want to remind you of the Christmas miracle: a Light was given to this world, and in that light, all things are possible. 

All Things Are Possible

Do you believe that all things are possible?

In Luke 1:26-38, when Gabriel visited Mary and announced that she would conceive in her womb and give birth to the Son of the Highest, Mary questioned the possibility.  Mary questioned how it was possible she could conceive a child when she had not lain with a man.  She may not have realized it, but Mary questioned what God can do, just as many of us do today.

To her questioning the possibility, Gabriel corrected her, saying to her, “For with God nothing will be impossible.”  You see, when we say that something is impossible, we’re saying that something is incapable of being attained or fulfilled.  When we say that something is impossible, we’re saying that something is incapable of happening, occurring, or being done.

Yet, with God, all things are capable of being done.  The reason why all things are capable of being done is because God is Almighty!  God is the Sovereign Ruler – all authority is His.  God is the one who ordains and establishes; He removes and raises up.  As Daniel said, God is the one who changes the times and the seasons (Dan. 2:21).

With all of that said, the question still remains:  In light of all that is going on in today’s world, do you still believe that with God all things are possible?  In light of the Hanukkah killing in Australia, do you still believe that with God, all things are possible?  In light of the killing at Brown University, do you still believe that with God all things are possible?  In light of all the bitterness, anger, hate, lying, and injustice, do you still believe that with God, good will prevail?

The Light and Hope of God

I am going to share with you today a prophecy found in Isaiah 49, where the one speaking through the prophet is Christ.  

A prophecy to all peoples

The beauty of this prophecy is who Christ addressed, His confirming He is the speaker, and His message.  

Isaiah’s prophecy was for a people who would dwell in Jerusalem, the southern kingdom, some 150 years after he lived.  However, in Isaiah 49:1, we will see that this prophecy is addressed to those in the coastlands (islands), and to peoples (nations) from afar.  This speaks of a people who lived beyond the walls of Jerusalem and the land of Israel – Gentiles.

Gentiles, you should understand, covers everyone who does not share the blood of Israel through one of his twelve sons.  So, this is a prophecy for and to all people – both you and me, regardless of nationality, race, or language.  Moreover, this is a prophecy made before you, and I was ever a thought!

Confirmation of Christ as God’s servant

In this prophecy, Christ confirms that He is the one who is speaking (Is. 49:1-3).  Christ spoke of having been called by the Lord before entering Mary’s womb.  He then spoke of how the Lord made His mouth like a sharp sword, and said to Him, “You are My Servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

In Genesis 3:15, God called for the Son in the garden when He promised to put enmity between the serpent and the woman, between its seed and her seed.  God promised that the woman’s Seed would bruise the head of the serpent, confounding and defeating it.  This was a promise of Christ being given to defeat the serpent, the devil, which Christ did on the cross.

Christ is the living word of God, as He said that He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).  In Hebrews 4:12, Paul said that the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, as it pierces even to the division of the soul and spirit.  The reason why the word of God is so powerful is because His word speaks the holy and divine truth, unfiltered.

While it is true that all of us who are of faith are servants of the Lord, Christ was given to serve and to save.  When the Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice nor intercessor for those who were persecuted by the wicked, Isaiah 59:16 tells us that He brought forth His salvation.  Only the Son can serve in the role of being His salvation for the righteous.

Light and Hope for Israel

In Isaiah 49:5, Christ begins to share His message to the peoples by sharing the Father’s desire.  The Father’s desire began with a desire to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel would be gathered to Him.  

This is an interesting play on who Jacob was.  Before his name was changed by God, Jacob was a known schemer and deceiver.  Jacob deceived his twin brother Esau into giving over his birthright to him (Gen. 25:29-34). Jacob also deceived Isaac into blessing him, stealing Esau’s blessing (Gen. 27:1-36).  

However, a day came when Jacob wrestled with the Lord, desiring to be blessed by Him; he refused to let go of the angel of God (Gen. 32:22-32).  God changed his name to Israel that day, while also dislocating his hip.  From that point forward, Israel learned to hold on to the Lord, depending, and trusting in Him.

So, the Father sent Christ to Jacob, to the sinful children of Israel who had rejected the Lord, with a desire to gather together Israel, the faithful ones of the children.

Light and Hope to All People

In Isaiah 49:6, we will see that the Father’s desire did not stop at the children of Israel, as Christ shared that the Father’s desire is more grand.

The Father’s grand desire

Christ tells us that the Father told Him that it was too small a thing for Him to be sent just to raise and restore the preserved ones of Israel!  The more grand desire of the Father was to send His Son to be a light to the Gentiles, and to be His salvation to the ends of the earth.

There are some who love to believe that salvation is only meant for one nation of people.  Some love to believe that salvation is only meant for one race of people.  IF you are one who believes such a thing, I am going to correct you in this moment.  Christ told Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world (all peoples) that He gave His only begotten Son.”

Christ told Nicodemus, a Pharisee of the Jews, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have everlasting life.  I want all of you to understand that Christ was born a virgin’s birth for all people – not just one nation or group of people.  Regardless of who you are, where you are from, the color of your skin, or the language you speak, Christ was given for you.

Let’s be clear, Christ is a light and hope to all people.  In John 10:16, Jesus told His disciples that while He came for the flock of the Jews, there was another flock that He had come to add to it.  Jesus told them that there would be one flock and that He would shepherd over it!

The miracle that is God’s love

It is a miracle to me that God loves us and gave His only begotten Son to be a light to us.  The reason why it’s a miracle to me is because I can’t understand God’s love for us– it doesn’t make sense to me!  Honestly, it doesn’t make sense why God would love me, as I see myself like Paul saw himself – a chief sinner.  

In my sinful thoughts and sinful actions, God still loves me, and it makes no sense.  How many of us could say that we would still love those who have hurt us, harmed us, lied to us, wronged us?  How many of us could say that we would still love those who have proven themselves unloyal and untrustworthy – unfaithful?  

Just consider for a moment how slow we are to show mercy and grace to those who have used us and persecuted us.  Consider how slow we are to forgive those who will actually acknowledge and confess they have wronged us!  We’re supposed to be God’s children, yet we are slow to ever truly forgive and forget!  

Yet, we expect God to do that when we transgress against Him, and He does it!  God is both faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

So, yes, it is a miracle to me that in a dark world of doom and gloom, there is a beacon of hope at the end of the tunnel.  It is a miracle to me that the Lord opens His arms and welcomes us to come home and dwell with him, as the father welcomed home his prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).  

We are not worthy of such love and such a wonderful opportunity, except, the Lord says that we are!  The “Christmas spirit” is a spirit that is of love and hope, the same as God has in us, even though we constantly transgress against Him.

Dwelling in the Light

So, what will you do with this miracle of love that you have received from God?  I would hope that you would choose to take part in it by dwelling in it.

God certainly didn’t do this miracle for you not to take part in it.  God desires that you will not only walk towards the light, but will choose to dwell in it.  Jesus said, “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (John 8:12).”  Hope shall dwell in the hearts of those who choose to follow Christ.

Christ encouraged, saying, “If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of the world (John 11:9).”  The desire is for you to dwell in the light so that you don’t trip over yourself, nor fall into sin.  

The miracle transformation of the light

When you choose to dwell in the light – in fellowship with God – there is a miracle that will take place within you.

In 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, Paul spoke to the Corinthian believers about this transformation by speaking about Moses’ transformation.  Paul pointed out how Moses, being in God’s presence, would take on God’s glory so much so that his face would shine with it.  When he would go out among the people, Moses had to put a veil over his face because the people couldn’t look steadily at him.

However, when Moses would go before the Lord, he would remove the veil, and that is what Paul says we who are of faith do today.  With an unveiled face in God’s presence, Paul explained that we are being transformed into the same image  – this is the miracle of dwelling in the light!

You see, the world has told us that such a transformation is not possible for mankind.  The world tells us to give up and give in to sin because that is all we are, sinners.  Yet, God says we can be more than just a filthy cloth.  A sinful person transforming into the same image of God is a miracle!  Christ was given so that the repentant sinner can shine as a light and as a testimony of the miraculous work of God.

Goodness Will Prevail

I believe that good will prevail, and the reason I do is because of what God has done for me, and all of us whom He reached down and pulled out of the darkness because we chose His light.  Because of the transformation of sinners like me, I would be a fool to believe that good won’t prevail. 

Sure, some look at today’s sinful world, saying it is impossible for good to prevail.  I get it, wickedness truly does abound today, and it is great, yet I also believe that nothing is impossible because I put my faith in the God of the impossible.  God overcomes our limitations as His thoughts and His ways are higher than ours.

Move with a spirit of confidence

The wicked want you to continue to believe that they are in control so that you don’t move in the light and hope of what God can do.  I encourage you to ignore the wicked and move in the power of God’s miraculous works.

As I often do, I implore you to move in the spirit of love and hope.  In that love and hope, never give up – keep pushing.  You see, giving up on yourself and even giving up on others is to give up on God.  In all that the Lord has brought me through, again, I tell you I would be a fool to give up on Him.  God has never given up on you, so why should you give up on Him?  God has never given up on us, mankind, so why should we give up on Him?

We must move with the spirit of confidence, again, knowing that God is still with us!  We must be confident, knowing that God is sovereign, all-powerful, and can do all things but fail.

In the darkest of days, like now, it is the spirit of hope and confidence that will bring us through!  It is the spirit of hope and confidence in the Lord that will see us, the good, collectively overcome and prevail over the wicked and evil.  It is the spirit of hope and confidence in God that will bring us to dwell in victory, singing and rejoicing because Christ will have comforted and delivered us (Is. 49:13).