ATTRIBUTES OF JESUS: HOPE

To many traditional churches, today is the second day of Advent. The traditions around advent vary drastically between denominations, but usually include wreaths, candles, sometimes going through the characters of the story, and almost always emphasizing these four words (in almost every conceivable order!): hope, peace, joy, love. Usually a candle is lit on Sunday and the service revolves around the word for that day. The Christmas season is a great time to dwell on the attributes of Jesus, so this week we’ll take a look at His attributes that remind us of the first word of Advent: hope.

Jesus is the Firstborn of all Creation (Col. 1:15-20). These verses are clearly showing that Christ was and is God. He has always been and always will be. Firstborn here is not referring to a physical birth, but a birthright. Jesus is lord of all creation. That should give us immense hope because all of the promises surrounding Jesus are supported by the fact that He is God. If He was anything less than God, we would not be able to put the hope of our lives and our eternity with Him.

Jesus is Emmanuel (Is. 7:14, Mt. 1:23). The whole Old Testament is about God’s salvation plan. Creation and mankind groan beneath the weight of sin. God intently seeks a relationship with man, but sin is too great. Adam is cast out of the Garden where God walked with him. Moses can only see the back of God. The nation of Israel cannot go near Mt. Sinai. The high priest is the only one who can go past the veil in the temple and only once a year after performing many rituals. Israel’s sin is so great that God eventually leaves the temple. But hope is not lost because Jesus is God incarnate come to dwell with man to make the way for reconciliation with God and those who believe in Him.

Jesus is our Passover Lamb (Ex. 12, 1 Cor. 5:6-8). The Passover feast was instituted when Israel was enslaved in Egypt. God was judging Israel through 10 plagues and the 10th could have had an effect on Israel as well. Every first born would be killed by an angel of death unless the household observed the Passover feast including smearing their door posts with the blood of the lamb they sacrificed. The Israelites faithfully obeyed God’s commands and hoped the angel of death would pass over their houses. But Christ made this ritual obsolete by offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice. Our hope of salvation is made sure by the blood of Christ.

Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:17-27). Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified on a cross, and rose again the third day. Through His sacrifice, we can be saved in this life and the next. We can be reconciled to God. Without Jesus we are dead in our sins and condemned to eternal separation from God. Because Jesus was resurrected, those who believe not only have new life on this earth, but we also have a sure hope of a resurrection when we die. We have the hope of an eternal relationship with God.

We all know the Christmas season is busy. We are all likely familiar with how easy it is to miss the reason for the season. Consider setting aside some time to dwell on who Jesus is. In this weary, sinful world, Jesus attributes are a continual source of hope. Don’t wait until Christmas day! Enjoy who He is now.

RESOURCE: “Hope Has Come” by Grace Unleashed

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/5LBSLm6gQAZdQDmiUnbs6b?si=9dc67fa5b15047e1

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSE6ziYcqm0

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