The Sign of Hope

During the season of Advent we celebrate the first coming of Christ in the midst of waiting for His second coming. We read passages of Scripture that must have been difficult to accept at the time. King Ahaz in the book of Isaiah was given warnings to trust in the Lord no matter what. “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand firm at all.” (Isaiah 7:9b).

Like King Ahaz we need to stand firm and steadfast in difficult and troubling times. The truth is we must have hope. Hope gives us strength in the darkness and when times are tough.

In the book of Acts Paul and Silas were whipped and put in jail. While in stocks and chains they did not sigh and cry in woe, but sang praises to God trusting Him. They sang praises at midnight. This is hope that keeps us going when life is hard.

When Ahaz would not believe the prophet gave him a sign to have hope in. “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. The Virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel .”(Isaiah 7:14).

Immanuel means God with us.

This is a sign of the coming hope people put their faith in. The promised sign of the coming Christ.

Jesus gave us an example of steadfastness when it was hard. “For Him the only path lay by Jerusalem and Calvary. It was a long and west road but Jesus took every step. He was tempted to turn aside from His goal, to be sure, and He was tempted in His Sufferings. His friends wished to draw Him aside from His sufferings Peter rebuked Him when He spoke of them. Satan tried to perplex Him, and His own soul trembled when the time for his crucifixion came. Yet, He knew that He had reached “ the point of no return,” and He proceeded in the midst of the storms of sin and doubt about Him to go toward the Cross where He would be victor once for all.

Those who have crossed the ocean have been impressed with the way the huge oceanliner keeps its bow to the sea, and, in spite of wind and wave, holds to its course. No sound is more reassuring than the steady throb of the huge engine. In looking at Christ’s life, one thing that impresses us is His steadiness. He was never shifting or even driven about. The throb of His life was constant and perfect. (Treasury of Illustrations AMG).

Jesus was, is and remains our sign of hope.