A Thrill of Hope

(by Cindy Mead)          

                The world had been living in spiritual silence and darkness for 400 years. Suddenly the word of the Lord came to Zachariah in the temple but the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” (Luke 1:13).

                An angel also came to Mary and told her she would bear a Son and call His name Jesus. Mary asked how this could be since she had not known a man. The angel replied, ^“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.” (Luke 1:35).

              When Mary was very close to giving birth, Joseph and Mary had to go to the city of David to be registered. “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child (Luke 2:1-5). There was no room in the Inn for Joseph and Mary, so Mary had to give birth to Jesus in a stable.  

                Angels came to shepherds who were nearby watching their sheep. The shepherds were afraid when they saw the angel. “Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

                     And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest.  And on earth peace, goodwill^] toward men!” (Luke 2:13).

                This was the hope the world needed to hear in that day, and in our day. This news caused the shepherds to go to Bethlehem and see the Christ Child for themselves. The shepherds told everyone they met about the birth of the Christ Child.

             When Herod heard that Jesus had been born king of the Jews, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him.  Herod gathered all the chief priests and scribes together to inquire where Christ was to be born. They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea…” (Matthew 2:5).  The wise men saw the star in the east and followed it to the place where Joseph, Mary and the Christ Child were. After the wise men opened their treasures and worshipped the Christ Child, they departed. “Then, the wise men, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.” (Matthew 2:12).

           Based on the time that the wise men had seen the star, Herod set out to kill all the male children two years and under, in an effort to destroy the young Christ Child. Before Herod carried out his threat, an angel came to Joseph in a dream saying, “Now when they had departed, (the wise men) behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” (Matthew 2:12).

    Joseph, Mary and the young Christ Child were forced to move around to stay out of the line of Herod’s, and his son’s fury. First, Joseph, Mary and the young Child fled into Egypt. When Joseph realised that Herod’s son, Archelaus was King over Judah, he was afraid to go, but an angel warned Joseph in a dream, so he turned and went into the land of Galilee, then he went to Nazareth. The prophets of old prophesied that Jesus would be from all these cities and towns.       

Today we can be hopeful and thankful that Jesus willing came to earth to restore men’s relationship with God the Father and with Jesus Christ His Son. If you would like to restore the hope you once had, pray this or a similar prayer, “I want to thank you Jesus for willingly coming to earth to give Your life on the cross. Because of this great act of mercy I can repent of my sin and have a restored relationship with You and with my Heavenly Father. I surrender my life to You and want to follow You for the rest of my life.”    

If you have a Bible, or can access one on line, start reading in the Book of John. It will explain to you how much God loves you and what He wants to do in your life.