This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope."
-- Matthew 12:17-21, ESV
The theme for the first Sunday of Advent is the last word of this text: "Hope." It is a word that means more in the original language than in our common English vernacular. Hope means maybe to most folks, but I confidently expect it carries more weight for those whose put their total trust and confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Overall, this text teaches us to put our hope in God, who comes to us in a crisis, separating the believers from the unbelievers, resulting in ultimate victory or final judgment for every woman, man, girl, and boy in every nation on the planet. Do you have gospel hope?
Hope in God
Gospel hope is grounded in the God of the gospel. He is one. He is three. He is three in one, and all three persons of the one Godhead appear in this passage.
Isaiah is a prophet who served as a spokesperson for God the Father. God the Father appears in the personal pronouns in the pronouncement. He is the "I" and the "my." The servant is God the Son, Jesus Christ, the perfect object who offers perfect obedience and the perfect sacrifice. All of this is wrought through the power of God the Spirit, sent from God the Father, proceeding from the Father and the Son, given to everyone who truly hopes, believes, and follows Him.
Hope in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Hope in God!
Hope in a crisis
Crises are caused by the freedom of human ingenuity and the frailness of human iniquitousness. Yet, they are always governed by the God who gives us hope. Our sovereign God uses even the free and sinful choices of human beings, which bring about crisis after crisis, to ultimately affect His perfect and redemptive will.
People find God in the crisis of war, or they make up their minds that wars exist because God does not. People find God in the crisis of sickness and death, or they harden their hearts against a God who could be so cruel. People find God in times of family crisis, or financial crisis, or any myriad of other crises, or they determine that a good God would never let such bad things happen.
Remember, the God of the Bible does not cause the crisis. We do. Sin does. And sin is the greatest crisis of all. Sin separates us from God (ref. Isaiah 59:2). For this reason, "He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (ref. 2 Corinthians 5:21). Hope in the God who comes to us to forgive sin.
Hope in the Gospel
Hope that the gospel of Jesus Christ is historically true. He really came to us, in fulfillment of Isaiah's and other prophecies. He really did what the Bible says He did.
Hope that the gospel of Jesus Christ is theologically true. God is the author of history, and stepped into it in order to redeem us. Christ lived a perfect life and died a sacrificial death so that all who hope in Him receive His perfect righteousness while He pays our sin debt and cancels it out forever.
Hope that the gospel of Jesus Christ is personally true. These truths are of no use to you unless you personally experience and accept them. This is the hope of faith. This is the hope of repentance. This is the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Chuck DeVane is the pastor of Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs. He is a graduate of Valdosta State University, Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He has served churches in Arkansas and Georgia, and preached the gospel across the United States and other countries. Email him at [email protected].