In a Charlie Brown Christmas show, Charlie Brown was having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit so Linus said, “Charlie Brown, you’re the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem.” Unfortunately today, some Christians seem to have the same problem as Charlie Brown when we should be lifting up our Lord and Savior, yet have other things take precedence. It begs us to rediscover hope again in our lives. Always remember friends, there are no hopeless situations with God; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them.
Have you ever known someone or experienced it yourself, what it feels like to live with no Hope or Joy? Some of the thoughts or words we may encounter is like, My situation will never get better, I have no future, No one can help me, I feel like giving up, It is too late now, I will never be happy again. These are just to name a few. Now, it is true everyone has experienced brief periods of hopelessness and loss of joy, but do you think we are alone? In our journey in scripture today, we find a very small passage about the prophet John the Baptist, that indeed experienced a brief moment of hopelessness, yet, his solution was spot on towards conquering it. Do you know what he did? He asked Jesus.
Now while in prison, John heard about the works of Christ, and he sent word by his disciples, 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or are we to look for someone else?”
In looking at this, you would not think too much about hopelessness would you? Its more like doubt! Yet remember when John was placed into prison, Jesus’s name was already throughout the land. Jesus already healed the lame, lepers, the deaf, raised the dead and preached to the poor. And even knowing more through the four Gospels, Jesus most frequently performed miracle was giving sight to the blind. Yet, John still wanted to know, whom he was sent to prepare the way for, and asked, are you the one we have been waiting for? What more would it take? Well let us listen to Jesus response to such a touching and important question.
Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 those who are blind receive sight and those who limp walk, those with leprosy are cleansed and those who are deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is any person who does not take offense at Me.” 7 As these disciples of John were going away, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces! 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Behold, I am sending My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ 11 Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Wow! What a statement Jesus made. When we look at Jesus response, three times Jesus asked, What did you go out into the wilderness to see? What was you expecting? Its obvious Jesus declaration was pinpointing the direct idea that its obvious the people wanted to hear of God, but they didn’t know what it would look like! Their faith lacked in terms of what they was truly witnessing to what was real right before them! The people went to great lengths to listen to John the Baptist, but really didn’t expect to see what John was. And Jesus declared, John was more than a prophet!
I remember in high school, I wrote down Jesus reply to John and put it in my pocket as a message of hope. I can just imagine what John did with Jesus response. I bet John was on cloud 9 knowing the King of Kings and Lord of Lords has proclaimed John the Baptist to be blessed even being chained to prison walls; John was more than a prophet of God.
John, like us today, has a vocation, a job to do. We are to spread the good news of Christ, portrait Christs likeness, and even in our darkest hours, ask Jesus the hard questions—why am I going through this rough time? Where are you at Lord? Help me!
What do you think life would look like if we had no hope what so ever? No joy to speak of? Nothing liberating to parch the desert spirit that is quenched with thirst. In the country of Greece and even Rome, Archaeologists have dug up first century cemeteries and have found many tomb stones that bear the Greek or Latin inscription for “No hope.” What a sad depiction of a lost cause. Feeling empty, void, nothing satisfying, even unto their death. Yes, a person can find all the joys and hope the world gives, only finding out it ends with less than what you originally had, which is nothing on earth lasts. Only our Spirit will be eternal! Our earthly treasures give nothing secure or eternal. Only God provides that, and just as Jesus exclaimed to John the Baptist, What did you go out into the wilderness to see? What did you think you was looking for?
A young boy once encountered a traumatic event when his older brother deliberately loaded a 22 pistol, turn it at this boy. The young boy was terrified but was too young to fully understand what was happening. However, every time the older brother pulled the trigger for every cylinder in the pistol, nothing happened, except for hearing the sound of a distinctive click. Confused, the older brother turns the pistol away and aimed at an old tree stump, when by his surprise the gun fired. Even with fear and not fully understanding God, The young boy had hope; even thou the young boys family brushed the circumstance away as if it never happened. Think about us today! What hope do we retain even when we don’t understand the circumstance, even when we are the victim, even when we are so innocent, yet so vulnerable. Like this boy, God will be with us period! To give us Hope and Joy unspeakable.
In the story of Voltaire, he was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: “I wish I had never been born.”
Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote: “The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone.”
Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: “I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth.”
Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: “Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret.”
Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent because, he said, “There are no more worlds to conquer.” Where then is real joy found? Where can we turn to find true and genuine hope and joy? The answer is simple, in Christ alone.
You should have in your possession a yellow crayon. I would like for you to take it and hold it up before you. Look at it carefully. Now imagine that you take that crayon and draw a circle around you upon the floor and your seat where you sit. Draw it distinct and clear. Now put the crayon down. Remember this, mentally, you just drew a circle around you, not your spouse, not your neighbor, not your friend, not your family member, but you alone. The only thing that you can change, is whats in that yellow circle. You can’t change the world, you can’t change others views, you can’t change others philosophy, you can only change you.
Outside of that yellow circle that you mentally drew, this is where faith comes in. God has it all under control. But in order to deal with things outside of your yellow circle, God must first work in you, by your choices, by your decisions that either lose hope and joy while rejecting God, or uplift your life with hope and joy that is only found in Christ Jesus. Are you starting to get the picture friends.
Christmas is a time to always remember what God has done for everyone within that yellow circle. But we should never leave Christmas in December, but hold it dear to us every single day. Everything outside of that yellow circle God already has in control, but we must do something that some people just can’t seem to do, have the faith knowing God came to this world to save each of us. We have to make the change in us, in that yellow circle, to do the right things, make our way in life through the way of the manger, given to all people. But not of our own strength!
Within that yellow circle that you mentally drew, God is working actively in it. Every extinguished hope or joy, God is willing to revive it, restore it and sustain you, all by your choosing. We must let go and let God do his work in us. And think on this, worry, anxiety, fears and all the other things we encounter that the world delivers to us, does NOT rob us of tomorrow, it only sabs the joy away of our today! That’s what it does!
1 Chronicles tells us, Boast in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be joyful. Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and joy are in His place. Job tells us, “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, And your lips with joyful shouting.” Psalms tells us, “You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have untied my sackcloth and encircled me with joy,” For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. Ecclesiastes tells us, “For to a person who is good in His sight, He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy,” Romans tells us, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” John tells us “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Galatians tells us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” John tells us, “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” Are you getting the picture friends? Hope and Joy remains, its with us, it sustains us, it revives us, but NOT by way of the world, but by what God has done for us starting at the manger, and continued to do at the empty tomb.
In closing friends, marking Christmas day as its just around the corner, we should remember the vital words from the Gospel of Matthew “And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Can I get an amen. Where this is great joy, this is everlasting HOPE.
I urge you friends to allow God, to change everything that’s within that Yellow circle that you mentally drew. Let God in, let God reign as Lord and Master, let God deliver you from captivity, bondage and sin. Let God sustain you in all things you encounter, let God liberate you and hold you into His majestic and mighty arms. Let God deliver hope and joy once again to your life. Christmas is something we should celebrate year-round, knowing what God has done for us starting at the manger as it was designed to last a lifetime, not just in December. Let us just not just survive friends, let us each stand up and face a new day, knowing our hurts from the past are washed away with Gods tears, and let us stop letting life slip away by holding onto Joy and Hope that is only found in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen