Christmas is all about hope. Even in the midst of suffering, loneliness, and disappointment, the message of Christmas has always been that hope entered our world 2,000 years ago in the form of a baby born in Bethlehem. But does that hope still exist today? If so, how do we experience it? Can our lives be shaped by the hope that Christmas seems to promise?
There is perhaps no better place to find these answers than in the Gospel of John. John’s account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is unique. There is no mention of shepherds, wise-men, or mangers. There are no genealogies, angelic declarations, or guiding stars. John starts his account of the life of Jesus much further back—to the beginning of all creation. He explains how God’s eternal wisdom that shaped the foundations of the universe can shape our current hope. This hope, however, does not come from gaining earthly power or knowledge, but through trusting a person— the eternal God that at a specific time and specific place in history, became human.
