Hope is an elusive thing. The strength of hope is directly tied to a couple of factors: 1) How likely is it that the thing hoped for is going to come to pass, and 2) How desperate are we to see it come to pass? For instance, I am very interested in seeing the Detroit Lions win a Super Bowl Championship. That satisfies the desperate part of the equation. However, it’s not very likely, so my hopes are pretty dim for this year…or the next…
Hope that animates people to action has to have a real chance at making a difference. The hope that Christmas brings has that kind of difference-making character. We are all born lost in sin. That’s a desperate situation. We NEED a solution. God, the only One who can solve our problem, sent His only Son to earth as a baby to live and die to save us. We have a desperate need, and God came to earth in the form of a baby to solve it. Our hope is in Him…and He won’t let us down. That’s Christmas Hope.