The Hope of the Christ Child

Hope is Peculiar
Luke 1:29 NASB But she (Mary) was very perplexed at this statement and was pondering what kind of greeting this was. Luke
1:34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
Hope is the gift inside of us when the answers are outside of us.

Hope Comes in Small Packages
Zechariah 4:10 Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin…
Mathew 13:31-32 (excerpts) He (Jesus) told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed,…the smallest of all seeds,….
The angel Gabriel came with a short message to a little girl in a small town.

Hope Requires Patience
Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Hope is Defined by Persistence
Mathew 1:24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
Romans 5:3-4 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
James 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead
Just Like Faith without Deeds is dead, Hope without Action is an illusion

Practical Step
Benediction: Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.