Christmas at the Movies: Week 1, Day 1

ACTS 1:6-11 “FROSTY AND THE GREAT RETURN”

The Angel insists that the disciples who watched Jesus ascend to heaven stop staring and get to work. But the angel also insists that, as life resumes, it must be different—colored by a firm expectation: Jesus will return. Our Lord promised he would return and not quietly and obscurely as at Bethlehem in a stable, but publically and regally, as the all powerful Lord of life and creation. The certainty of this promise means we must shape our lives accordingly. There will be a judgment, so living according to God's commands matters. There will be a restoration—so creation will not be forever subject to futility and every act of stewardship will matter. There will be a glorious reunion and a great company made whole—so witness will bring a great reward. There will be an end to evil and suffering—so darkness will be defeated. There will be a clarity as truth triumphs—so questions will be answered. This means that hope is not a human mechanism to avoid despair, or an optimistic projection into an unknown future. Hope is the consequence of trusting what God has done in Christ, and what he is doing in us and around us. Hope is the basis of who we are and what we do, and it grows as we live it out.


What is your deepest hope?


Has your capacity to hope and trust God's promise grown as you have aged, or diminished?

Tags: hope