Hope for a Change

This week we begin our Christmas Series, ‘Good News for a Change’.

I do not know about you, but I could do with some good news. This series has been put together by our good friends at Crossover and will be used in hundreds of churches across Australia.

To get us started, I’m giving you some prep work. Please take a look at the verses and passage below; they will get you ready for Sunday.

Isaiah 9:2 – the promise of light, hundreds of years earlier

The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned.

John 1:1-14 – the true light has come into the world

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Rev 21:3-4 – whether it’s tomorrow or at the end of time, we have God’s promise that all will be made right

³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Hope opens us up to the future.

Hope looks to the future rather than despairing over the present.