David Jeremiah Discusses the Advent Candle of Hope and What Matters This Holiday Season

This Christmas let the birth and redemptive work of Jesus Christ rule in your heart and home. Expect Jesus to come and meet you right where you are, and as you do, the hope of this season will overflow from the power of the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps Today
Updated Dec 15, 2023
David Jeremiah Discusses the Advent Candle of Hope and What Matters This Holiday Season

Christmas can have a profound effect on people as it is a season of joyful reflection and hope. Our expectations of the Christmas season are typically high.

Seeing smiles on children’s faces. Having the perfect weather for sledding and snowman building.

Enjoying a relaxing time with family and friends. But for others, the emptiness of a Christless Christmas can magnify unmet needs and expectations.

All of God’s children are invited to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). No matter what we may have experienced, God has been alongside us.

God’s Promise This Holiday Season

Regardless of our circumstances, we have the promise of His love. If current circumstances or unexpected predicaments jolt your Christmas this year, remember Mary.

Mary had an unexpected visitor named Gabriel, who told her she would bear a Child who would change the world. She then experienced an unexpected pregnancy.

Then there was the unexpected decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered, which led to an unexpected journey at a critical time during her pregnancy.

As we know, she gave birth in an unexpected place — a cave where animals were housed. Then came the unexpected visitors — shepherds and Wise Men. But through it all, she worshiped and pondered these things in her heart.

She knew that this first Christmas extended hope not only for the present but also for eternity. Hebrews 5:9 says, “Having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” Those who put their hope in Christ and live for Him have the promise of heaven.

The Reason for Our Hope

In 1744, Charles Wesley wrote a prayer beginning with the words, “Come, Thou long expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free” that turned into the Christmas carol “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” (Chris Fenner, “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus,” Hymnology Archive).

The carol gained popularity after the Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon, used lyrics from the song in an 1855 sermon, “The Incarnation and Birth of Christ.”

Spurgeon took a few words from the second verse, “Born Thy people to deliver, born a Child and yet a King,” to emphasize the fact that Jesus was born a King. “He was a king…. He came to be a ruler in Israel, and a ruler most decidedly He shall be, when He shall reign among His people” (Charles Spurgeon, “The Incarnation and Birth of Christ,”).

The Real Reason for the Season

This Christmas let the birth and redemptive work of Jesus Christ rule in your heart and home. Expect Jesus to come and meet you right where you are, and as you do, the hope of this season will overflow from the power of the Holy Spirit.

A portion of this article is an excerpt from Season of Joy by David Jeremiah.

For further reading:

The First Week of Advent - the Candle of Hope

5 Things Christians Should Know about Advent

Advent Prayers to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas

The Meaning and Symbolism of Advent Wreath and Candles

What Do the Advent Candle Colors Purple, Pink, and White Mean?

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Imagees Plus/Natalia Semenova


Dr. David JeremiahDr. David Jeremiah is the founder and host of Turning Point and senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church. He has been faithfully studying and teaching the Word of God for sixty years. He is also a prolific author, being the recipient of numerous awards for his books, including bestseller lists in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, and USA Today, the ECPA Medallion of Excellence Awards, as well as two Gold Medallion Awards. Dr. Jeremiah is a sought-after speaker across the country—speaking frequently at universities, conventions, and conferences, as well as chapels for professional football and basketball teams. In 2020, he was awarded NRB’s Hall of Fame and President’s Awards. Believing our dreams should always be greater than our memories, he continually trusts God to accomplish great things through Turning Point’s ministry around the globe.

SHARE

Christianity / Life / Holidays / David Jeremiah Discusses the Advent Candle of Hope and What Matters This Holiday Season