A Place Of Grace
11-30-2025

      • Hebrews 10:23ESV

      • Galatians 4:4–5ESV

  • Growing up, moving all over traditions seemed to be few. One tradition I have discovered that many celebrated in thier church growing up was Advent. Since I never have I thought it might be interesting to approach this season in my preaching looking at Advent.
    During this Season we will look at:
    Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, … and all of this wrapped up in Christ Jesus
    The Concept of Advent: Looks at the coming of something or someone… it marks a beginning period.
    When we consider the celebration of Christmas, we celebrate both the coming of someone (JESUS CHRIST) and some things that came with Him. With the coming of Jesus Christ…
    Hope CAME to the world
    Peace CAME and was extended to mankind
    Joy CAME and was found in a person not situation
    Love CAME and was given as a gift
    CAME… indicates something that happened or occured past tense. As we look at A Season of Advent we will consider
    what these things meant at His coming and
    we will celebrate what they mean to us today!
    As the Son of God stepped into our world, coming as an infant, into the world stepped HOPE… What is Hope?

    What is Hope?

    The word and concept of “HOPE” has been distorted over the years…
    The one traveling to see family for holidays “hopes” there is no traffic or delays (uncertain)
    The student approaching a final exam “hopes” to get a good grade (uncertain)
    The person struggling through difficult times “hopes” tomorrow brings relief (uncertain)
    A nation looks at the politics and “hopes” things will improve (very uncertain)
    Due to this incorrect use and thinking we come to look at the HOPE we have in Christ Coming or Advent and wonder what’s the big deal? Consider though what HOPE IS:
    DESIRE anticipated… what is anticipated
    EXPECTATION of something fulfilled… how do we look at this expected desire
    WITH CONFIDENCE…
    HOPE IS: “EXPECTED DESIRE WITH CONFIDENCE!”
    The CONFIDENCE is based on “something or someone your HOPE centers on!”
    Earlier Hebrews 10:23 was read… God gave a promise, and that promise (GOD’S WORD)was the basis for HOPE!
    Hebrews 10:23 NLT
    Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
    With that definition and description in mind let’s consider what Desire was anticipated, what they expected to be fulfilled, and why they had confidence…

    Promise of Hope

    Baby Jesus was laid in a manger… there lay Hope swaddled up, anticipated beginning about 4000 years prior…
    In the Garden ,mankind sinned… separated from God… man was HOPELESS in his sin but given HOPE in One who would come.
    In Genesis 3:15 God offers Hope in a promise… the woman’s seed
    Genesis 3:15 NASB95
    And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
    Approximately 2000 years before Jesus is born God makes a promise concerning the seed in Genesis 12:3 & 22:18 to Abraham:
    Genesis 12:3 NASB95
    And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
    Genesis 22:18 NASB95
    “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
    God would bless Abraham… He blessed Isaac, and then He blessed Jacob (These too were HOPLESS lost in thier own sin looking to the One promised now to come through Abraham’s “seed”)
    Jacob was blessed and God changed his name to Israel (one who wrestles with God)
    To Jacob was born 12 sons
    To Judah was a blessing promised… Genesis 49:8-11
    Genesis 49:8–11 NASB95
    “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow down to you. “Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up? “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. “He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes.
    Scepter = rulership...The Old Testament narrative follows Judah’s line
    God would give His good and perfect Law through the prophet Moses… yet the people would find themselves in the Law HOPLESS to keep it lost in sin looking to the One promised to come.
    The “seed” of Judah was redeemed in the narrative of Ruth
    Ruth and Boaz the grandparents of King David
    King David was given a promise from God in 2 Samuel 7:16
    2 Samuel 7:16 NASB95
    “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
    King David of the tribe of Judah was a man after God’s own heart, yet even as they had earthly kings the people still were HOPELESS in thier sin, now they would look for the HOPE of the One promised through the line of David.
    They looked now to an heir to the throne… a King… an Anointed One
    In Hebrew it translates Messiah
    In Greek it translates Christ
    Many prophets would come to tell the people how they should live, obey God, look for the Messiah… yet the people were still lost in thier sin, HOPELESS to obey… looking ahead to the Promised Messiah…

    Prophecies of Hope

    God throughout time reassured His people of His promise… through prophecy He revealed more and more
    In Job 19:25–27 Job declares to God… ““As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. “Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!”
    Moses tells the people in Numbers 24:17–19 ““I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth. “Edom shall be a possession, Seir, its enemies, also will be a possession, While Israel performs valiantly. “One from Jacob shall have dominion, And will destroy the remnant from the city.””
    2 Chronicles 21:7 states “Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.”
    Psalm 45:6–7 “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows.”
    Isaiah 7:14 ““Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”
    Isaiah 9:6 (WHOLE CHAPTER) “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
    Micah 5:2 declares ““But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.””
    DESIRE anticipated… God’s Promise
    EXPECTATION of something fulfilled… All the Promises and Prophesies
    WITH CONFIDENCE… holding to the Word of God…

    Hope Arrives

    Mary and Joseph from the tribe of Judah and the line of King David… riding a donkey come into Bethlehem (City of David) Luke 2:3-7
    Luke 2:3–7 NASB95
    And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
    HOPE had come at the right time… Galatians 4:4-5
    Galatians 4:4–5 NASB95
    But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
    How does a promise given over 6000 years ago, fulfilled 2000 years ago bring you and I HOPE this Advent Season as we think and reflect on the COMING OF CHRIST… ?

    Our Hope

    As we contemplate the FIRST ADVENT of Christ I see several areas we find HOPE
    We no longer find ourselves HOPLESS… God sent the One He promised
    We see HOPE because Christ coming brought salvation, a redemption from our sin
    I find HOPE in the relationship we have because He came
    Lastly I find HOPE… because God kept His Word
    There is a SECOND ADVENT of Christ promised… and I have CONFIDENCE in the One who Promised He would return!
    Because God is a God of His Word, we find hope, even today, all who are HOPLESSLY lost in thier sin. That baby in the manger came to save sinners… Emanuel, God with us!

      • Hebrews 10:23NLT

      • Genesis 3:15NLT

      • Genesis 12:3NLT

      • Genesis 22:18NLT

      • Genesis 49:8–11NLT

      • 2 Samuel 7:16NLT

      • Job 19:25–27NLT

      • Numbers 24:17–19NLT

      • 2 Chronicles 21:7NLT

      • Psalm 45:6–7NLT

      • Isaiah 7:14NLT

      • Isaiah 9:6NLT

      • Micah 5:2NLT

      • Luke 2:3–7NLT

      • Galatians 4:4–5NLT

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