Though delighted by bright colored lights and snowy winter wonderlands, the real reason for the season happened Away in a Manger on a Silent, Holy Night…

A HOPE THAT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT

Who doesn’t love Christmas? Though much of the Christmas Season evokes the purely secular and even self-indulgent delights, it’s also the one time of the year in which honoring the Lord Jesus and celebrating His birth is not only largely acceptable but embraced. This is what gives it substance. Yet of far greater import is not simply a joyous though quickly passing holiday season forgotten after New Year’s but the greatness, goodness, and security of the Lord’s ongoing spiritual Kingdom that births the eternal hope that truly does not disappoint.

As one takes in the following astounding passage of Scripture which reveals much of the vast interworkings of the Lord’s Kingdom and the rich experience of the original Christians of that time, one should ponder the amazing hope-filled features therein and take stock of one’s own Christian life to see if perhaps one may need additional helps to assist in dealing with one’s current challenges:

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. [Romans 5:1-5]

We all have our different salvation experiences and each is part of a rich tapestry that comprises the vast witness of the Lord’s spiritual Community. In addition, since the beginning of a worldwide spiritual outpouring initiated over 120 years ago, many millions have now received from the Lord the infilling of His Holy Spirit. This is the exact encounter with God shared by those on that initial Day of Pentecost two thousand years ago. The 120 people who gathered together on that morning had an encounter like no other. It was truly an Upper Room Experience. Such an occurrence had never happened before in history. It was a first time event that actually birthed His Community which proved that another immaculate conception had taken place:

And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues (languages), as the Spirit was giving them utterance (ability to speak out). [Acts 2:2-4]

The Spirit of God Himself filled the entire Upper Room where they were all gathered after they had spent ten days preparing themselves. They knew something very great and powerful was going to happen. The Lord had commanded them to take up residence there as one of His last orders before ascending to heaven. Just as Joseph and Mary had heard directly from God to leave Nazareth and head down south to their ancestral land of Judah and the small city of Bethlehem many years before, so did these 120 dedicated followers of the Lord go down to the city of Jerusalem to await their fate. As it happened, each received an entirely new spiritual birth just as the Lord had commanded all believers to undergo:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again (from above) he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [John 3:3]

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” [John 3:5-7][1]

This is what I wrote in my book Real Christianity about this Upper Room Experience:

         On the birthday of the Lord’s Qahal, Jesus established a sanctuary, a dwelling place on His own mountain—Mount Zion. On this mountain, the 120 were planted, both in the Lord and by the Lord, and functioned as the ovum fertilized by the Holy Spirit which would eventually develop into a body—the body of Christ. Before the sun went down that first day, the original 120 grew by twenty-five times to three thousand—all Israelites, all descendants of Abraham, all devout and God-fearing, from every country under heaven to which they had been dispersed. Even though Luke, the author of the book of Acts, doesn’t say so specifically, can there be any doubt that each tribe of Israel was represented in the initial outpouring?

        This was the mysterious destiny of the house of Israel—to one day become the actual dwelling place of YHWH! [2]

A NEW BIRTH

Though we are often torn in many different directions engaging in any number of wonderful doings during this great time of year which often outnumber the weeks, days, and minutes until Christmas Eve, the whirlwind of activity is most often worth the enriching benefits. If not careful, however, we may lose sight of why the season exists in the first place: It is all about a new birth—the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus. His birth changed the entire world forever. His great birth birthed a brand new hope in our hearts.

It is certainly a hope that does not disappoint!

Merry Christmas everyone

© 2024 by RJ Dawson. All Rights Reserved

[1] Unless otherwise noted all Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

[2] Real Christianity—The Nature of the Church © 2001 by R.J. Dawson. All rights reserved