Christmas Hope and Fear

Two words that have been stuck in my mind concerning Christmas are hope and fear. A strange, yet somehow appropriate juxtaposition. They are paired together in a couple of beloved Christmas hymns. In "Angels from the Realms of Glory" we sing,

Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear.

And in "O Little Town of Bethlehem" we sing,

The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

Both are forward-looking words. Hope looks forward expectantly, while fear looks forward with dread. Christians know we are to be hopeful people, understanding that our loving heavenly Father is in control.

And yet if we are honest, we sometimes feel the stomach-churning, throat-tightening, palm-sweating presence of fear, and no amount of positive thinking will banish it from our souls. It's hard to work up hopefulness when thinking about the future-at least it is for me.

Biblical faith however, is not just forward-looking, at what God will do, but also backward-looking, at what God has done. The Israelites were continually commanded to look back and remember the Lord's deliverances, such as when he parted the Red Sea. Such backward looks give undeniable confidence, even hope, in what God will do in the future. If God delivered then, we can count on him to do it again.

Think of your hopes and fears this Christmas for the coming year. Some of us will face ickness, death, financial reversals, and blessings unanticipated. But look back at how God has already delivered you from other problems. We don't know what troubles the New Year will bring, but we do know that the God who delivered us before will be there to do it again.

The hymn above says, however, that saints sometimes have to "watch long" for his deliverance, and indeed it seemed to take a long time for God to send his Son to provide deliverance to his people. But that's not how the Bible views it. Romans 5:6 says,

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

God provided Jesus and his sacrificial death at just the right time, neither too soon nor too late. If he did all this, we can confidently expect him to be with us in the smaller but no less real challenges we face. At just the right time.

As we bend before the altar with our Christmas hope and fear this year, let us look back at God's faithful provisions, trusting in the presence of Immanuel, God with us.