[Scripture: Luke 2:11-14]
Today is the day the Son of God was born in Bethlehem to save us and to bring us “good news of great joy.” Luke 2:11-14 says, “Today in the town of Bethlehem a savior has been born. He is Christ the Lord.” He is Christ the King of Glory and the Son of God. He became the Son of Man to set us free from “the power of sin and death.”
Over the past few weeks, we have lit all of the advent candles. Each Advent Sunday, we focus on the four virtues that Jesus Christ brought to us as a blessing from God. They are hope, joy, love, and peace.
1 John 2:1 says Jesus Christ is our helper. “Jesus is my help. Jesus is your help.” Jesus came to help you and I. I want to share with you why Jesus is our help.
In the acronym “HELP,” the “H” stands for the fact that Jesus is our hope.
The apostle Paul describes Jesus Christ as our blessed hope in Titus 2:13. Jesus not only came to bring us hope, but He himself is our hope. In the Bible, hope is referred to as the light that Jesus brings in your life. Jesus lights your path and gives you rest. Jesus is our hope. Because when there is tribulation and fear in darkness, He will say, “I am the light of the world,” and He will give you light to find the way, the truth, and the life. He alone is the source of our bright hope.
The “E” stands for the fact that Jesus is our eternal joy!
3 John 1:2 says, “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” The proper and literal meaning of “joy” in the Bible is rejoicing in God’s grace and experiencing God’s favor in your life now and forever. Jesus is our eternal joy because He will guard your heart and mind and fill your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs with the satisfaction of God.
Jesus Christ has turned your sorrow into dancing and taken off your burden and clothed you with joy. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” He alone is the source of our eternal joy.
The “L” stands for the fact that Jesus is our love.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for your salvation. This is amazing and unconditional love for us. Jesus is love because His love is sacrificial, His love is unconditional, and His love is eternal. He alone is the source of true love.
The “P” stands for the fact that Jesus is our peace!
John 14:27 tells us the true meaning of peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” He will give us a heavenly peace. Jesus is our peace because when we are preoccupied with many trials, tribulations, and uncontrollable anxieties, you and I can find true peace and rest for our souls in Him. Only in Christ alone can you have a fullness of joy and peace in your heart. He alone is the source of our heavenly peace.
We should remember and believe that Jesus is our HELP. Jesus is our hope, eternal joy, love, and peace now and forever.
Hebrews 10:19-25
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
2021.12.24. Pastor Cloud Poy
@ Photo on Unsplash
