Hope Realized

December 24, 2024
Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-20
The anticipation of something hoped for can sometimes be more exhilarating than the outcome! A child waiting on Christmas morning for their parents to open the door and reveal the presents under the tree. In this case, the shepherds hearing their savior was born and journeying to find this savior. One can only imagine what was going through their minds as they walked from the fields to that barn. The hope, the anticipation must have been incredible. Were their expectations met? A baby, crying, surrounded by animals and lying in a manager. I am sure this was not how they expected to find the savior of the world! And yet, they trusted and had faith that this was the right baby. This baby would grow to become a man who would change the whole world. Not as expected but certainly as hoped for.