The word “hope” occurs four times in our Epistle lesson for today from Romans chapter 15. Verse four reads, “… that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Verse twelve reads, “In Christ will the Gentiles hope.” Verse thirteen reads, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
This morning, I want to talk with you about that word hope. After all, Advent is a season of hope. Even the first Advent candle symbolizes hope. Jesus came in the past. He was born in Bethlehem. He died on the cross for our sins, and He rose from the dead. He earned for us life and salvation. Jesus comes to us today by means of Word and Sacrament. Jesus will also come in the future. Therefore, we have a living hope in Christ today and tomorrow. And we look forward to Christ’s second coming with hope and joy not with fear.
But what does “hope” mean? How do you define it? In our everyday language, hope is often a wish or a want for something in the future. Our wish may or may not happen. For example, “I hope you feel better tomorrow.” You may or may not feel better tomorrow. I don’t know, but I hope you will feel better. Or, “Hopefully we will all make it home safely.” We may or may not make it home safely. We don’t know, but we hope to. These are wishes, uncertain and unsure.
But there is a difference between how we commonly use the word hope and how the Scriptures define it. Scripture uses hope to mean a confident trust in something that will certainly happen. For example, God makes a promise. We trust in this promise and hope is the sure expectation that God will give us what He has promised. Scripture never defines hope as uncertainty or wishful thinking, but as a confident trust in God’s promises for the future.
Faith and hope go together. You cannot have one without the other. First, God promises that He cares for us, that in Christ our sins are forgiven, and that heaven stands open. Faith, then, believes these promises. Therefore, our future is hopeful because of God’s Word and promise.
My mom and dad made a promise that when they pass away, everything they own will be given equally to their four children. I trusted their word. I believed them. I looked forward to a future inheritance. In the same way, hope is looking forward with confidence to a promised inheritance of heaven.
We have faith in Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, in his death on the cross for our sins, and in his resurrection. We have faith that in Christ our sins are forgiven. We have faith that God that He is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble.
Therefore, faith in Christ gives you hope for eternal life. Faith believes that you have the gift of heaven now, but hope looks forward to it in the future. Hebrews 11:1 reads, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Romans 15:4, our Epistle reading, says, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction.” Why were the Scriptures written? They were written for our instruction. The Scriptures are not merely an “owner’s manual” for the Christian life or a set of principles for living prosperous lives. Yes, they teach us how to live as sons and daughters, as husbands and wives, as workers, and as citizens under governing authorities. They tell us what to do and what not to do. We are to have faith toward God and love toward one another.
Yet because of our sinful nature, our life in this world will never be perfect. We sin. Even living without hope is sin. The Scriptures reveal our sin and declare us guilty.
But far more importantly, they proclaim Jesus, who fulfilled the Law for us and in our place. They show us our Savior who died for our sins and rose for our justification. In Christ, you are forgiven. This precious Gospel gives you hope—a living hope for today, for tomorrow, and for the life to come in heaven.
Jesus said in our Holy Gospel for today, “My words will never pass away.” Christ’s words endure forever. They are our light and our salvation. They are our source of eternal life. God’s Word brought forth creation. God’s Word became incarnate and was born of the virgin Mary. Jesus spoke words of eternal life.
God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, pointing us to Christ, our one and only Savior. God’s Word of absolution this morning has removed your sin as far as the east is from the west. God’s Word is now being preached into your ears. And this morning, God’s Word will be joined to bread and wine to give you the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of all your sins.
Therefore, always hold the Scriptures in high regard and honor them as God’s Word. Hear the Word of God preached every Sunday. Study the Scriptures in Bible class, and read them in your personal or family devotions.
Romans 15:4 goes on to say, “that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” God’s Word gives us both endurance and encouragement so that we may have hope. The Scriptures help us endure this sin-filled, fallen world. They help us endure our trials and tribulations. They also encourage us to persevere on our journey to heaven. In Romans 5:4–5 we learn that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and what does character produce? It produces hope—a living hope that looks forward to today, tomorrow, and for the life to come in heaven above.
Romans 4:18 says, “In hope [Abraham] believed … that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, ‘So shall your offspring be.’” In other words, in hope Abraham trusted that God would give him and Sarah a son, just as God had promised. And sure enough, God gave them Isaac. In hope Abraham believed God’s promise, and God’s promise of a Savior was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
Trials and tribulations tempt us to doubt God’s promises. It is easy to place our human reason above God’s Word. But just as God strengthened Abraham’s faith, so also He will strengthen your faith in Christ, assure you of His promises, and help you trust in Him.
Has there ever been a time in your life when things just didn’t seem to go your way? Perhaps you suffered an accident or faced a terrible illness. In those moments, everything may have looked hopeless. In the midst of trial and tribulation, it is easy to see life as a hopeless situation—to throw in the towel, to give up on life, and even to give up on God.
But Christ is your refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. He hears your prayers. He cares for you. He gives you faith to trust in His many promises. He gives you a certain hope—a hope for today, for tomorrow, and for the life to come in heaven.
Titus 3:7 reads, “so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Notice that faith first trusts in God’s grace in Christ Jesus, and then hope looks forward to the gift of eternal life.
1 Peter 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Our faith in Christ is not dead, but alive. Likewise, our hope—grounded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ—is alive. It is a living hope.
In Holy Baptism, you were “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Through water and the Word, God gave you saving faith in Christ and the gift of salvation. In Baptism, you received the robe of Christ’s righteousness. Faith believes the promises given in Baptism, and hope looks forward to tomorrow and for the life to come in heaven.
In the same way, faith believes that the body and blood of Christ are truly present in the Lord’s Supper for the forgiveness of sins, and hope looks forward to the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end.
Christ came in the past. He comes to us today in Word and Sacrament. But He will also come again on the last day. Titus 2:13 reads, “For we are waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” What kind of hope? A blessed hope. We hope with confidence that Christ will come again.
On that day, He will come on the clouds with power and great glory. The trumpet will sound, and all will see Him. For those who have rejected the Gospel, this day will be a day of fear. They will see Christ as their judge and will try to hide their faces.
But for you, and for all who believe in Christ, the Last Day will be a glorious day. We will stand upright. We will lift our heads high as the Son of Man comes to usher in the new heavens and the new earth. For us, this day will be a day of joy, not fear. It will be a day we have been hoping for with confidence.
But while you remain here on earth, may God’s Word help you to persevere through various trials and tribulations. May the Gospel encourage you to press on toward the goal of heaven.
Let me close with the words of Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Who is God? He is the very source of hope. He gives us faith in Christ, and He gives us a living hope for today, for tomorrow, and for the life to come in heaven above. Thanks be to God. Amen.
