Reflection
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The word “thrill” isn’t one we use every day. It’s usually reserved for those special moments in life. Maybe you remember a Christmas morning as a child when you got exactly what you wanted. Or perhaps you were able to watch the absolute delight in your child’s eyes as they saw what awaited them under the Christmas tree.
But when we attach “thrill” to a word like “hope,” that’s something entirely different. The “thrill of hope” speaks to a longing that’s approaching fulfillment. When hope has been lost or when it seems so far away, it’s thrilling when it comes close and then is ultimately fulfilled.
When Jesus was born, hope was all but gone. At the time, his birth wasn’t a revered moment for the nation of Israel. In fact, because of a census, there was no room in the local inns of Bethlehem for his soon-to-be parents.
But had the town known who would be born that night—had they known that a near-absent hope was about to be realized—chances are the best rooms in town would have suddenly become available. But because no one knew, a barn would do.
If we were writing the story of the Savior of the world, it’s possible we would have imagined a beginning that involved a triumphant king fresh off a battle won. But God’s story is different. In his story, the Savior appeared as a helpless infant—a baby—entering a world that would have to look in hindsight to understand who it was that was born that night… who it was that would be their thrill of hope.
No one understood what was happening that night in Bethlehem in a barn surrounded by animals. But God did.
He would come in ways not understood
In the form of a helpless infant
An exile babe yet king by blood
Every promise’s fulfillment
Into a world where hope must have seemed lost, God sent a Savior in the form of a baby. The long-awaited Messiah had arrived in a manner no one would have expected. And when angels appeared to proclaim to shepherds what had just occurred, imagine what the shepherds must have thought. They had heard the prophecy of a coming Messiah, but now they were the first to hear that he’d arrived. What were they seeing? Could this be true? And as they hurried to the stable, they saw firsthand that it was. The promise foretold by prophets years before was now being fulfilled in their presence. They had been invited—and were thrilled—to see a hope that was now fulfilled.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus in a way no one expected to provide a lasting hope that everyone needed. Thank you for inviting me into your family. Thank you for sending the hope of the world to be my Savior.
