Crosstalk: 'Jesus is the Reason for the Season'

I hear so many people say that they love Christmas, and that they eagerly anticipate its arrival, but what does that mean? Is it simply a reaction to an opportunity to enjoy the festive celebration of meeting up with family and friends and to indulge in an excess of eating, drinking, and generally "having a good time", or is it something more?

Each year, as we approach Advent, how many of us need to be reminded that "Jesus is the Reason for the Season"?

Yo Christians, the period of Advent is a term of anticipation and preparation for Christmas, and the first coming of Christ into this world. The birth of Christ is also the birth of Hope, where we remember God coming to us in human form as Jesus, and we look forward, with Hope, to His second coming and the final victory over sin and death.

The Oxford Dictionary defines hope as an expectation, coupled with desire, for a particular thing to happen. When we are facing uncertain times and events in our personal lives, Hope gives us strength and resilience to cope, and gives us an ability to look past these difficulties to a time when a better future will be the outcome. Hope requires us to focus on an eternal future, to accept God's promises with gratitude, and to live in complete faith, which in turn lead us to endurance and perseverance.

My hope is essentially that I will be part of a coming Kingdom, living in harmony with God's people, under God's reign, and enjoying God's sovereign rule and blessing, all through my belief in Christ the King, the Son of God - all these treasured riches are available to us through the Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Jeremiah 29:11 says "I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for."

Dave Hughes, New Nation Church, Shrewsbury