Romans 4:18–24; 8:24–25; 15:13
For centuries, righteous Jews have put their hope in the coming of the Messiah. They’ve lived on tiptoe, looking toward the horizon for the Promised One to arise like the dawn of a new day to restore Israel as a nation and rekindle the people’s devotion to the Lord.
With joy, Paul proclaimed to his fellow Jews in Rome who were awaiting the Messiah, “I believe that the hope of Israel—the Messiah—has already come” (Acts 28:20)! But Paul added, Jesus came to save all people, not just the Jews, and to establish the kingdom of God, not just a new nation for Israel. How did the Jews receive Paul’s teaching? “Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe” (28:24).
Unlike the skeptical Jews in Paul’s day, Christians have received God’s gift of Jesus with open hearts. We celebrate the fulfillment of past hopes in Him, and we anchor in Him our hope for the future. Ring the bells on Christmas morning! The hope of the world has come!
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