Dear JCS Families,

Advent is a season of waiting, expecting, and hoping. Beginning four Sundays prior to Christmas and ending on Christmas Eve, Advent helps us prepare for the coming, or "advent" of the Christ child at Christmas. The word "advent" comes from the Latin word that means "coming."  This year, our JCS families will be led in Advent with four Advent Devotionals written by our administration and faculty and delivered to your email each Monday prior to Christmas. Our first devotional from JCS Director of Spiritual Life Pastor Charlie Hubbard shares the message of hope we have in our Savior Jesus Christ. I pray this little reminder of our hope in Immanuel, God with us, inspires and encourages each of us as we celebrate the Christmas season.

Blessings,

Dan Steinfield
President
(561) 354-1917

Our Hope

Pastor Charlie Hubbard

JCS Director of Spiritual Life

Growing up, my hope at Christmas was often in getting the biggest and best wrapped gift from under the tree. Whether it was a new hot wheels track, basketball shoes, or something else that had caught my eye, it pales in comparison to true Christmas hope. Christmas hope has come to be so much more than what was under the tree. Christmas is a time of great hope because we remember that our hope is our Savior, our Deliverer, our Messiah, who was born on Christmas day. True Christmas hope is a response to what happened in the stable more than 2000 years ago. My favorite Christmas song, O Holy Night, says it like this:

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Before Christ was born in the stable people in the Old Testament put their hope in God. They had real hope and confidence that the Messiah God had promised throughout the Old Testament would one day come and deliver His people. The following verse shows the promise and the hope of those before the first Christmas in Bethlehem.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."   Isaiah 9:6

So often we lose hope because of business, disappointments, and situations of daily life. Our hope comes and goes based on situations of life rather than the hope that comes from the baby born in a stable. We need a fresh and new perspective on hope. Hope comes from the God of the universe sending Christ Jesus, His only Son, on Christmas to live a perfect life and die a horrible death so we can have a relationship with Him. This is the very definition of hope. A God who gave His Son so we can have the free gift. As the Christmas season arrives and we look forward to Christmas let us put our hope in the Savior who was born on Christmas day. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 

"For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe."  1 Timothy 4:9-10

"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."   Romans 15:13