Dear Hope Church Family,
We are in the final stretch of Advent and nearing Christmas Day, what John Piper calls “the dawning of indestructible joy.” Piper writes, “The joy that Jesus came to bring is from outside this world. It is the very joy that Jesus himself has in God the Father—which he has had from all eternity and will have forever…. He promises to put that [joy] us.“
What Piper is saying is accurate, but it may sound tone deaf in 2020, when, instead of experiencing indestructible joy, it feels like we are being dragged to Christmas Day. And yet, because God has proven he is faithful in the face of evil and death—even to the point of sending his Son to put on human flesh and willingly suffer the pains of hell in our place—we can experience deep joy. Because the cross and the resurrection guarantee that God is not lying when he says, I am with you.
Friends, God is with us. Hold onto that truth with a clenched fist. And rejoice!
I hope you can join us for our Cocoa & Carols event tomorrow, and also at one of our worship services on Christmas Eve. I look forward to joining my voice with yours, as we sing about “the wonders of his love.”
Peace,
Ethan Smith