Day 4 • The Week of Hope
Scripture Readings:
Psalm 79
Micah 5:1-5
Luke 21:34-38
I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that the scripture readings are pretty “apocalyptic.” If you’re anything like me, you have some baggage when it comes to passages like these. They always seem to evoke themes of disaster and even shame. The Psalmist and Micah talk about Israel coming to ruin and Jesus warning not to party excessively or you’ll get caught in the trap of destruction. With all the different end times imagery floating around out there, it can be difficult to feel positive about such passages, let alone understand what on earth they have to do with Christmas.
I think with all the ways apocalyptic themes have been portrayed as the destruction of all things in our entertainment and our culture, we need to reframe our imagination over what the arrival or “apocalypse” of Jesus is actually all about. When we do, I think we will see that the themes we already love and celebrate at Christmas really do give us a better representation of what our readings are trying to convey than something like “Left Behind” ever will.
You see, the Greek word we get the English word “apocalypse” from (apokalupsis) doesn’t mean destruction or calamity. No, it literally means an unveiling, uncovering, revealing, or revelation. Hence, the name of the last book of the Bible. So, the theme of “apocalypse” in the scriptures isn’t meant for us to be preoccupied with destruction, but rather what is being uncovered or revealed.
What we so often miss about this theme in our world is already filled with so much distraction and chaos. There is so much hurt and pain. There seems to be new narratives of how the world is going to end on the news and social media every day. It can get pretty hopeless to think the Bible is telling us this same message, too.
The reality is the world behind the Bible was experiencing destruction, chaos, and misery, too. People were using wealth and power to exploit the poor and vulnerable then, just like they are today. Their methods were just different. So, the “apocalyptic" message of the Bible isn’t telling us that this is all God’s doing. No, it is telling us that when the full reign of God is revealed, destruction and chaos will no longer be our reality! It will be liberation and healing. It will be peace on earth and joy to the world.
Reading these passages this way changes everything. We hear the Psalmist praying fervently for rescue. We hear Micah prophesying that peace is the result of the Lord, the Shepherd coming. We hear Jesus encouraging us not to give over into hopelessness and worry, which may drive us to think that temporary highs are all the goodness we really have. Instead of hearing the shaming message of “God is going to get you if you’re not paying attention,” we hear an encouragement to hold onto the hope of God rescuing us in a world that can so often be so hopeless.
This perspective shift is the difference between a kid waiting to open Christmas presents and a kid waiting to be punished. So much of “apocalyptic” theology is based on fear rather than the hope of God’s deliverance. The “revelation” of God in Jesus signals the end of destruction, chaos, and death and the beginning of redemption, peace, and everlasting life. If it is about Jesus coming, it should fill us with hope, not fear. Sin and death are what will be destroyed, not us. Not our world. This is why we celebrate Jesus coming into our world at Christmas rather than cower in terror. It is the fulfillment of our hope that God’s plan to come to save us is now being “revealed.” Our end times perspective as followers of Jesus needs to look a lot more like the Christmas story and less like the horror movies of Halloween.
Reflection Steps:
One of the challenges in a world like ours is holding onto hope. What fills you with hope? What are you hoping God will do in light of all that is happening in our world? What are you hoping God will do in your world? Ponder these questions today, and as you do, I want to encourage you to allow what God revealed through Christ’s arrival at Christmas to fill you with encouragement.