“I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.’” –Revelation 21:3-4
We all suffer under the weight of sin, groaning from the burden of pain, suffering, sickness, and death. Tears are more often our companion than laughter, and even joy is too often mingled with grief.
But there is coming a day when that will no longer be the case. For God has so loved the world that He has given His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should never die but have eternal life with Him. God has chosen to live among us, making us His home.
This is God’s hope for the world—a people once broken by sin but now redeemed by His own perfect blood, knowing Him and worshiping Him as they love Him day by day by day for all eternity, joining in a song that never ends and that only grows in the telling as the sufferings of all people blend into a beautiful, harmonious melody that bursts forth into glorious praise.
We celebrate Christmas today because it reminds us of the hope Jesus has so graciously given us. We rejoice because it helps us look forward to what we will one day have in the never-ending presence of God. One day hope will be no more, because we will have that for which we have hoped.
Our waiting will be perfected.
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