Read Acts 16
The season of Advent is a season of anticipation. Entering the story of Israel in the Scriptures, we anticipate the appearing of the Messiah. Entering into the story of the Jesus-following community in Acts and our present moment, we celebrate the Messiah’s appearing in Jesus of Nazareth but also anticipate the future appearing of Jesus to mark the end of the age.
As we might expect, this season of anticipation begins with hope. Hope is what we need to buoy our waiting and watching. But the kind of hope we need is more than mere optimism. Optimism is often a sort of cheery falsehood that closes its eyes to reality in order to tell us everything will be alright. Optimism may feel good initially but wears out fast.
Hope is something else, something more. Hope faces into life’s difficulties and the real world, held up by something enduringly true. In a Christian sense, hope is sustained by the promises of God made secure through our Savior who has resurrected from the wretchedness of death and now lives ascended at the right hand of God the Father.
It is this hope that underlies the story of Paul and Silas in Philippi recorded in Acts 16. Here, the initial excitement of people turning to Christ (Acts 16:13-15) is followed by a miraculous revelation of God’s power as a young servant girl is set free from demonic oppression. But this hopeful beginning ironically leads Paul and Silas into the depths of prison, where it might seem that hope’s light has faded into the darkness of opposition. Our hope in Jesus Christ, however, reminds us that what appears to be the end is not always the end. Paul and Silas sing praise in the night to the One who burst alive from the grave, and they, too, find that God sets them free. Knowing that Jesus is King, their hope lives beyond the darkness, and once shaken free from the prison’s bonds they continue testifying to the wonders of Jesus.
May we, too, remember that no matter our highs or lows, the light or the darkness, Jesus is the king of hope. In Jesus Christ, what appears to be the end is not always the end.
For Reflection:
- Each Sunday we include discussion questions on the sermon insert that can be used for deeper reflection and/or small group discussions. Take time to read through those questions today. You can find a digital version online at eastbrook.org/JesusKingofNations.
by Pastor Matt Erickson
Family Talk: Week 1
Jesus, King of Hope
Read the story of Paul and Silas in a children’s Story Bible, or read Acts 16:25-34
“Ugh—who is singing at this hour of night?” the Jailer paced the cold, damp hallways of the jail in Philippi. It was the middle of the night, and only a few torches shed light on the dirt floors and metal bars. Prisoners groaned or shouted —but singing? “This is a first!” thought the jailer, as he slumped down on a bench to rest. The dark closed in on him, the singing grew faint, and he nodded his head to doze.
Suddenly, a rumble, a shaking threw the jailer off his seat. He blinked his eyes open to see bricks falling from the walls, chains rattling, and cell doors springing open! “Nooooo!” the jailer cried. The prisoners—they’ll run for the doors! I’ll never catch them! And when the magistrates see an empty jail, they’ll come after ME! I’m done for!”
“Don’t worry!” a voice called out. It was Paul, one of the men arrested yesterday for stirring up trouble in the marketplace. “We’re all here!” Paul said, as he stepped forward with his friend, Silas.
“What? No one escaped?” the jailer was baffled. “ Who are these men? And more importantly, who is this God they worship?”
In one moment, the jailer went from rock bottom to the highest heights! He thought he was ruined, but when Paul and Silas told him about the love and forgiveness of Jesus, the jailer grabbed onto hope! He took Paul and Silas to his own home, fed them, and tended to their wounds. Paul and Silas told the jailer’s family about Jesus, and they decided to follow Him!
Hope, the Bible says, is like an anchor (Hebrews 6:19). An anchor keeps a boat in place when the wind and waves want to pull it away. Hope can do that for us. It can keep us “still” when we seem overwhelmed. Our hope is not about what we can do, but it is in what God has already done for us. He has sent Jesus to rescue us from our sin, so that we can know we are safe forever with Him.
FAmily Storytelling:
- Parents: What is something you do to remind yourself that your hope is rooted in Jesus?
- Kids: Can you think of a time when you felt like the jailer? When you thought you were in trouble, but then were rescued?