About Christ's gift of hope (2):

Psalms 121:3 O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore. (NIV)

The most enduring gift ever given to the human race was Christ's gift of hope. His miracles opened eyes, both literally and figuratively. His wisdom about how we should live is vital and has stood the test of time. His love is immeasurable. In addition, the fuel and power for living Christ gave and is still giving is hope. Before Christ came to earth and proved we can survive physical death to live forever in our spirit, people had hope there was an after-life. However, when Christ walked out of the tomb, there wasn't just hope, there was absolute hope so big the hope was not just hope anymore�the hope had turned into absolute certainty about living forever. The absolute certainty about living forever set off a fire in the hearts of those people who knew about Him. There was now an absolute certainty about there being a life after death. The sacrificial way Christ gave His life as a ransom for every other person gave everyone a free gift�a free pass, if you will. Christ's sacrifice gave everyone a gift into eternal life if we are willing to give up their own life of sin to accept His gift into their heart. No other person ever gave humanity a gift of hope like Christ gave. No other person ever will give a gift of hope like Christ gave. Christ's enduring gift of hope going beyond hope is why we celebrate His life and His birth.