At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus. We remember the moment that God humbled himself, took on flesh, and became one of us. Christmas reminds us of the length that God went to in order to redeem us and restore our relationship with him.

The coming of Jesus should also remind us of what Jesus offers. His coming meets our needs in more ways than the salvation of our souls. From the days of Adam and Eve’s first deceived rebellion, humanity, every last one of us, have needed hope, peace, joy, and love. Jesus brought, and continues to offer, these to the weary and downcast. While he walked the earth he reached out to those who needed to experience his touch.

As we prepare to celebrate the first coming of Jesus by exploring the hope, peace, joy, and love that he brought with him, we are reminded that in his second coming, that is all we will know. Let’s explore how Jesus brought hope to the downcast, peace that relieves conflict, joy to the desperate, and love to the rejected.