Dear City Life,
It has been a complicated, difficult, strange year, but we can take comfort in the fact that our Lord is no stranger to political division, rampant disease, and suffering. Hebrews tells us Jesus “learned obedience from what he suffered” (5:8). His full embrace of our humanity, and patient endurance through suffering, qualify him to comfort us. He sympathizes with us perfectly. Turn to him; go for a walk and talk to him out loud about your dashed hopes. Ask him for perspective and comfort. There is no better friend.
Jesus’ obedience through suffering also secured for us “the source of eternal salvation” (5:9). Where we go astray in our sorrows, Christ did not. Where we avoid opportunities to help others, Christ did not. Where we neglect prayer, Christ did not. Where we refuse sacrifice, Christ did not. Jesus was faithful to God in every way and secured, not temporal but eternal salvation. Jesus has conquered sin and death and has imparted his eternal, resurrection life to us.
While we are not formally gathering as a church on December 27, take some time to reflect with him.
- What can you thank Jesus for?
- What would you like to do to demonstrate resurrection hope in 2021? Your family or City Group?
- Talk about your Christ-generated hopes with your City Group. Share them with a friend.
- Pray for one another’s hopes.
Then join us for our first church gathering of the new year on January 3rd as we look back on 2020 and pray forward into 2021.
May the presence our risen Lord enrich, comfort, and energize you over the holidays,
Pastor Jonathan