2020—What a Year This Has Been!

For unbelievers, their hope is that 2021 won’t be as bad: that the COVID vaccine will start returning life to normal, that politics will sort itself out somehow, and that the economy will eventually recover. But as a Christian, if that’s what your hope is in, you’re looking in the wrong place!

This year was a wake-up call to a largely lukewarm church that this world is dark and desperately needs the hope of the gospel.

Our world is dark. It has been since Adam and Eve sinned and it will continue to be until Christ returns again. This year was a wake-up call to a largely lukewarm church that this world is dark and desperately needs the hope of the gospel. (I pray the church and individual Christians are responding to this wake-up call!) And it isn’t the first time such a “wake-up call” has happened.

If you read through God’s Word, you will see the darkness of our world, the sin that ensnares, entangles, and destroys, and the God who is sovereign over it all. You’ll see his mercy in breaking into our dark world with the Light of Christ—the God-man, “God with us,” who came as a babe in a manger.

Consider Isaiah 9:2–7, a passage set in the context of great darkness:

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Don’t look to our world for hope, peace, and joy this Christmas—you’ll be disappointed. Look to Christ, who came to solve our sin problem and who is Lord over everything, having overcome the darkness.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5)

Merry Christmas from the Answers in Genesis, Creation Museum, and Ark Encounter family!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.