God’s plan to save the world, came with a promise, and the promise brought hope. Years before the baby was born, the promise was bringing hope. They knew that God kept his promises, so there was hope. In the darkest of times, the words spoken by the prophets were a glimmer of light in the distance that kept them going. The sign was not yet fulfilled, but they knew it would happen. That must have brought comfort to their weary souls. Then, amid choirs of angels, and the din of a stable, and under the light of a star, and the racket of a crowded town, God made his entrance into the world he created. He came not as an adult but as a baby. His first cries, as all births do, brought hope. But this birth brought hope not just for his parents but hope for the hopeless as well. There was the hope of being made right with God. There was hope that the curse of dea