Advent Week 1: Hope Has a Name—Emmanuel

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

When the world feels uncertain, when news headlines are heavy, and when our own lives seem full of waiting and unanswered questions, we are tempted to grasp for comfort wherever we can find it. But Advent reminds us that true hope is not a fleeting feeling or blind optimism; it is anchored in a Person. That Person has a name: Emmanuel. God with us. Jesus Christ. The hope we long for is not abstract—it has a heartbeat, a voice, and a presence that transforms waiting into anticipation, fear into courage, and despair into expectation.

The story of Advent begins long before Bethlehem. The people of Israel knew what it meant to wait. Centuries of oppression, exile, and longing shaped their hearts, creating a deep hunger for deliverance. They lived under the shadow of empires—Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and finally Rome—and yet in the midst of political uncertainty and personal hardship, God’s prophets whispered promises of a coming Messiah. Isaiah spoke of a child who would be called Emmanuel, a sign that God Himself would dwell among His people. Isaiah’s words were a balm to a fearful nation, yet they also stirred longing that would span generations. Hope, in this context, was not wishful thinking; it was an assurance rooted in God’s unchanging character and His covenantal promises.

The promise of Emmanuel comes at a critical moment in Israel’s history. King Ahaz faced threats from surrounding nations, and the temptation to rely on political alliances was strong. God, however, reminded His people that real security does not come from human power but from His presence. Isaiah 7:14 tells us, “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us’.” The prophet’s words pointed to both an immediate sign for Ahaz’s time and the ultimate fulfillment in the birth of Christ centuries later. This hope was tangible. It was personal. It was God Himself stepping into human history.

Throughout the Old Testament, the theme of hope weaves consistently. Isaiah 9:6–7 speaks of a coming King whose reign will bring justice, peace, and righteousness. Jeremiah, speaking to exiles in Babylon, reminds the people that God has plans for their welfare, to give them a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). Even when life seems uncertain, even when waiting stretches beyond imagination, God’s promises anchor the heart. Advent invites us into that same posture of expectancy, teaching us that waiting with hope is not passive. It is an active stance of trust, rooted in the assurance that God is faithful to fulfill what He has spoken.

The New Testament reveals the fulfillment of these promises in the life of Mary, a young woman from Nazareth. When the angel Gabriel appeared to her, he did not offer abstract words of encouragement. He announced that she would conceive and bear a son, and that His name would be Jesus. He would be called the Son of the Most High, and the kingdom of God would find its beginning in Him. Mary’s encounter reminds us that hope often arrives quietly, humbly, and unexpectedly. The God of the universe did not come first in power or wealth or status, but as a vulnerable child, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. In Mary’s story, hope becomes incarnate. It takes flesh and enters our messy, fragile world.

Luke 2 provides the beautiful scene of shepherds on the fields, trembling with fear, suddenly hearing angels proclaiming, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem” (Luke 2:10–11, NLT). The shepherds, ordinary people living on the margins, were the first to hear of the fulfillment of centuries of longing. Hope, in its purest form, reaches the lowly, the weary, and the overlooked. The angels’ message reminds us that Advent is not just a historical event to remember but a living reality to embrace.

Hope is made visible in Christ not only in His birth but in His life, death, and resurrection. As Peter writes, “Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance … through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3–4, NLT). This hope is living. It is not theoretical. It is active, enduring, and transformative. Through Christ, the waiting of Advent becomes purposeful. Every moment of longing, every season of uncertainty, every question unanswered is held in the light of God’s faithfulness.

Living with hope requires us to anchor our hearts in God’s character. Unlike optimism, which fluctuates with circumstances, hope rests on God’s faithfulness, His sovereignty, and His presence. To hope in Advent is to trust that God is working in ways we cannot yet see, to believe that He will fulfill His promises, and to live in the assurance that His nearness transforms despair into courage. It is to practice patience in a hurried world and to recognize that waiting is not wasted.

Practically, we embody hope in our daily lives by meditating on Scripture, speaking honestly with God in prayer, and participating in acts that reflect the kingdom of God. Lighting the first Advent candle, reading the promises of Isaiah aloud, or journaling the ways God has been faithful in past seasons can deepen our anticipation and prepare our hearts to receive Him. Hope also manifests in community—encouraging one another, comforting those who are weary, and demonstrating the nearness of Christ through acts of compassion.

The power of Advent hope lies in its embodiment. God did not remain distant from His people. He did not send messages from afar or rely on human armies to fulfill His plan. He came near. Emmanuel, God with us, walks into our uncertainty, our fear, our waiting. He is present in our struggles, our celebrations, and our ordinary days. Hope has a name, and that name is Jesus. The same hope that sustained Israel, the same hope proclaimed by angels on the fields of Bethlehem, and the same hope confirmed by the resurrection of Christ, is alive today and available to all who believe.

As we enter this first week of Advent, let us take time to reflect on the ways hope can shape our hearts. Identify areas in your life where fear or despair has taken root, and invite Emmanuel into those spaces. Let His presence illuminate the darkness and remind you that waiting is not a passive state but a holy posture of expectancy. Light the first Advent candle, and as its flame flickers, meditate on the reality that God is near. Write out prayers of hope, journal the promises He has fulfilled, and share this hope with someone who may need to hear that God is not far off.

Advent is a season of waiting, but it is also a season of living with expectation. 

1. Christ has come; our hope is not in vain. 

2. Christ lives; our hope is alive. 

3. Christ will return, and our hope is secure. 

When we recognize that the hope we have is not abstract, but incarnate, we can live with joy and courage in every season. As Hebrews 6:19 reminds us, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

This week, may we embrace the truth that hope is not something we must manufacture. It is a gift given, a promise kept, and a Person who has come to dwell among us. Emmanuel. God with us. Hope has a name, and that name changes everything.