#BibleStudy Timeless Truths: Hope. A Light in the Darkness


Depending on how you define "began," this is the 40th week of lockdown/quarantine at some level in the United States of America because of COVID-19. 
Fear has replaced hope in far too many lives. 
This post focuses on HOPE as the light of your life.


When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 4:12-16
All Scriptures are from the New International Version of the Holy Bible.

Hope - hōp/
noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.
"he looked through her belongings in the hope of coming across some information"
synonyms: aspiration, desire, wish, expectation, ambition, aim, goal, plan, design; More

Hope - hōp/
verb - want something to happen or be the case.
"he's hoping for an offer of compensation"
synonyms: expect, anticipate, look for, be hopeful of, pin one's hopes on, want; wish for, long for, dream of
"he's hoping for a medal"
Definitions/Examples from https://www.google.com/search?espv=2&biw=1169&bih=869&q=define+desire&forcedict=desire&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjuoOHVrtTRAhUM32MKHRKbAtMQ_SoIHjAA#q=define+hope

The text above sometimes stands alone. 
  • At other times is combined with the full text surrounding the highlighted quote from the book of Isaiah in today’s text. 
  • Isaiah’s complete thought from which this quote was taken will be the focus of Part 2 next week.

A new year is often a time of hope for people who've left a difficult year behind them. 

  • Hope needs to be part of coming out of all difficult times.
  • Times like today, and the past ten or more weeks.
Hope is essential to fruitful, productive, relational human life.
  • Hopelessness is a major cause of depression and anxiety.
  • Lack of hope contributes to chronic illness and is the primary cause of suicide.
  • Hope seems like a “next meal” when you don’t know if you can live without it.

This is the 40th week of the US quarantine.
How hopeful are you?

Matt 4:12. 
Jesus chooses to withdraw.

  • Withdrawal is not the expectation of a messiah.
  • Not only that, He withdraws to Galilee, not a royal destination by account.

Vv15-16. 
Galilee lived in the shadow of death because attacking nations always conquered them first before moving on to bigger prizes in the southern part of the nation.

  • It made perfect sense for JESUS to go to Galilee even though many Israelites would not have thought it made any sense at all.
  • Jesus goes first into dark places in our world, too—places where people often feel forgotten.
Americans tend to look at bad things indicating that God has abandoned us.

  • Such circumstances are not that at all.
  • They are an opportunity for Jesus to come.

When times are bad, you need to look for Jesus.

He is nearby, NOW.
And, the light of HOPE will overcome your hopelessness.


Special thanks to Pastor Brian Frey for the primary teachings used in this post.


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