When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples,

"As you know, 

Passover begins in two days, 

and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."

Matthew 26:1-2 NLT

"As you know..."

I've told you before.

Remember.

This is going to happen.

Be prepared.

Don't be surprised.

And yet it seems that Jesus team was surprised, weren't prepared, almost seemed to have forgotten what he had told them. Trauma can do that to people.

Seeing your Rabbi, your teacher, your friend, the saviour of the world, healer of blind and lame and sick who seemed to be able to walk away from trouble when he needed to, is betrayed by his own people, arrested, sent to trial, tortured, and crucified by the government.

They must've felt powerless, alone.

The hope of a saviour being born seemed lost and gone.

Because they couldn't remember, couldn't hold on to the Bigger Story that they were part of. And we're just the same. When faced with loss, tragedy, disappointment, rejection, it's easy to lose sight of the hope of a saviour.

And that's why we need one another at all times of the year, and for some especially at this time of year, as it can be especially difficult to navigate. Look out for those in your life who need some love and care over the next few weeks as we celebrate hope.

#wordsofJesus #redletterBible 

#Christmas 

#hopeishere