Things Hoped For - Hebrews 11:1

Our Advent reflection on hope begins with a passage taken from the book of Hebrews. The concept of hope is presented as an unwavering source of our confession: one that is strengthened in the faith community, empowered by the Spirit, and secured with the presence of God (cf. Hebrews 10:19-11:1). After this section, the flow of thought discloses the meaning and relationship of faith with hope by describing a long list of biblical examples. This local context falls within one of the larger guiding concepts of the book: “entrance into God’s rest” which is mediated and secured by the first, second, and third Advent of Jesus Christ (cp. Hebrews 1:3; 4:1-9).