The Saviour They Did Not Expect

When Christmas comes, children often wait with bright eyes and hopeful hearts. They expect gifts wrapped in shining paper, surprises chosen “because they’ve been good,” and stories of being rewarded if they behave well. Their excitement is shaped by feelings, wishes, and a sense of achievement as if Christmas arrives based on how deserving they are. It is a season that seems to run on wonder and reward.

For roughly 400 years without canonical prophets (Mal. 4:5-6; Matt. 11:13-14), God’s people waited for a promise. Between the Old and New Testament, Heaven seemed silent. No prophets, no visions, no new revelation. Yet, in that silence, their hopes grew: a mighty Messiah, a political liberator, a king who would overthrow Rome and restore Israel’s glory, as Isaiah prophesied (Isa. 9:6-7). They longed for someone who would match their desires and fulfil their national hope.

During this time, Israel endured waves of foreign domination—Persian, Greek, and finally Roman rule. Political instability, cultural pressure, and spiritual struggle shaped the nation’s identity, deepened their longing for deliverance, and intensified their expectation of the Messiah who would restore God’s people.

They expected a Messiah who would liberate them from political chaos and foreign dominions. Centuries of oppression from Babylonians to Persians, Greeks, Seleucids, and Romans fuelled a deep longing for deliverance. This shaped their prayers, hopes, and interpretation of Scripture, as they looked for the One who would restore Israel’s freedom and dignity (Lk. 24:21).

Yet their expectations were not met. The Messiah they longed for did come but not in the form they imagined. Instead of a political warrior who would overthrow Rome, Jesus arrived as a humble servant, born in a manger, calling people not to revolt but to repentance. His mission was not to free Israel from Roman rule, but to free humanity from sin’s deeper bondage, offering a kingdom far greater than any earthly power “not of this world” (Jn. 18:36).

They awaited a Messiah but because He did not come as expected, many could not recognize Him. Others outright refused Him. Jesus did not fit their nationalistic dreams. He preached forgiveness instead of rebellion, repentance instead of revolt, healed the sick instead of raising an army. To those expecting political revolution, this was disappointment. To those longing for earthly power, His humility seemed weak. Yet, in this unexpected form, He fulfilled every prophecy perfectly and revealed a kingdom no empire could crush.

What is your expectation of Him? Many of us, like Israel, carry silent expectations of God—how He should act, when He should intervene, what He should change. But when He works differently, we hesitate to recognize His hand. The danger is not God’s silence, but our expectations being too loud. So, the question remains personal: What are you expecting of Him, and are you willing to meet Him as He truly reveals Himself?

It is worth pausing to ask what quietly shapes every expectation we place on God: Why do you believe in Him?

Perhaps your belief began in childhood, hearing stories of a gentle Saviour who healed the sick and welcomed the weak. Or in a season of pain, when nowhere else could your heart find rest except in Him. Some believed because He answered a long-buried prayer; others because even in unanswered prayers, they sensed a Presence too faithful to ignore.

As we grow, expectations become more complex. We long for a peaceful year, financial breakthrough, or God to fix prayed-for situations. We desire recognition, success, comfort after quiet effort. Beneath it all, we hope Christmas offers emotional satisfaction and makes everything “feel right,” even briefly.

Often, our belief rests on moments of help or rescue. The Jews of the first century expected a Messiah to liberate, protect, and restore but when Jesus did not fit their generational picture, belief collapsed.

So, the question is: Do you believe in Him because He meets your expectations, or because He is worthy of trust even when He doesn’t?

Faith grows not from what He gives, but from who He is: the God who steps into human history, walks beside the broken, and invites us to follow beyond our limited ideas.

As we remember Jesus’ birth, we see the Messiah came not as Israel expected, but exactly as God intended. Christmas is not just a historical commemoration, but an invitation to realign our expectations with God’s heart.

Perhaps this year you hope for a better life, healed home, or meaningful celebration. Those desires are not wrong, but Christmas reminds us of something deeper. The angels proclaimed, “good news of great joy,” rooted in salvation: believing in Christ, repenting of sins, aligning hearts with God’s holy will. Lasting healing begins when lives are shaped by His truth rather than expectations.

The same humble Messiah still comes today with grace, truth, and quiet authority. Are our hearts ready to recognize Him? Just as many in the first century missed Him because He did not fit their idea of a Saviour, may we not make the same mistake. This Christmas, open your eyes, quiet expectations, and welcome the Messiah as He truly is.

Let Him transform your heart, and when He convicts you, repent without delay. The Messiah does not come merely to comfort but to confront anything resisting His lordship. Recognizing Jesus always produces repentance, a turning from desires back to God.