The first Sunday in the Advent Season focuses on hope, which is good news for a world where hope seems in short supply. The hope God offers us, in a word, is Jesus. He came, announced that God’s Kingdom was here, and demonstrated that he was its King — all in line with Israel’s hopes.

However, he also did and said things that shocked and confused people. So, what do we do when the hope God offers us looks different than we expected?