Hope for the Hopeless

blog

I like to think of myself as an optimist yet also a realist. That self-assessment would have been put to the test on the Saturday between Jesus’ death and resurrection. Imagine after following Jesus for about three years the culmination would be witnessing your Master beaten, tortured, and put to death in the most humiliating way possible.

All of us would have had our faith tested on that day. How could this happen? What does this mean? What are we going to do? Does this mean all of those signs weren’t actually signs? Were we mistaken? Despite Jesus intentionally preparing His disciples for His gruesome death, they still found themselves in a pool of uncertainty. How else do you explain the reaction of the women who witnessed Jesus and their excitement to tell the disciples? How about Thomas’ reaction and the graciousness of the Lord to say, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe” (Jn. 20:27).

Jesus provided hope to His disciples in the midst of their weariness and hopelessness. How would you expect a 1st Century Jew to act after following someone around for three years raising the dead to life, healing the blind, and casting out demons. Jesus walked on water, calmed a storm, and had God speak from the heavens at His baptism. He was transfigured in front of Peter, James, and John. Yet they still lacked hope after the death of Jesus. That’s human nature.

Jesus said to Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (Jn. 20:19). You and I are the ones who Jesus calls blessed. We are blessed because we live on this side of the cross and resurrection. We have His resurrection to look back on as comfort and security. His death saved us, but His resurrection gave us hope. 

Paul says, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:20-22)

We are living in a time where many are struggling to find hope, even those who have been raised from spiritual death to life. Now is the time that many of us are speaking to God in the form of laments. But with each lament comes hope that God will bring healing. With each lament we should remind ourselves of the Gospel. With each lament we should look towards the resurrection of Christ and our future resurrection. He has given us hope, we the hopeless.

He Is Risen,

Pastor Erik