Christian Hope

And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
— Hebrews 7:8

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
— Revelation 1:18

And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
— Mark 8:31

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
— 1 Peter 1:3

The Bedrock of Christian Hope, by Thomas Brooks.

Luke 24:5-6, And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the Living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how He spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee.

There is no greater proclamation in all the universe than this, Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. This singular truth distinguishes Christianity from every religion. Our Redeemer is not buried in a tomb, but he is reigning from his throne in heaven. The one who was crucified in weakness now lives in resurrection power and eternal glory. The resurrection of Jesus is not a peripheral truth, it is the very bedrock of our hope. Without it, the cross would be meaningless and our hope would be in vain. The resurrection affirms his deity, authenticates his mission and guarantees the salvation of his people.

Consider the comfort this brings to the believer. In a fallen world where suffering, sorrow and death are ever-present, we cling to a living saviour. Our faith is not an intellectual adherence to a dry dogma, but a vital relationship with a living saviour. His victory over the grave is our assurance that sin’s penalty has been paid, God’s wrath has been satisfied, and eternal life has been secured. Moreover, the same Spirit who raised Jesus now indwells every child of God, empowering him to mortify sin, pursue holiness, and persevere in the Christian life.

Is your heart weary today? Fix your eyes on the risen Christ. He is not distant or detached. He walks with his people, just as he walked with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He opens the Scriptures, warms the heart and strengthens the soul. He intercedes for us at the right hand of God, bearing our names upon his heart and pleading the merits of his blood. Even more, his resurrection assures us of our own. The grave is not the end. For those in Christ, death has become God’s gentle usher to conduct us to heaven.

We eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Let us then live as resurrection people. Let joy replace despair, faith replace fear, and holiness replace ungodliness. Let us not live for the fleeting vanities of this poor world, but for the glory of our reigning King, for He has risen indeed. Let this great reality awaken our dull affections, warm our cold hearts, and set our feet running in the path of obedience. Let every temptation be resisted with this truth.

My Saviour lives. Let every trial be endured with this hope. My Saviour reigns. Let every duty be performed with this strength. My Saviour is with me. We do not serve a dead prophet, but a living Redeemer. Soon he shall return in glory, not as the suffering lamb, but as the conquering lion. And soon, so very soon, he shall return, not in weakness but in glory, to gather his ransomed bride. Until then we should live by the power of his resurrection, labouring for his kingdom, resting in his finished work, and longing for the day when faith shall become sight.

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