Hope

Have you ever felt boxed in by trying circumstances? The hardships we encounter in this world—whether they have to do with money, relationships, health, work, peer pressure, or persecution (the list is endless!)—call for a response on our part.

These are quite some claims. This is quite some hope. But is this all just wishful thinking?

Here are seven reasons to believe in the resurrection, not as a wish, but as a historical event.

This year has been a challenge for us all. In addition to the normal hardships of life in a fallen world, we also have a pandemic, lost jobs, division across the country, and severe weather. People are hurting. We are hurting.

Let me begin with the confession that I am deeply nostalgic. Merriam-Webster defines nostalgic as “longing for or thinking fondly of a past time of condition.” Smells, songs, sceneries, places, people–they all have a way of taking me “way back”...

We who are rooted in Christ also have every spiritual blessing in him in the heavenly places (Eph. 1:3). We need not fear because we already have every blessing. Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians that before the world was even formed, God the Father chose us, adopted us as his children, and lavished every spiritual blessing on us (Eph. 1:3–5).

This song is a declaration that Christ’s resurrection guarantees our hope every moment of every day, even as we face death. The message is that no matter what a believer is going through, no matter how dire the circumstances may seem, the reality of the resurrection transforms every aspect of our lives.

God swears to save you, so he will. 

Star Wars tells us, “rebellions are built on hope.” Christians’ rebellion against the evil powers in this world is fueled by the hope given to us. 

Because of what Jesus has done, we are now defined as those who can hope against hope.