Wednesday, April 23, 2008
1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
THE REASON FOR OUR HOPE
Now some would say, "You have no reason for your hope! You have no proof and no foundation for believing that you will live with Christ forever!" In answer to that, we look to the sunrise of Easter morning and to the grave which stood empty of the body it had once held.
It is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead that gives us our great hope. This is the thing that makes our hope not just a mere wish or a casual thought, but a certain reality. We know that we will rise from the dead because Jesus our Savior has risen from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:20, 22: "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep . . . For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." The Bible speaks of Jesus being the "firstfruits." Those who are His children by faith will follow in His footsteps, for He has provided the pattern. He died and rose to life, so then will come your death and your resurrection. Just as surely as Jesus came back to life and left His grave empty, you too will return from the dead.
The hope of our own resurrection and our own life in glory with the Lord is based on the resurrection of Jesus. His resurrection is the foundation and the assurance of our hope. Had our Master not returned from death, there would be no hope of our return either and our faith would be futile and empty. But now Christ has arisen from the grave's dark prison -- so all is well. So there is hope.
