“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, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you…” (1Peter 1:3, 4).
For the disciples, the Resurrection meant that the days of “Business as usual!” were over. Nothing was to be the same. Something has changed.
We remember that with Jesus death and burial, their hope in Jesus died and was buried with Him.
What happens when hope dies? Take two examples.
The two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Signs of hope lost?
The journey back to their village…back to previous occupation;
Their faces? “They stood still, their faces downcast” (Luke 24:17b);
Their words, “We had hoped…and it is the third day…” (Luke 24:19-21).
The case of Judas? His hope of being restored died…as a result he died.
Considering the events of that fateful day that culminated with Jesus’ crucifixion, death and burial, it was a hard day for the disciples. That night, though, must have been even harder…
Where ever they were, hope wasn’t anywhere close.
Then the morning came…It was a “God morning”.
With Jesus’ resurrection, a new hope was given to them…a living hope.
What about us?
For us, the living hope comes as a gift when we experience the new birth…being born again, or from above. When we are born into God’s family, He showers us with gifts – “God gifts”. Here are some:
-a living hope (a hope that never dies);
-an eternal inheritance (defying the second Law of Thermodynamics);
-a precious relationship with God (children of God).
Because He lives…we are living into eternal life.