1 Peter 1:3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Can you think of anything that you are hoping for? Maybe you are hoping for something for your birthday, or you’re hoping your team will win the game. Maybe you are hoping that you pass your math quiz, or that your brother shares his new video game with you.
Maybe your hopes are about more important things, like hoping to make a new friend or that your grandma will get better. Maybe you’re hoping that there won’t be any more fighting in your house or any more wars in the world.
Hope is a very important thing. Imagine what life would be like without hope. What if you could not look forward to anything…ever? Imagine how terrible it would feel if you thought that all the bad things in the world would never get better?
Because we don’t know what is going to happen, we put our hope in people or things that we think will make our world better. Often people put all their hope in their friends or family. Grown-ups will put their hope in politicians. Sometimes we put all our hope in money or things. Or maybe a sports team or a favorite TV show – these things will make me happy, we think. The problem is that none of those things are a “living hope.” But the Apostle Peter says we have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is our living hope because he rose from the dead!
What is a living hope? A living hope is a hope that lasts forever. A living hope is also something (or someone) who is perfect. Can you name anything or anyone who lasts forever and is perfect? I can too.
God. Jesus.
Jesus (God) alone offers us a living hope by his resurrection. Jesus alone is both everlasting and perfect. Everything else in this world will run out or it will let you down eventually. Things break. Money runs out. We get sick. People hurt us. Even the best thins in this life aren’t perfect, are they. The wonderful gifts of God can give us some hope, for a little while, but not a forever hope. Not a perfect hope. Not a living hope.
So what should we do with all the good things God gives us? We should let them point us to the BEST thing God gives us – Jesus his Son and his everlasting life.
You: What are you hoping for today? Will it last forever? Is it perfect?
You with Jesus: How can Jesus give you hope even when other people and things in life let you down?
Prayer: Father, I know that Jesus will never let me down or disappoint me. I know that he is my only hope for being with you forever. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for me and rise for me so that I can have his living hope. Amen.
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