The Hope Of Resurrection

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.

I am a gardening wannabe. Herbs, cherry tomatoes, and a few flowers are as good as it gets at my house, although I keep trying. My friend Molly, who is much better at keeping things alive than I am, recently told me about a calla lily that she had thought was dead. Even though she had trimmed it down and didn’t see any new growth, she still watered it every once in a while along with her other plants—just in case.

Amazingly, over time, it began to grow again.

Like that calla lily, there are often things in our lives that we assume to be dead. And though we will indeed experience pain and loss in this life—in our relationships and communities—Jesus’ resurrection reminds us there is always hope. In Jesus, we know that death is never the end of the story. In God’s economy, he is making all things new. He is the God of resurrection, restoration, and renewal.

Baptism by immersion is a beautiful embodiment of this spiritual truth. As a public affirmation of a personal decision to follow Jesus and live for him, it illustrates the change in our lives when we decide to become a Christian. When we are submerged in the water, we demonstrate laying our old ways of living to rest. But when we emerge, we rise to new life. We are no longer the same person we once were.

Because you and I have the hope of resurrection, we know that God can restore that which was lost. Though Jesus entered into our suffering and brokenness with his death, he also brought the hope of more when he rose from the dead. Jesus is alive; he is our living hope. And he is making all things new.

Kristin

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Thank God for the living hope we have in him through the power of his resurrection.