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… (1 Peter 1:3).
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! And because He is risen, hope lives!
For the people of God, our living hope is not just a future reality, it is a resurrected person. Our living hope sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty, still bearing the nail holes and spear wound, but healed and glorified. This living hope visited His frightened disciples on Easter Sunday evening. He stood before Peter, the one who had failed him by denying him, and He spoke to Him the same as He spoke to the rest of the disciples. “Peace be with you!” And as He shows them His hands and side, Jesus draws the disciples out of the prison of fear shame and into the freedom of hope, a hope that seemed impossible until that very moment.
You and I know shame and fear. Fear that your past will come back to haunt you. Shame over a decision made. Fear of what the future holds for you or for those you love. But we have come to know something far greater than fear or shame. We know hope, and Hope’s name is Jesus the Christ. Living hope for Peter isn’t flowery language – it’s a breathing, reigning Savior.
In the weeks to come, we will have the opportunity to celebrate anew the resurrection of our King and to explore what Jesus’ victory means for us as we engage our callings, raise our children, deal with the frustration and brokenness of life, mourn the loss of loved ones, and fill the moments of our days. For God’s people, each of those moments can be hope infused – real opportunities to live and act with the knowledge that our Savior lives, our Savior is present with us to lead us, and our Savior has assured us a glorious future! May that assurance strengthen us for loving, faithful work today.