There Is Hope

Is there hope for life after death? The message of Easter is “There is hope!” Evangelist Billy Graham wrote, “The New Testament is the textbook of hope.” Here’s why: It is because of the resurrection found therein. In the words of Peter, “(God has given us) a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
 
The greatest question in the Old Testament is, “If a man dies, will he live again?” (Job 14:14). The greatest answer in the New Testament is when Jesus said, “Because I live, you will live also” (John 14:19).

Sometimes parents go on trips and return with souvenirs of a faraway place and, by doing so, prove its existence. Jesus entered death and came back to show us there is life on the other side. That is why Paul said, “O Death, where is your sting? O Grave, where is your victory? Thanks be to God who gives us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55, 57).
 
Jesus took the sting of death for us. By His power, we are free from the fear of death. Through His resurrection, Jesus gave us hope of life beyond the grave. This is our shared hope! There is nothing else or nothing less that I would trust than the hope given us by Jesus. That is why, though Easter Sunday has passed, we continue to celebrate our Risen Lord! Our hope for our own future is born of our faith in a living Savior! So we say once again, He is Risen!
 
Devotedly yours,
Pastor Ron