Hope is powerful. Actually, it is much more than that. Hope is essential.

I have read or seen so many stories where hope was the one thing that separated life and death. Stories where those with hope lived another day while those without it perished. Stories of sailors stranded in shark infested waters for days on end. Stories of mountain climbers trapped in freezing temperatures. Stories of prisoners of war. Even stories of rebels trying to save the galaxy from the evil empire.

In almost every one of these stories—true of fictional—hope was never certain. Rescue at sea was not guaranteed. Neither was rescue from the freezing cold, liberation from a prisoner of war camp, nor a guy named Luke Skywalker showing up.

In all of these instances, hope was based on what could be. But that is not our hope. We have a greater hope in Christ Jesus. Ours is not a hope of could be, but one of will be. Ours is not a hope of wishful thinking, but rather confident expectation. This is the hope we share with our kids this week—and every week—as we point our kids to King Jesus.

Ours Is a Hope that Death Has Not Won

Death seems to reign today…because it does. The Fall has rendered all creatures under death’s cruel tyranny. As the Emily Dickinson poem goes “Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me.” Death will stop for us all one day.

Unless Jesus returns first, that is. Death is winning now, but it is not the winner. That would be Jesus, who proved He had defeated death when He burst forth from the tomb that first Easter morning.

Because of Jesus, we hold the unwavering hope that death has lost. Its grip on us will be loosened one day.

Ours Is a Hope that Sin Will Not Prevail

Just as Jesus has won the victory over death, so has He defeated death’s sibling, sin. Far too often, sin wins out in our lives. Perhaps because we want to sin, we don’t put up much of a fight much of the time. But while sin’s initial taste is most often sweet, its aftertaste is always bitter. We experience conviction and guilt more than we want.

But a day is coming when sin will be no more. A day is coming when Jesus will reign fully in our minds and hearts and we will finally have no part of sin and sin will have no part of us. What a glorious day that will be.

Because of Jesus, we hold the unwavering hope that sin will not prevail. Mercy and grace sustain us today as we long for our glorification in full.

Ours Is a Hope that All Wrongs Will Be Righted

Just as our sin plagues us, so can the sins of others. Injustices are all around us. Rebellion against God is rampant. This world is not as it should be. Disease, famine, war, poverty, racism, sexism. The list goes on.

But a day is coming when all these wrongs will not only end, but Jesus will make all things right again. Justice will reign.

Because of Jesus, we hold the unwavering hope that all the wrongs we experience today will be undone. God’s justice will be poured out on all humanity.

Ours Is a Hope that Our Eternity with God and All Believers Is Secure

The beauty of our hope is deeper still. Not only do we have hope that death, sin, and injustice will all end, our hope is that it will all end for good. Never again will the universe see a single death. Never again will even the smallest of sins be committed. Never again will any -ism be experienced. Instead, we will be with God in His perfect new heaven and earth forevermore.

Because of Jesus, we hold the unwavering hope that our eternity with God is secure.

All of this, we know to be true. All because of Christ Jesus. This is our hope because of what we celebrate this week. This is our hope because of the resurrection.

‘Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die’ is a sham. The alternative is not a refusal to eat, drink, or be merry. That would be ingratitude. Instead, with the resurrected Jesus we sing out, ‘Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for yesterday we were dead.’” — Russell Moore

Russell D. Moore, Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011), 75.

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