Hope - bring back our hope, dear Lord.

 

In a war-torn world and within the plaque of crime - even murder, rape, abuse, and scams, many lost their hope amidst their loss, pain, disappointment, and depression.  But we are not hopeless – because we are not Friday’s or Saturday’s children anymore! We are Sunday’s children. We are worshipful people of hope!

 

Friday’s agony with Jesus on the cross gave way to Saturday’s despair. But thank God, Saturday’s despair gives way to Sunday’s hope. It is summed up in the opening sentence of Mark 16, "And when the Sabbath was over...." Friday’s agony had come, but it had passed. Saturday’s despair had come as well, but it was now something of the past too. A new day had come. Sunday had come. And with resurrection Sunday, hope came back.

 

Early on that Resurrection Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices to the tomb where they thought they would anoint Jesus’ body. They entered the tomb and saw an angel of God. In verse 6 it says, "And he said to them, ‘Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He is risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid him.’" 

This was the most incredible, astonishing, and joyous experience of their lives. They could hardly believe their eyes and there was no doubt that it was the tomb. And Jesus was not there. He had risen.

 

When this amazing truth got through to them, Mark 16 says in verse 8, "And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them..." After experiencing Friday’s agony and Saturday’s despair, what a revitalizing experience this must have been. It sharpened every sense they had. They were both thrilled and afraid, both terrified and elated.

 

This is what the resurrection of Jesus Christ is all about. It reveals that the Lord is in charge because the Lord is alive! The dark night of our soul has passed and, even in the circumstances which we cannot control and scare us, there can be hope for a day of the power of the living Lord within us, through which we are inspired in such a way that it brings back the hope, because there is hope where our God is in charge.

 

Do you have hope? This day may look depressing to you. You may be experiencing a dark night. You may feel overwhelmed by circumstances outside of your control. But God is in control. There is hope for today and for tomorrow.

 

The resurrection of Jesus teaches us that life can even come out of death. Friday’s agony brought Jesus’ death. Saturday’s despair was symbolized by Jesus in the tomb.
But we are not Friday’s children and do not have to live as Saturday’s children!
We belong to Sunday: to hope and celebration and praise and worship of the living Lord.

Sunday brought hope because Jesus came alive. And he who came alive on that first Easter Sunday is still alive, and he lives today to bring hopeful life to us too.

 

The hope he gives is both inspired by our expecting of eternal life – and also inspired by the glad hope we need for today, because our Lord lives, our almighty God who can do whatever we need for today, is in control.

The real, true life of Jesus brings back our hope. We can be brought from Saturday’s despair into Sunday’s victory, because our God is in control.
Because Christ is risen, indeed!