Hope.

What we cling to when we stand before a fresh grave, when we are challenged to be a caregiver for a loved one, when our bipolar, adult child refuses to take her meds, when the judge hopefully will give a second chance, when the downsizing causes us our job.  From where do we find our Hope?

From the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the reason for the Easter season.  I hope your Hope, like mine, comes from the knowledge that in the future (many believe sooner than later), we will find ourselves meeting Jesus, the Lamb of God, either in the air or in Heaven.

And yes, in times of despair, it’s easy to cry out, “Come, Jesus, come,” but Scripture lets us know that God is patient, waiting for more to meet His son.  The best news is that Hope has a way of reshaping despair, turning it into anticipation rather than defeat because the time will come when God makes things right, all the bad will be replaced with good, and, best of all, we will be like Jesus.  Hallelujah!

Because of Hope, we can put all our eggs in one basket: a day of restoration and renewal is ahead, a day that speaks to our deep longing for something better.  Jesus will be the one who meets his people as they cross from death to life. The crippled will run marathons, the blind will see color and form, the hungry will feast on all-you-can-eat buffets, the paralyzed will dance and the mentally deficient will sit around the Heavenly campfire, conversing with the Creator of the universe.

I love Easter, not for the egg hunts but because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a truth that, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, is echoed by well over five hundred witnesses —beginning with Mary at Jesus’ tomb and ending with the apostle Paul—who saw the risen Christ at various times and places.  It’s no wonder the Christian Church exploded during that first century.  They had seen Truth, and from that, their Hope was alive.

Our religion hinges on that one event.  If the Resurrection never happened, then our faith is useless. If Christ is not risen, then Christianity is just a myth. We can live any way we want, act any way we want, do anything we want, say anything we want, and it doesn’t matter at all. But because Jesus has been raised, it matters…if we too want to rise!

Jesus’ best friend, John, wrote of our Savior’s promise: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (John 11:25 NIV).  That was true in Jesus’ day, and it’s true today.

Put all your eggs in that basket.  It’s the only one that matters.