Hope

Welcome to Day Eight of this Holy Week devotional journey as we follow Jesus during the week leading up to his death and resurrection. What did Jesus focus on? What was He concerned with? What does God want us to see? And how will we respond?

Pause and Make Space

Before we focus on the scripture, let’s make space to be still and pray. Take some time to pause, slow down, be still, and cast your cares upon God.

The Bible says he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Do you have any cares, hopes, pain, or lies you need to let go of? Are there people and circumstances to give to God?  Take some time to do just that, by praying, “Jesus I give you…”

Read the Scriptures | Pause and Think

We will be making our way through the Gospel of Luke’s account of Jesus’ week leading up to His death and resurrection. Take a few seconds to pause and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through the scriptures:

Today Let’s Read Luke 24:1-12and 1 Peter 1:3-6.

What stood out to you? What captured your attention? Usually, this is what God wants you to think about, consider, and focus on. Take a few seconds and ask the Holy Spirit to give you insight into the scriptures. What verse, verses, or phrases stood out to you. Why?

Let’s read Luke 24:1-12 and 1 Peter 1:3-6 again.

Why is the resurrection important for everyday people? Why should our hope be in the empty tomb?

One easy answer is that without the resurrection, our belief, work, labor, and endurance with Jesus are in vain (1 Corinthians 15:14). If Christ has not been raised, he is a dead liar and not worth our lives or devotion. But the tomb is empty.

The empty tomb solidifies the hope the triumphal entry sparked, and the cross ratified. The resurrection is essential because life is not easy. It is confusing and can be disheartening. Jesus said we would have troubles in this life while saying he overcame the world (John 16:33). 

But how did he overcome the world with all its brokenness, difficulty, and confusion? We know the world is not as it should be – there are examples all around us. We see people still use power for ungodly ends. Stories litter our news feed of people enduring incredible suffering. Hurt and betrayal run rampant in most relationships. People most needing help often do not find it. People still get sick. People still die. Life seems to roll on while hope seems elusive.

Jesus shows us that there is hope in the middle of his story and the midst of our lives. It might be hard to spot at first. So elusive. Hope may be under our noses. Around the corner. Beyond what we can see. But hope is there if we look for it. True resurrection hope is not realized when we remove the difficulty. Resurrection hope is a living reality amid the struggle, pain, and hurt even if we are not delivered. We can trust God’s good heart because the promise is that we will be delivered one day. 

It took the humility of the women in their confusion to remember the teachings and words of Jesus that it was necessary he be betrayed and killed so that he would rise from the dead securing hope for you and the world.

Jesus alone is our resurrection hope.  Jesus stepped into this broken world to show us through his life, death, and resurrection that hope is not found in better circumstances but secured by a good Father through his Son’s work, to be realized when Jesus returns to make all things new.

This promised hope won’t deteriorate – Christ is eternal. He will last.

This promised hope cannot be tainted – Christ’s faithfulness is pure.

This promised hope will not fade – Christ will always be compelling.

Jesus is our promised, living hope. Our risen Savior-King is worthy of all celebration and praise today!

Pray | Write your “I Will” Statement

Now we want to pray back to God what stood out to each of us in a personal way. What insight, challenge, opportunity, promise, truth, or step to take with Jesus stood out to you? Take some time right now to personalize and pray back to God what he has shown you in  today’s scriptures.

Next, we want to come away from our time with Jesus in the scriptures with an “I will statement”. What is God inviting us to do? To practice? To surrender? Take some time to pray and write down your “I will statement”. Then share it with someone you trust and who will encourage you to do what God has said to do.