✞ The Tri-Point Times ✞

“He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” 1 Peter 1:20-21

Easter blessings to you all in the name of Christ Jesus, who is our hope and our life.

It seems to me that there is a deficiency of hope in the world today. People are looking for something to give them a sense of hope, something to look to for peace and assurance. Inflation is eating into things that give some people hope; their bank accounts or their retirement accounts. Crime and “lawlessness” (which is the Biblical definition of sin by the way, 1 John 3:4) is out of control in some locations and government officials seem disinterested in doing much about it. They at times even seem to be contributing to the increases in lawlessness by policies reducing funds for policing and radical decreases in penalties and judgment for lawlessness. I could go on but the point is made: we live in a time when there seems to be little to give us hope. But, of course, that is not true for us as Christians.

The definition of faith is given to us in Hebrews 11:1, where the writer pens that faith is, “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Permit me to break that down just a bit. The word “conviction” in the last part of this expression of what faith is, is a Greek word ὑπόστασις (hupostasis) which means “that which is placed under” or in other words, the foundation or the bedrock. So the foundation for our faith, the thing we hope for is something not seen. Well, my friends, what are the things we hope for that we have not seen? They could and do include God, the Lord Jesus, the fullness of eternal life, and heaven. Following the resurrection of Christ recall that Thomas, one of Christ Jesus’ chosen disciples, was not present when the disciples were gathered together in fear. Thomas said what many may think about the proclamation that Christ had risen, “unless I see … I will never believe.” (John 20:25)

Thomas faith was misdirected and Jesus corrects him straightaway, “Put your finger here, and see my hands … Do not disbelieve, but believe.” (John 20:27) And then Jesus speaks to this issue of faith, of having confidence in things unseen, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)

Our faith and our hope is as Peter writes (just to the left in his first Epistle) “in God” and this you “who through him [Jesus] are believers in God.” And this faith and hope is based, it is founded on the bedrock that God has “raised him [Jesus] from the dead and gave him glory.” The resurrection of Christ Jesus, the wonderful and powerful message of Easter, is the foundation and basis for our faith and our hope, no matter what the world looks like, how it behaves or doesn’t, and what is going on around us or even in our own lives.

The Old Testament has many words for hope, and yet the most common is the word ljy (yachal) which means to “wait, expect, to be patient.” Notice these are all words looking to the future; waiting for it, being patient for it, and yet expecting it. I found it interesting as I was doing some research to write this article that the word hope (as far as I was able to locate) only occurs once in the Gospels. Why would that be? Because the Gospels speak of the ministry of Christ Jesus, so they had, if you will, the living hope in the person of Christ Jesus. The people of the Old Testament had the expectation, the waiting for the coming of the Savior. And the Christians in the years following Christ’s ascension lived and now live in the hope, the waiting, the patience and expectation of His coming again in person on the Last Day. In fact the Greek word for hope is ἐλπίς (elpis) defined as “expectation or anticipation.” And note this word also speaks of the future, the expectation and anticipation of something to come.

Our hope is in Christ Jesus, in His resurrection and in His second coming. It is in His Word and Sacraments where He comes to us to encourage us, strengthen us, lead us and guide us now and into the future. I understand, and share in the concern, but we have hope, it is in Christ Jesus. He has overcome the world, He has overcome lawlessness, He has overcome the lawless one, the devil. And He has overcome the wages of lawlessness or sin, that being death. We have nothing to fear, we have a bright future … a future in and with Christ in the resurrection and everlasting life. Peter also wrote this, “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you …” (1 Peter 3:15) Have a joyful Easter, in hope, in Christ, Pas†or