Tag Archives: Hope

Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

The Evening After the Resurrection

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Jesus offers encouragement in two ways.

The doors were locked. The day had been eventful. The disciples learned of an empty tomb early in the morning, and two of them just returned from Emmaus saying the Lord had appeared to them. Though the sun was setting, the excitement continued.

As the two disciples from Emmaus were speaking, Jesus appeared in the room even though the doors were locked. At first, this startled Jesus’ followers, then they became overjoyed when they realized it was truly Jesus. Jesus spent some time with them, and he encouraged the disciples in two ways.

Encouragement to help with their doubts.

The Gospel writers recall the disciples still had doubts in their minds. Jesus understood their doubts, so he offered an opportunity to touch his hands and feet. He also ate in front of them. A ghost or figment of their imagination would not have hands, feet, or the ability to eat, so it really had to be Jesus. He encouraged the disciples through their doubts.

One of the ways Jesus encourages people with doubts today is giving them an opportunity to see his hands and feet, the church, in action. The church should help one another as well as the community. The church is a picture of Jesus and gives us an opportunity to see him in action.

I wish I could say this was a perfect picture; however, the picture is not always perfect. I can say I believe the world is a better place because of the lives of genuine Christ followers. Their love and work shined in the world around them.

Check here for more suggestions to overcome doubts.

Encouragement to share their hope.

Jesus helped the disciples with their doubts, then he sent them to share their hope.

John 20:21 says, “Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Jesus never intended for the disciples to keep his resurrection a secret. The Lord does not intend for Christians to keep our hope a secret. He desires for us to share it with those around us.

In many ways, these pieces of encouragement are connected. The person with doubts sees the Christian community sharing hope. Our sharing of hope allows the Lord’s love to shine brightly. What ways have you found to share your hope?

 

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Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

The Moments after the Resurrection

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Don’t keep hope a secret.

The tomb was empty, but the day was not over. There was still much for the disciples to experience as the hours of Easter unfolded. Jesus appeared to them at various times through the day. Each time Jesus helped the disciples understand something valuable. He started with Mary Magdalene.

Mary was weeping and standing outside the empty tomb. In her mind she had lost Jesus. She assumed someone had taken his body to a permanent burial spot. Already grieved by the crucifixion, the empty tomb only added to her heartbreak, because she didn’t understand Jesus had risen.

Then Jesus appeared and they had a conversation.

John 20:14 says, “At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize it was Jesus standing there.”

How often do we miss Jesus? We are consumed by our own thoughts, so we miss the fact he is standing beside us. Our worries and anxieties keep us from realizing he is there. Mary’s grief kept her from realizing Jesus was there, but he still had her well-being in mind.

In John 20:15, “He asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Jesus checks on Mary before he instructs her. Mary was important to Jesus, and he wanted to take care of her needs. We too are important to Jesus, and he wants to take care of our needs. This is the reason Jesus and Mary are standing outside an empty tomb.

Verse 15 goes on, “Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’

Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni’ Which means ‘teacher.’

No doubt this would have been an exciting moment for Mary. Her hand on Jesus’ hand, and her hope was back. Jesus told her it was time to share her hope.

“Jesus said, ‘Do not hold onto me for I have not ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news, ‘I have seen the Lord,’ and she told them he had said these things to her,” says John 20:17-18.

Jesus told Mary it was time to share the hope she had found. She couldn’t force the other disciples to believe, but she could share hope with them.

We can share our hope with those around us. We can’t force them to believe, but we can illustrate our hope through our lives and actions. Our generosity, mindset, actions, and interactions speak volumes about the hope we have. Mary is told not to keep her hope a secret, but to go share it.

Share your hope today. Encourage someone in a Facebook post. Send a friend an encouraging text message. Call a neighbor to check on them before you go to the store the next time. Share your hope today.

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Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Are you lost, confused, scared, or anxious?

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Psalm 107 offers hope and help.

Lost, scared, confused, and anxious are emotions described in Psalm 107. It may be easy for us to relate to these emotions.

We are not lost in the desert or being tossed on the open sea by a storm, but we may be lost in life being tossed by many circumstances. I believe we can easily relate to the Psalmists descriptions.

We may be lost in a crisis, not knowing which direction to turn. We may be scared about the future, not knowing what tomorrow holds. We may be anxious about an economic downturn and potential recession. Trade the desert winds and sea’s waves for the worries and struggles of today, and we are easily in Psalm 107.

Psalm 107 records the Lord provided deliverance each time he was called upon.

Verse 6 says, “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.”

As we find ourselves lost and tossed in life, we can cry out to the Lord, and he will deliver us from our distress. Psalm 107 reminds us scared and lost people have cried out in the past, and the Lord has been faithful to deliver them from their troubles. The same is true for us.

In turn, the Psalmist encourages us to give thanks to the Lord.

Verse 8 says, “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.”

  • Give him thanks for what he has done.
  • Give him thanks for his deliverance.
  • Go ahead and give him thanks for what he is going to do.

To those in distress today, Psalm 107 suggests crying out to the Lord. We should also be sure to give him thanks today.

What take-aways do you find in Psalm 107? Share in the comments below.

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Not Goodbye But See You Later

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The pain is real, and so is the hope.

Lazarus was a good brother and great friend. He was close to his siblings and friends, but suddenly one day, he was not there. He had passed away.

His sisters were filled with grief. Their pain was real; their hearts hurt as their tears flowed. Lazarus’ friends, including Jesus, were saddened. Jesus wept. Their pain was real; their hearts also hurt as tears flowed.

As they were hurting, Jesus offered hope.

Jesus says in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even though they die.”

The hope offered to Lazarus’ family and friends was as real as the pain. It was a hope in the fact they were not saying “goodbye,” rather “see you later.”

The pain of losing someone close to us is hard. Grief is real, and our hearts hurt as our tears flow. It may be losing a spouse, parent, sibling, or friend causing the pain. For Chris Young, it was losing his best friend Adam.

This loss was part of the inspiration for Young’s song Drowning. The lyrics remind us grief is real, and it comes in waves. The song also reminds us we have hope of seeing our loved ones again. You may be drowning today, but you can have hope in the reality it is not “goodbye,” but “see you later.”

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live even though he dies.” John 11 records Jesus calling Lazarus from the grave shortly after saying these words. Mary and Martha were able to see Lazarus again. Jesus himself went into the tomb but came back out. He reigns over death.

Though losing someone is hard, it does not have to be “goodbye” we say. We only have to say, “see you later.”

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Sunday…A Risen Hope

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Don’t look for the living among the dead.

As the sun rose, the ladies were up and gathering spices. They planned to give Jesus as proper of a burial as they could. They didn’t find what they were expecting when they arrived at the tomb.

Luke 24 says, “They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance, so they went in, but they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground, then the men asked, ‘Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here. He has risen from the dead. Remember what he told you back in Galilee. That the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.’ Then they remembered that he had said this, so they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples, and everyone else, what had happened.”

This would have been quite a scene. The disciples were still processing events and trying to figure out what to do next. Suddenly the door flies open and Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James rushed in followed by several other women. Perhaps all talking at once as they gave the exciting news to the Apostles.

Put yourself in the room. What would have you thought? What did the disciples think?

Luke 24:11-12 says, “But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings. Then he went home again, wondering what had happened.”

The news seemed like nonsense to the disciples. They thought the ladies were so grief-stricken they were hallucinating. It certainly would have taken me a minute to grasp everything the ladies were saying, so I can understand the disciples struggle.

It took a minute, but the disciples started to grasp the fact Jesus was no longer in the tomb. He had risen. The hope they thought they lost on Friday is found.

The same hope is still here today. We celebrate today because Jesus has struck a death blow to death. Enemies defeated; Jesus is preparing Heaven for our arrival. That is what we celebrate today.

Our celebrations may look different than previous years. No matter the look or size of the celebration, the hope is the same. We can celebrate an eternal hope in Christ Jesus, who has risen, and that is worth celebrating.

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Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Saturday…In Between

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In between hopeless and hopeful.

Yesterday was Friday, and it was an eventful day for the disciples. They watched as Jesus was crucified, and it was an emotionally draining day. They are unaware tomorrow is Sunday, and it too will be an eventful day. Today, Saturday, the disciples are in between. They are in between hopelessness and hopefulness. They are recovering from a devastating week, and they must decide what to do next.

Some of them go back to the only thing they know. They go back to fishing. If only they were aware of tomorrow’s events. They could anticipate what was to come.

Life sometimes puts us in between. We find ourselves having to recover from devastation. We are in between illnesses and healthy tomorrows. We are in between a broken heart and great relationship. We are in between loss and life after the loss. We are in a season when we must decide what to do.

Thankfully, we have hope because Sunday has already come. We can base our decisions on hope. We can anticipate what the Lord is going to do. As you find yourself in between, cling to the hope that you have in Christ.

Cling to this hope that will never erode or fade, never perish or spoil. As you are in between, cling to this hope that is eternal and in Christ.

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Friday…Did Hope Go?

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Had their hope ended?

It was quiet. The day ended differently than it started. The events of the previous night boiled over as the sun rose. The crowd, who shouted, “crucify him,” was now lining the road as he carried his cross. Stumbling and weary, he finally made it to the hill where the crucifixion was to take place.

The crowd followed cheering and mocking, but there were some who followed at a distance. They were grieving and horrified, and they were wondering if hope had ended. They were confused and perplexed. They had hoped in him, but now he was being put to death.

As these followers processed their thoughts in the noise of the crowd, the events of the day rolled on. The horizontal and vertical pieces of the cross were put together. His feet were fastened in place, and as the soldiers waited, they played dice for his clothes. The climax of the day came at noon.

“By this time, it was about noon and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone, and suddenly the curtain in the temple was torn down the middle,” records Luke 23. “Then Jesus shouted, ‘Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands,’ and with those words, he breathed his last. When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshipped God and said, ‘Surely this man was innocent.’ And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow, but Jesus friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.”

Everyone went home. An overwhelming feeling of sorrow captured them. What had they done? Was hope gone?

It was Friday evening, and they did not understand in a few hours Sunday morning would arrive. Those searching for hope will soon be filled with overwhelming joy. The did not understand hope was not lost.

Hope is shared today because of the events started on that Friday.

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