Hope-Filled Believers

Luke 24

13 Now, on that same day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about all of these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing this, Jesus himself approached and began to walk along with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk along?” Saddened, they stopped.

18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

19 “What things?” he asked them.

They replied, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be condemned to death. And they crucified him. 21But we were hoping that he was going to redeem Israel. Not only that, but besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened…

25 He said to them, “How foolish you are and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Dear Hope-Filled Believers,

As the Emmaus disciples were joined by Jesus, whom they did not recognize, on that first Easter on the way to Emmaus, they lament to Jesus, “But we were hoping that he was going to redeem Israel.” Jesus comforts them by pointing them to the Word of God. He said to them, “How foolish you are and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” 

The resurrection on Easter morning gives us a whole new perspective on life both now and for eternity. We believers now live with pervasive and profound hope, a certain hope. Our hope trusts that the Lord will keep all His promises in the future unto eternal life.

We build our hope not on the future but rather on the past. We build our hope on the empty tomb and risen Savior, from nearly 2000 years ago. It is the empty tomb that assures us that eternity is ours, death has been conquered, Satan overthrown, and sin and its guilt removed. It assures we have peace with God through the blood of Christ and that He is ruling all things for our good, even viruses, isolation, and economic downturns.

Our hope is not like that of the unbelievers, which is nothing more than a wish or dream. Our hope is filled with certainty. The unbeliever has no such foundation. Their hope is built on themselves and on the world. It is little wonder that for many in the world they live lives of hopelessness. They realize that neither they themselves nor the world can provide anything lasting and substantial.

The uncertain hope of the unbeliever explains much of their reaction to the coronavirus. The unbeliever believed that the world would continue as it always has, yet a virus has shown that it is not the case. The unbeliever has been confronted with the reality of their mortality, confronted with the reality that those things they thought unstoppable have stopped, confronted with the reality that the future cannot be assumed.

If we are finding ourselves shaken by the coronavirus, perhaps we too were placing our hope in the wrong thing. Perhaps we too were placing our hope in the things of this world and in ourselves. We too may have now realized how fleeting, how unsubstantial, and how uncertain the world and our own strength can be.

Where do we go to find a certain hope? The same place Jesus lead the Emmaus disciples, to the Word of God. “Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” We build our hope on the Word of God and the promises kept. Our hope clings and trusts in the promises of God into the future and ultimately unto eternal life.

God uses the difficult experiences of our lives to teach us to place our hope in Him.  Hope is not a dream, a wish or a feeling. Hope ultimately is grace, given by the Holy Spirit, that moves our hearts to trust when the road is difficult and the path uncertain. As long as we keep our eyes upon Jesus, we do not need to know the way. We place our certain hope in the Lord and His promises.

Pastor Oehlke

Abide with Me

1 Abide with me; fast falls the eventide.

the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.

when other helpers fail and comforts flee,

help of the helpless, oh, abide with me!

2 Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;

earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away.

change and decay in all around I see;

O thou who changest not, abide with me!

3 Come not in terrors, as the King of kings,

But kind and good, with healing in thy wings,

Tears for all woes, a heart for ev’ry plea;

Come, Friend of sinners, thus abide with me.

4 Thou on my head in early youth didst smile,

And though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,

Thou hast not left me oft as I left thee.

On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

5 I need thy presence ev’ry passing hour.

what but thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?

Who like thyself my guide and stay can be?

Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me!

6 I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless;

ills have no weight and tears no bitterness.

Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still if thou abide with me.

7 Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;

shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.

heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;

in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!