1 Peter: Our Living Hope
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. 1 Peter 1: 3-12
Jesus is our living hope. He is the only one in the whole of human history who could be this living hope as he is one with God. He is the Son of God who took on human flesh. He is no ordinary human being.
Jesus is our living hope. He overcame death. His resurrection from the dead is the ultimate proof of this living hope. And through Jesus, we are born into this resurrection life and power. Nothing, even death itself, can separate us from the love of God.
Jesus is our living hope. Our inheritance as children of God is assured. It cannot fade away or be spoiled over time. God is guarding this inheritance for us in the spiritual dimension, ready for when our physical life on this earth comes to an end.
Jesus is our living hope. This is a cause for great joy. It doesn’t mean our lives will be free from troubles and suffering. Far from it. We’re human and will face all the same kinds of trials as any other human being. These trials are what prove the authenticity of our faith. Anyone can believe in God when things are going well. It’s when things are tough that clinging to this living hope becomes an absolute lifeline (and sometimes a sheer act of will).
Jesus is our living hope. He deserves all the praise and glory and honour and while we can offer that in part in this lifetime, we will have an eternity of opportunity after this life is over to worship our living hope.
Jesus is our living hope. We don’t have to wait until this life ends to live in the glorious reality of this living hope. It’s impossible to express the joy that comes from believing in Jesus and loving him – it’s like a glimpse in this life of what is to come in the next.
Jesus is our living hope. All through the years, people have tried to understand this mystery – the prophets spoke of it, even the angels cannot fully grasp it. And so it’s impossible for us to ever get our heads fully round the reality of this living hope in our lives. But although we may never be able to explain it, we know it’s there.
Jesus is our living hope.
