Easter hope, resurrection hope, is increasingly becoming the deepest longing of my heart. I long for the once and final phase of the victory of God over evil, suffering, and death—victory that has already been achieved through the death and resurrection of Jesus. I long for God’s beautiful world to be free at last from the ravages of sin and death.
Every day of the year, each one of us could come up with a litany of woes that are affecting real people in real places at home and abroad. Far too many of these woes are inflicted on innocent people by the sinful actions of others. Hence, the psalmist exclaims in Psalm 94 verse 3: “How long shall the wicked, O LORD, how long shall the wicked exult?”
It is against the backdrop of the world’s suffering, of our collective suffering, even when we are not directly affected, that the depth and beauty of Easter hope are most relevant. In his book, Surprised by Hope, NT Wright eloquently asserts how “Easter was when Hope in person surprised the whole world by coming forward from the future into the present.” God cares so deeply about the world. Easter hope, resurrection hope, gives us the impetus to care about and alleviate suffering in every way possible in the here and now in response to God’s great gift to us all.
Our confidence in the hope of resurrection allows our hearts to be particularly joyful during the celebration of Easter, and to be reinvigorated to love and serve in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we be hopeful and faithful until the dawn of the Day of the Lord.
Easter blessings to you and yours now and always,
