God Is in the Business of Hope

Last week I talked about how Easter is like a preview for a new movie—it lets you know what’s coming soon, gives you a sneak peek of this new world full of resurrection and life that God’s got in store.

But I want to take that analogy one step further. Why does Hollywood give us previews? Why did they release this look at Michael Keaton’s return as Batman and thrill my nerdy heart so?

They gave us a look at the movie to start building up our excitement and anticipation, so that we’ll start buying the action figures and posters and bedspreads for the kids (and certain grown-ups). The studio gave us this preview to get us ready, to get us anticipating the movie with our word-of-mouth and with our wallets. They wanted to affect our lives now, affect their profits now, so they gave us a preview now.

Mary Magdalene and Jesus’s disciples all hoped in the Lord and believed in a resurrection that was coming one day. Like Martha told Jesus: she was confident that her brother, Lazarus, would “rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (John 11:24) All of their hopes and faith were fixed on the future, on something that would happen long after this life is over.

But then God raised the dead, healed the broken-hearted, and brought joy and victory right in the middle of an ordinary Sunday. They’d never dreamed of anything like this! They didn’t know that all of these promises about God’s future had anything to do with their lives in the here and now. They didn’t know until Mary encountered the risen Lord and got this Easter sneak peek. Just like with Hollywood, the preview doesn’t just give us something to look forward to in the future. It’s meant to affect our lives now. An encounter with the risen Jesus is meant to change how we go through life in the present, today.

How can Easter affect my life today, on an ordinary Wednesday?

Well, for one thing, when we encounter the living Lord, he wants us to see that the burdens and struggles of life don’t have to weigh us down or control us, because they aren’t final. The tragedy on Good Friday wasn’t the last word. God had something else in mind. And no situation in our lives—however bleak, however hopeless it seems—no situation can’t be redeemed. Even after Jesus has been dead in his grave for two days, hope is not gone. God can make something out of that, something new.

No matter where you are finding yourself these days, Easter shows us that a new beginning, a fresh start, a different kind of life is always possible. God is in the business of hope. Hope when we just don’t see the value in our lives or what good we can possibly be to anyone. Hope when we can’t keep going on at this pace, but we don’t see things changing anytime soon. Hope when we’ve lost someone. Jesus is standing in the garden, when he should be lying, cold, in the tomb—he’s standing there to give us hope right now.

Listen to this week's devotional right here!