A 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.” – 1st Peter 1:3-5

I saw a recent Lexus advertisement about how the company helps bring people together during the pandemic. The ad had happy people on their driveways showing how connected they were as people drove by waving from one beautiful new Lexus after another. The subconscious message was ‘if you buy from us we will bring you closer to the people you love.’  If that were true then everyone should buy their new cars and share that same hope for connection. 

However, even if their new cars did deliver on the hope of being more connected, the hope that they are selling is not a ‘living’ hope. This year’s version of the car will fade and perish in value while next year’s version would offer more features to bring even more ‘connectedness’. 

A living hope never fades and never fails. A living hope never tarnishes no matter how much time passes. A living hope always delivers on its promises. There is no sacrifice or annual renewal, there is no yearly fee to gain the benefits of this ‘living hope’.

This ‘living hope’ comes through the resurrection of Jesus. 

This ‘living hope’ that comes ‘through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead’ is the ‘inheritance’ of being a son to God the Father.

Our old self doesn’t deserve anything but punishment, that’s why we need to be born again, through Jesus Christ, into the new life of sonship. 

Through Faith in the risen Jesus we have continuous hope that lives beyond this life. 

Jesus is our ‘living hope’.