Hope Restored - Easter Sunday

by Andy Cokayne 9 April 2023

Easter is a marvellous time of year for Christians, and yet is full of mixed emotions. The excitement of Palm Sunday; celebrating Jesus entering Jerusalem to the praise of the crowds. The anxiety of his betrayal, arrest, trial and being condemned to death. The horror of the cross, the Romans being the expert executioners, and remembering the horrific death that Jesus went through. The wonder of the empty tomb, found by the amazed women, and then the men. The joy of seeing him, touching him, and realising beyond doubt that he was alive. Hopes rose at Palm Sunday, of his coming to overthrow the Romans, and take control of the land. Hopes were dashed completely with his arrest and death. Then hopes restored with his coming back to life, never to be dashed again.

Perhaps that describes your life in simple terms, a roller coaster. Hopes rise only to be dashed, for them to rise again only to be dashed again? Then despondency sets in! “What’s the point?” We ask. Jesus never said that life would be nice and steady, without its ups and downs. We go through life with its trials and tribulations, its joys and excitement, just like any other. The difference is the one who walks alongside us. When He died on the cross, to all who looked on, the situation was hopeless. Jesus was literally dead and buried. Yet on that first Easter Sunday, what looked like a hopeless dead body came back to life. From death came life, from hopeless came hope. Jesus gives us hope, no matter how hopeless the situation may look, with Jesus there is always hope. He is the one who restored hope to the disciples, kept their lives not free from trouble, but made sure they had solid foundations on which to stand, through it all. The same is true for all those who put their hope in Jesus. The writer to the Hebrews wrote ‘We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.’ (Hebrews 6 v19). Jesus gives us sure and certain hope for the here and now, and for the future. 

Song : In Christ Alone

Prayer
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15 v13) In Jesus name I pray. Amen