The Hope that Jesus gives

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. - 1 Peter 1:3‭-‬9 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Peter is a first hand witness to Jesus' life and ministry. He is writing a letter to Christians who were being persecuted. They were losing property and some, even their lives. Peter was writing to them to hold onto the hope they had in Christ.

Human beings can live for 40 days without food, 3 days without water, 8 minutes without air... But only a second without hope.

Christians have been reborn to a living hope (v.3). It is not what a Christian has done. It is what God has done. Babies cannot take credit for a birth. They are recipients of the gift of life and so it is with us. We are given a hope that is not from our strivings or our control of the situation. 

God has prepared an inheritance for us that cannot be lost or diminished. It is a new city, so similar yet so different. It will be without sin, pain, suffering, & death. But most importantly, the presence of Jesus will be there. The greatest source of joy is Jesus. The satisfaction we get from completing work, an enjoyable hobby, or anything on this side of eternity point to the source of true and unending joy that is in God & Jesus.

So in times of trouble and trial, we can still rejoice. This doesn't discount grieving. We can still grieve over a loved one who has faith in Jesus & died. We will have sorrow, but still have a joy that we will see them again. There's still rejoicing even in the pain. So in our lives, God uses tough times to refine our faith. Our faith has much wrong thinking and assumptions. So God refines it like refining gold through the furnace removing the impurities. Trials expose what we truly believe and what we truly trust in. It reveals what we truly hope in.

This crisis has shaken all foundations. All rival foundations that we depend on. Government, family, friends, money, self sufficiency,.... They will all fail us in some way. There is only one foundation that can handle this crisis without failure. That is one based on Jesus.