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Hope Realised
22“People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know.
23But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.
24But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.
25King David said this about him: ‘I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
26No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope.
27For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.
28You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’ (Acts 2:22–28 NLT)
Five years ago, Covid broke out and changed the world in many ways. Two years ago, the Russians invaded Ukraine. Consequently, uncountable Ukrainian families were torn apart and their homes were destroyed. Several months ago, Hamas invaded Israel. Consequently, it led to a horrific war. Since then, countless innocent victims in Gaza were injured and killed everyday, and numerous people will starve to death if the war carries on.
Perhaps, you are not aware that political manipulations, violence and assassinations continue to play a significant role in many parts of the World. If you pay more attention to politics, you know the political arena is a farce.
2023 is confirmed to the warmest year on record. Most scientists, some politicians and many of us want to stop global warming, but there seems to be no avail.
Do we have hope in this World? We are facing all sorts of problems in this temporal World, but would there be more troubles after this life? Is there life after death? Do we only exist in this life? Is there reincarnation? These are the universal questions that people around the World ask all the time.
As stated by the Bible, there is life after death. The Bible clearly stated that human lives last for forever. Also, it affirms the teaching of reincarnation is false.
Sadly, most of the people around the world don’t pay too much attention to the Bible, including some Christians. Most so-called and sincere Christians don’t read and believe the Bible, and there is a major reason behind it. They don’t think the Bible is relevant to their lives.
Let me openly state that the Bible is still relevant to our lives because it is God’s Word. Why? The Bible is a book full of prophecies. Why does God speak to human beings by means of prophecies? First of all, most of these prophecies have already fulfilled, meaning that the Bible is truly from God, and the most important thing is that these prophecies matter to you and me. Secondly, one of the many facets of Bible prophecies is giving the readers hope.
- Our Hope Realised in Bible Prophecies
Not only these prophetic messages give us a clear picture about the future, but it also gives us hope. Here are some figures about these prophecies.
The Bible is full of prophecies. According to J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopaedia of Biblical Prophecy, there are 1,239 prophecies in the Old Testament and 578 prophecies in the New Testament.
According to The Handbook of Bible Promises, there are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament and are completely fulfilled in the New Testament in the Lord Jesus Christ. These fulfilled prophecies covered many different aspects of who He is and what He came to do.
One important thing is that Bible prophecy is a revelation of God’s plan for the future. The second crucial matter is that these prophecies all point to one thing—the divine inspiration of the Bible. The apostle Peter says, “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21 ESV)
I have to a question for you: Do you still have doubts about the prophecies of the Bible?
- Our Hope Realised in the Prophecies about Jesus Christ
The Bible contains a lot of prophecies about Jesus Christ. In a nutshell, it foretells the birth, the crucifixion, the resurrection and the second coming of Jesus. All except the second advent of Jesus Christ, all other prophecies of His first advent have already been fulfilled.
Let me sum it up in a sentence: The prophecies of Jesus Christ’s resurrection give us hope.
Genesis 3:15
In the first book of the Bible, after the sinning of our ancestors, God says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15 ESV)
Genesis 3:15 foretold the heel of the offspring of Eve will be bruised by the serpent, but in return he will bruise the serpent’s head. The woman’s seed is Jesus Christ and the serpent is Satan. This prophecy is about the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the future. Although Jesus Christ was nailed to death on the cross, He rose to life again in three days.
Moses was the author of Genesis. He lived in the 15th century bc. Please note that the time difference between the recording of this prophecy and its fulfilment is more than one thousand and five hundred years—a good indication of the trustworthiness of the Bible.
Many people don’t believe in the Bible because they think it is a human fabrication. My response to them is, yes, the Bible is written by humans, but it is inspired by God. In short, God guided the authors in what they wrote. In other words, the Bible is trustworthy and is without any flaws.
Psalm 16:8–11
King David wrote a lot of psalms, and one of the many is Psalm 16. About a thousand years before the birth of Jesus Christ, He reigned as the King of Israel.
On the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter quoted verses 8–11 of Psalm 16 (Acts 2:22–28). At a synagogue in Antioch, Paul spoke of Jesus’ death and resurrection (Acts 13:13–30). He quoted Psalm 16:10b as a reference of Christ’s resurrection.
The Gospels
In the Gospels, Jesus Christ openly prophesies His resurrection (John 2:19; Matthew 12:38–40; 16:21; 17:22; 17:23; John 10:17; 10:18). To sum it up, these prophecies have already been fulfilled. Although Jesus Christ is nailed and died on a cross, He overcame death and rose to life after three days.
- Our Hope Realised in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
What are the results of Jesus’ resurrection? Here are at least four different results:
First, by conquering death on the cross, Jesus Christ proved to be the Victor over death. Second, by overcoming death, Jesus Christ proved to be the Saviour of the World. Third, although Jesus Christ is buried in the tomb for three days, He rose from the dead on the third day. Jesus Christ proved to be the First Fruit of resurrection. Fourth, because Jesus Christ conquered death, He proved to be the Guarantor of our resurrection.
Most importantly, these results are the foundations of our hope. Let’s look into the details of these four results of Jesus’ resurrection.
- Jesus Christ Is the Victor over Death
Since human existence on earth, no one is raised from death to life, all except Jesus Christ (Romans 6:9). In plain and simple terms, Jesus Christ proved to be the Victor over death.
Throughout history, numerous religious founders created their own religion, but there is no one who can ultimately overcome death. On the contrary, Jesus Christ is the only person who could overcome death.
To us, death is a mystery, thus most people are afraid of death. And because of that, many people have euphemisms for death. In English speaking countries, instead of mentioning that someone has died, they prefer to say someone has passed away or passed on. In informal British English, when someone dies, they say he or she’s snuffed it. In informal North American English, when someone dies, they say he or she bought the farm.
Since nobody likes death, most people don’t want to mention about it or say something that is associated with it. For instance, Chinese, Japanese and Koreans don’t like the number four. They think it is an unlucky number because its pronunciation sounds like death. For this very reason, they wouldn’t buy a property which is associated with the number 4.
Like it or not, no one can escape death. We can avoid talking about it. It is around the corner, and it will eventually come to us.
Jesus Christ, the glorious Son of God, who resides in heaven. For the benefit of humanity, He came to die for our sins on the cross. Although He was dead, He rose to life on the third day. Thus, He proved to be the Victor over death. Because of His resurrection, He gives us hope. By means of His resurrection, as believers in Christ, we know we will be resurrected to life in the future. Praise God that we don’t have to be afraid of death anymore.
- Jesus Christ Is the Saviour of the World
Jesus once said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ (John 14:6 ESV) In simple terms, Jesus declared to be the Saviour of humanity. On another occasion, Jesus told the scribes and the Pharisees that He would die, but He would be raised to life in three days’ time (Matthew 12:38–40). The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a proof that He is the Saviour of the World.
For the greed of money and power, human beings can become deceitful. For the past few years, car manufacturers were caught in making false claims, such as emissions data and fuel consumption. If you are looking for a used or new car, you must diligently do your homework.
During the intermission of television programmes, a lot of commercials about beauty products, health care and weight loss are broadcast to viewers. What commercials fascinate you most, a lotion that removes wrinkles and sagging on the face, a pill that prevents prostate cancer, or a programme that leads to weight loss in a short period of time? Would these commercials make false claims? I leave the discretion to you.
Understandably, tricksters deceive others by making false claims. If cunning people made up false claims about something, they would not say anything that is too far-fetched, or else their audience would not believe them.
If Jesus Christ was a fraud, a liar, a charlatan, He would for sure deceive people by making Himself rich and powerful. On the contrary, Jesus testified that foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but He has nowhere to lay His head. (Matthew 8:20)
Definitely, Jesus is not a liar, a lunatic, or a charlatan. The claim that Jesus Christ could raise from dead to life is the hardest thing to convince His audience. By raising Jesus from the dead to life, God showed the World that Jesus Christ was indeed His Son and the Saviour of the World.
- Jesus Christ Is the First Fruit of Resurrection
The apostle Paul says, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20 ESV) In simple terms, Jesus Christ is the first person to raise from the dead to the eternal state. In the New Testament, there are people who were being resurrected to life, but these incidents should be seen as resuscitations instead. They were resurrected in the sense that they were brought back to temporal life.
Do you know who is the first automaker in the World? In 1866, Karl Benz invented the three-wheeled motor car, known as the “Motorwagen”. Many people see it as the first and modern automobile. The first automobile was born, and the rest is history.
Truly, Jesus Christ’s resurrection has revolutionised the World. I can name of many things and areas that Jesus Christ has changed the World, but let me point out only one thing. Jesus Christ has changed the fate of humankind. Without the saving grace of Jesus Christ, all human beings are doomed to die forever. The Good News proclaims that Jesus Christ was crucified for our sins, but He is risen to life after three days, and all those who trust in Him as Lord and Saviour will have resurrected lives.
- Jesus Christ Is the Guarantor of Our Resurrection
The apostle Paul says, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22 ESV)
Christian marriage is a union between a man and a woman. Similarly, the Christian faith speaks of the union between Jesus Christ and believers. When a person gives his or her life to Jesus Christ, he or she will be united with the resurrected Lord forever. Since the believers are united with the Saviour, Jesus Christ’s resurrection is the guarantee of their resurrection.
Please pay extra attention to what I say now. How do we know for sure that we are Christians and will experience resurrection in the future?
From Spiritually Dead to Spiritually Alive
After the fall of Adam and Eve, all human beings are classified as spiritually dead. The spiritually dead are separated from God. All spiritually dead are trapped in spiritual darkness. Since they are destitute of God’s life, they do not have the capacity to know or receive the things of God.
21For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.
22For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,
23that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
24Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
25“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
27And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
28Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice
29and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. (John 5:21–29 ESV)
In short, before a person becomes a Christian, he or she needs to be resurrected spiritually. Spiritual resurrection comes before physical or ultimate resurrection. John 5:21–29 talked about spiritual and physical resurrection of Christians. Verses 21 to 27 underscore spiritual resurrection. In verses 28 to 29, Jesus speaks of physical resurrection. Christians must experience spiritual resurrection first, in order to attain their ultimate physical resurrection in the future. When people place their faith in Jesus Christ, trusting Him as Saviour, their souls will be resurrected. As a result, it brings the soul alive, thus the believer will become alive to God.
The Resurrection of Christians
When we died, our souls would leave our bodies. On the day of resurrection, God will grant Christians perfect and eternal bodies, and their souls will rejoin their sinless bodies.
If you want to know more about the future state of Christians, you can refer to the following passage written by the apostle John.
2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
4Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
5You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
6No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
7Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. (1 John 3:2–7 ESV)
There are at least three beautiful things that will happen to the true followers of Jesus Christ:
First, Christians will be pure like Jesus Christ (verse 3).
Second, believers will be sinless (verse 5).
Third, the disciples of Jesus Christ will be righteous (verse 7).
No human beings on earth would have pure thoughts all the time. No individuals are without sinful inclinations and actions. Therefore, no one is righteous. However, on the day of resurrection, Christians will be pure, sinless and righteous.
The Resurrection of Non-Christians
As for the non-believers throughout human history, they will be resurrected at the end of the millennial kingdom. They will be judged before the Great White Throne. They will be sentenced and condemned to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11–14). On that fateful day, when people stand before the Great White Throne, their doomed destiny is sealed. In a word, they cannot escape eternal death.
Many people around us have not heard of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Even now, numerous individuals do not understand the significance of Jesus’ resurrection. The saddest thing is that all these people will face the judgment of Jesus Christ one day. If you claimed to be a believer of Jesus Christ, will you do something about it?
Some (or many) of our friends and relatives are non-believers. If you truly care about them, I guess you would pray for their salvation. And if you had the chance, I think you would share the Gospel with them.
The Hope of Resurrection Will Be Realised
Some people see hope as a wishful desire, a dream, or an illusion. In other words, it is some sort of placebo.
As for Christians, the future bodily resurrection of believers is not a wishful desire, a dream, or an illusion, but it is the hope that will be definitely realised.
Kenneth Thumb Ministry 譚約珥事工 