THE GOD OF HOPE: The Hope of Easter 4-17-22

THE GOD OF HOPE: The Hope of Easter 4-17-22

 

INTRODUCTION

 

I heard a story about a man who went on vacation to Israel with his wife, and his very difficult-to-deal-with and ever-nagging mother-in-law, and while they were there sadly the mother-in-law passed away.  So, the man was trying to figure out what to do with the body, where to bury her, and he went to a local undertaker and asked about it.  The man said, “Sir, it will cost you $5,000 to ship her back to the States, but you can actually bury her right here in the Holy Land for $150.”

So, the man thought about it for a few moments and said, “Alright, I’m going to go ahead and ship her back to America.”

 

And the undertaker said, “Sir, did you hear what I said?  You can bury her here in the Holy Land for $150, why would you want to spend $5,000 to ship her back?”

 

And the man replied, “Well, a long time ago, a man was buried here and three days later he rose again from the dead.  And I can’t take that chance.”

 

The resurrection changed everything.  Our world and our lives have been forever changed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

 

              A.  Where is your hope?

                            1.  Our hope is in God.

                            2.  Our hope is not in technology.

                            3.  Our hope is not in human solutions.

                            4.  Our hope certainly is not in politicians and governments.

                            5.  Our hope is not in churches or preachers.

             

“It’s been said that man can live 40 days without food, 3 days without water, about 8 minutes without air, but not 1 second without hope.”

                            Anonymous 

 

              B.  Have you lost hope? 

                            1.  Covid

                            2.  Discouragement

                            3.  Marriage

                            4.  Job

                            5.  Family

 

              C.  Jesus’ followers lost hope

                            1.  Scared

                            2.  Burned out

                            3.  Jesus was not who they thought he was.

                                          a.  An earthly king

                                          b.  Avenger of Israel

                            4.  Jesus was murdered in cold blood.

                            5.  Some of them walked away (literally)

                                          a.  At least 2 disciples left town

                                          b.  They went to Emmaus.

                                          c.  They were joined by another traveler, Jesus.

 

So, let’s read what happens here in Luke 24:13-24:

 

“Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.””

                            Luke 24:13-24 NIV

 

I.  Easter Offers Hope for Ordinary People

 

              A.  Cleopas and his companion

 

              B.  Ordinary people like you and me

                            1.  Mary Magdalene

                            2.  Not Peter, James, or John.

                            3.  Cleopas is only mentioned one time and his companion doesn’t even get a name.

 

Quick poll.  How many of us were always the best at sports in our town?  How many of us were always the smartest person in class?  How many of us are the richest person in our community?  How many of us are more ordinary than extraordinary?  Easter offers hope for us ordinary people.

 

II.  Hope Is Not Always Easily Recognized

 

              A.  God is with you.

 

              B.  God is with you even if you can’t see Him.

 

“Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.”

                            Mark 16:12 NIV

 

This past fall I replaced my old garbage disposal.  After 4 months of a sink that drained very slowly, I turned the garbage disposal antimicrobial quiet collar sink baffle upside down and remarkably the sink flowed like it should.  Sometimes the answer is right in front of our eyes.

 

              C.  God is with you even if you can’t see Him and life is hard.    

                            1.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 

                            2.  Daniel

 

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

                            Isaiah 43:2 NIV

 

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.””

                            Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV

 

III.  Easter Offers Hope When You’re Lost

 

              A.  We have all wandered and gone astray

 

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

                            Isaiah 53:6 NIV

 

Don’t run from God.  Run to God!

 

              B.  The resurrected Jesus of the Scriptures is our way back home.

 

I heard a story about a little boy in northern England who got lost.  The policeman found him crying in the shadows and he asked the little fellow where he lived.  But the little guy said he didn’t know where he lived.  “You don’t know you’re address son?”  “No, I don’t.”  So the constable started listing restaurants and stores and hotels but the boy didn’t recognize any of them.  Then the officer looked toward town and in the distance, there was a church that had a large steeple with a cross that was lit up.  And he said, “Son, do you live anywhere near that?”  And the little boy’s face lit up and he said, “Yes, lead me to the cross.  I can find my way home from there.”

 

              C.  The glory of God is our hope.

 

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”

                            Romans 5:1-2 NIV

 

IV.  Easter Offers Hope Found in the Scripture

 

But although these guys were going the wrong direction on that first Easter, notice that Jesus doesn’t give up on them. 

 

              A.  Jesus guides them to the Scriptures

 

“He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?””

                            Luke 24:17-18 NIV

 

“but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.”

                            Luke 24:21 NIV

 

              B.  The Scriptures restored their hope.

                            1.  The truth of the Scriptures.

 

“He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”

                            Luke 24:25-27 NIV

 

                            2.  The purpose of the Scriptures.

 

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”

                            Romans 15:4 NIV

 

                            3.  The effect of the Scriptures.

 

“They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?””

                            Luke 24:32 NIV

 

              C.  The Scriptures remind us of the HOPE of Easter. 

 

As Paul writes in his letter to Titus,

 

“. . . we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us . . .”

                            Titus 2:13-14a NIV

 

 Or as Peter writes in the opening pages of his epistles,

 

“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,”

                            1 Peter 1:3 NIV

 

Author Willard Aldrich, in his book, When God Was Taken Captive, writes, “I am not a connoisseur of great art, but from time to time a painting or picture will really speak a clear, strong message to me.  Some time ago I saw a picture of an old burned-out mountain shack.  All that remained was the chimney . . . the charred debris of what had been that family’s sole possession.  In front of this destroyed home stood an old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his underclothes with a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls.  It was evident that the child was crying.  Beneath the picture were the words which the artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy.  They were simple words, yet they presented a profound theology and philosophy of life.  Those words were, ‘Hush child, God ain’t dead!’” 

 

CONCLUSION

 

Easter offers hope.  Whether you are lost or found, Easter offers hope.  Whether you are paying attention or not, Easter offers hope.  Whether you are a “church” person or not, Easter offers hope.  The hope of Easter is the only hope we have.

 

Easter eggs

 

CHALLENGE

 

What will you do with what you have just heard?  How will you respond to the Holy Spirit working within you?  The Challenge is intended to give us an opportunity to contemplate what God is calling us to do in our lives.  Consider these questions and write down your answers. 

 

              1.  Do you have any hope?

              2.  What is the hope of Easter?

              3.  Do you find hope in the resurrection of Jesus?

              4.  How has the hope of Easter helped you when you were lost?

              5.  What hope do you receive from the Scriptures? 

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.