A Living Hope
1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has great mercy, and because of his mercy he gave us a new life. This new life brings us a living hope through Jesus Christ’s resurrection from death.
Today is Sunday, our day of rest – a day for some good news, very good news.
And perhaps you need some good news just at the moment. So without further ado, here it is:
1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has great mercy, and because of his mercy he gave us a new life. This new life brings us a living hope through Jesus Christ’s resurrection from death.
Now, this is a shocking opening to this letter written to persecuted Christian exiles scattered throughout the known world. And having landed in their new homes, on top of the official persecution of the Roman Empire, they also suffered social discrimination from the locals, who were, by and large, none too pleased to receive them. Are you getting the picture here? So, in that context, given the reality of Peter’s audience, let’s just look at his outrageous introduction one more time:
1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has great mercy, and because of his mercy he gave us a new life. This new life brings us a living hope through Jesus Christ’s resurrection from death.
And here’s the good news for us today, a couple of thousand years on. No matter what your circumstances, you can praise God for His mercy – because, even if your life is decidedly cruddy at the moment, the truth is that He’s given you a new life … and not just that.
But a living hope, a certain hope, an unfailing hope of your eternity with Him, through Jesus Christ’s resurrection from death. Now that’s good news, isn’t it?
And that’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
Blessed by this devotion?
Share it with a friend!
Respond