Jesus Christ, Our Hope
Dr. John K. Mathew
In the city of London a fourteen year old girl succumbed to acute cancer. Her desire was to have her body preserved in the cryogenic system, hopeful that some day medical science would find a remedy for her disease and that the doctors would be able to bring her back to life.
We can't blame that girl for her desire to come back to life and continue living, until life comes to a natural conclusion. Hers was a hope. But somewhere inside our heart and head we think that it is not an authentic hope!
We are not sure the age at which Job started problems in his life. We assume that it was at an advanced age.So he enjoyed and experienced life almost in its full length. His story is different from the fourteen - year- old London girl and out of comparison.
However, Job's perspective on life and life after is quite different from the London girl. His hope was not anchored in medicine, medical science or human beings. His trust was in God.
He says,"I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end He will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God. I myself will see Him with my own eyes - I and not another. How my heart yearns within me'.(Job 19:25-27). In the Bible, the word ''hope'' most often designates a disposition of soul, the grounds for one's hope, or the outcome for which one hopes.
According to Chuck Swindoll, "Hope is a wonderful gift from God, a source of strength and courage in the face of life's harshest trials. When we are trapped in a tunnel of misery, hope points to the light at the end. When we are overworked and exhausted, hope gives us fresh energy. When we are discouraged, hope lifts our spirits. When we are tempted to quit, hope keeps us moving".
Mere optimism assumes that bad circumstances will improve with the passing of time. In contrast, hope assumes that God is faithful and is convinced that he is able to bring about his good purpose. So, at its core, Biblical hope is hope in God, rooted in God's covenant faithfulness. Hope trusts God in the present and lives even now on the strength of God's future accomplishments. In the New Testament, hope is closely associated with Christ and his saving work. Christians now live by hope in Christ.
Indeed He is "Christ Jesus, our hope". The hope Jesus promises is for all. Trust in him, he is the hope of glory.
