Hope
Jesus and Hope
For Christians, hope is not a mood but a Person. Jesus is called ‘our hope’ because of what he did: he entered death and came out the other side, alive. That single event is why Christian hope reaches past the grave. To ask about hope, in the end, is to be pointed toward the resurrection.
Why a Person, not a principle
You cannot lean your weight on an idea in the hardest hour; you lean on someone. Christians say hope became reachable when God did not stay distant but came near in Jesus, shared our fear and grief and death, and then broke death open. Hope stopped being a hopeful thought and became a living Person you can actually turn to.
What Jesus said and did
‘Firstfruits’ is a farming word: the first of a harvest still to come. Christians read the risen Jesus as the promise of their own resurrection, and so of a hope that death cannot end. If you want to understand Christian hope, the resurrection is where to look.
You are welcome to come and see
None of this asks you to pretend, to sign up, or to have it all figured out. The invitation of Jesus was always gentle: come and see. Read his own words, watch what he does with the tired and the hurting, and decide for yourself. The Gospel of John is a kind place to begin, and it costs you nothing but a little quiet and an honest heart.
Meet JesusRead the Gospel of JohnAsk for prayerJesus Christ is Lord.
Frequently asked questions
- Why do Christians call Jesus their hope?
- Because their hope rests on him personally, and on the resurrection. The Bible calls Jesus 'our hope' (1 Timothy 1:1), meaning that hope is not an idea but a living Person who has already passed through death and out the other side.
- How does the resurrection give hope?
- Christians read the risen Jesus as the 'firstfruits,' the first of a harvest still to come (1 Corinthians 15:20). His resurrection is taken as the promise of their own, which is why Christian hope reaches beyond the grave.