From GodSample

Hope and Power

When hope feels more like a wish and we feel powerless to make the future brighter than the past, where do we turn? 

We turn to Jesus. He is hope. He is power. 

They say history is written by the winners. If that’s true, then how is it that this nobody from Nazareth executed in disgrace has had a greater impact on history than any king, queen, emperor, president, poet, or scientist? 

His critics called Him a heretic. His followers believed He was a holy man. He committed no crimes, but was crucified as a criminal. Why? Because the powers that be saw Him as a threat. He challenged the status quo. He modeled a better way. 

He showed the world that to be a leader means using your power for the greater good instead of your own good. He showed the world that to be a leader means sacrificing yourself for your people instead of sacrificing your people for yourself. 

Jesus, who was God in human form, possessed the same power that brought the universe into existence. And yet, He allowed Himself to die so that we could live. 

Hope is the belief that the future can be brighter and better than the past and that we have a part to play in making it happen. 

Jesus was hope invading history. Jesus was the power of God made manifest. Through His life, death, and resurrection, hope and power was released into the world. This is why the Gospel is good news. Because of Jesus, God has once again become king, His Kingdom is breaking through, and we have a part to play in bringing heaven to Earth. 

Will you play your part? 

Reflection Questions: 

• What are some ways Jesus has changed your life? 
• What are some ways Jesus has changed history? 
• What is one thing you can do today to show Jesus’ love to other people?