Jesus, Our Savior: Lenten Devotions From Time of GraceНамуна

Jesus and hope

At a bare minimum, every living thing needs food, water, air, and shelter to survive. But people need something more. People need hope because God created people able to hope. I don’t know what goes on in the mind of a chipmunk, but from conception, the mind of every human being develops by yearning for something more. God rewards our first hopes with delivery from a dark, wet, confining space into a big, bright world. God eventually rewards the hope of those who believe in Jesus with delivery into a bigger and brighter existence with him. Hope is the message of Jesus. Hope propels us from one delivery to the other.

Jesus prayed about you and me right before he was arrested. He expressed his hope: “Father, I want those you have given to me to be with me, to be where I am. I want them to see my glory, which you gave me because you loved me before the world was made” (John 17:24 GW). Hope drove Jesus to dedicate himself to the saving work the Father sent him to do. Jesus hoped that every disciple God gave him, or would ever give him, would not be lost and would be united with him forever.

Jesus’ eternal hope is that through him all believers would be joined with the Father like he and the Father are one. Jesus is hoping for unity among women, children, and men and because all will be drawn into the glory of God through him. Hope is what heaven is for.