Parenting Points
Many families view hope as a fantasy, leading to disappointment. Dreams end up as empty promises. But for those who follow Jesus, His resurrection points to our ultimate hope – one that will never leave us wanting. So, what hope does the resurrection of Jesus offer our families this Easter?
Resurrection Hope Reminds Us that Death Is Not the End. Death is a great fear for many people. It is an unexpected ending that no one can escape or predict. Death marks the end of relationships and causes pain, hurt, and brokenness, which marks those left behind. In His resurrection, Jesus conquers death and can offer us eternal life. In speaking with Martha, who had just lost her brother Lazarus to death, Jesus reminded her of the hope that death is not the end of the story: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26 ESV). Because of the resurrection, death is not the end for us or our families.
Resurrection Hope Leads Us to a New Way of Life. Jesus’ resurrection doesn’t just change our view of death, but it also transforms how we live our lives every day. Paul writes to the church at Rome of this new way of life: “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (1 Corinthians 5:14-15 ESV). Jesus’ resurrection is an invitation to a new way of life. Our families can now live for Jesus and seek to bring the hope of the new life He brings to everyone around us.
Resurrection Hope Is a Living Hope. Jesus’ resurrection invites us into a living hope. Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:3 ESV, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Our hopes do not have to be smashed by the disappointments and failures of this world because Jesus offers a different kind of hope. We have a living hope in Him. Jesus is faithful, and by His resurrection, He reminds us that His hope never ends.
-Dr. Ben Birdsong
Missions Minister at Christ Church Birmingham
Writer and Speaker
