Easter HOPE

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John 16:16-22  …”  A Little While and You shall see Me”

 

    As Christians we have the hope based on the certainty of the record of Holy Scripture that Easter is true.  But we do not live that way, do we?  We live more as the world where our lives seem empty, hopeless and bereft of the comfort of God.  We seek those things that can never give us what we need.  The things of this world are temporal but the things which are unseen are eternal. 2 Cor 4:18 .  Of course we have sorrow that our loved ones are no longer here with us.  And that is human and natural for us to have that reaction.   Jesus wept , but He also rose again from the dead.

 

     Listen again in this Eastertide to His words.  “ A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go the Father.”  “ Your sorrow shall be turned into joy”  The sorrow we feel when someone close to us is not here in the body is only temporary.  As Christians , Jesus says our sorrow is only temporary. Our joy shall be forever when we are in their presence once more.

 

     Just what is death anyway?  We know it is the way of our humanity.  We all die because of Adam’s transgression but in Christ we are made alive.  “ Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more!”  We say that ancient canticle called the Pascha Nostrum , Christ our Passover in morning prayer.  “ Death hath no more dominion over him” 

 

     A little while , You shall see me.  See Him in all in resurrected body glory that is a body that never dies.  That is a picture of what we will have too.  “ For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 2 Cor 5:1  “ To be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” 5:8

 

     Our loved ones that are not with us here in this earthly life are those that could echo what Jesus says here in John, ‘ and a little while, and ye shall see me because I go to the Father.”  Ye shall see me. 

 

      And now we have sorrow , Jesus says in vs. 22.  He likens this with mothers.  Our mothers had great pain when they gave birth.  But as soon as the child is delivered , she has joy for a child has been born into the world.  Easter and mothers have something in common!

 

    And now we do have sorrow. We have a limited sorrow that remembers how wonderful our families were to us in some shape, manner or form . We recollect those times when perhaps it is a mother we sat at their feet or just sat there talking with them.  And now we sorrow. We sorrow but we do not sorrow as though who do not have hope.  If we hope only in this life , “ we are of all men most miserable. “ I Cor 15:19  But our sorrow is turned into joy Jesus says for He says we shall see Him.  “ Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” I Cor 15:50.  Death is the way to life eternal .

 

     We should not sorrow as though who do not have hope.  But this hope we have is not just a “ I hope so.”  Oh, “ I hope I go to heaven.”  Oh , “ I hope I see my loved ones again.”  No, this is not the hope we have.  Our hope is steadfast , like an anchor we are told in Hebrews 6:19 .  “ It is impossible for God to lie”  Frankly I am tired of hearing so called Christians tell me “ I will go to heaven if there is one.”  That is not faith.  That is called unbelief.  And I am sorry for people that have some kind of Christian faith that gives them no certainty, no hope, nor no assurance.  “ And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life.” I John 5:11

 

       “ and now ye therefore have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice..”  We should not live as though who do not have hope.  We shall be in heaven with the Lord where there is no night.  ..and no sorrow, and no crying and no death.  Dr . Lloyd Jones said it well when approaching death,” Do not hold me back from the glory.”

 

        Dear Christian friends let us be encouragers of those who struggle in this life for whatever reason.  We have a calling to tell forth and show forth the love of God in all that we do and say.  May we be faithful witnesses as was Mary Magdalene who said on that Easter day, “ I have seen the Lord!”

 

 

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