Third Sunday of Easter

What Difference Does It Make? He lives to restore my hope

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Without Jesus' resurrection there is no hope.
 

That might sound extreme, but it's the sad truth. If Jesus' didn't rise, then we won't rise either. Everything he said and taught was a lie. Christianity is a cruel hoax. When a loved one dies, you'll never see them again. When you die, it's lights out, bring down the curtain, everything is finished. So live fast, live hard, enjoy the now, because you only go around once, and when it's over, it's over.
 

Without the resurrection of Jesus, I would have little hope for the future. That’s how the disciples felt after this death. “We hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:19) said two disciples trudging toward Emmaus. Their hope for a better life, for meaning, for purpose—for everything!— had died along with Jesus.
 

But Jesus lives, and it makes a difference. My hope for the future is restored. I have victory over the feeling of hopelessness, because the one who heals me and gives me a better life is himself alive. He lives to restore my hope.