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The American Heart Association says people who live under constant stress tend to die early, but hopeful people live longer. According to the Bible, hope is one of three elements of a lasting lifestyle. The other two are faith and love. Christians base their hope on Jesus Christ. Since He died for us and rose again, God forgives all who entrust their lives to him. He gives them eternal life and this new life fills believers with hope. Even though we have problems like everybody else, we need not despair because we know our heavenly Father is looking of for our best interest. So we take delight in celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. We rejoice that He is alive. In Luke (Chapter 24), we read about two of Christ’s disciples on their way home from Jerusalem. Not knowing He had risen, Jesus’ death had dashed their hopes that he was the Messiah. But as they walked along with sad faces, along came the resurrected Jesus. He told them that the Messiah had to die to pay humanity’s sin debt. Later, at supper, Jesus revealed Himself to them as they ate. All of a sudden, joy replaced their sadness because they knew Jesus was alive. Today, when we rely on the amazing truth that Jesus is alive, this hope fills us with joy, and it empowers us to live for Him and love each other.
