All the world over, this weekend, as has been done for centuries now, the world remembered Easter. Meanwhile, Easter has its reflection and seed in the Passover of the Children of Israel as instructed by God through Moses, in the night He was to bring them out of Egypt through the judgment of Death.
Some remember it as a weekend so true that they believed it. Some others, as a weekend too good to be true.
However, regardless of the particular relationship sustained with the weekend, it stands true as the most decisive weekend in the history of mankind. It reaches into eternity past and reaches into the unendingness of eternity future. We will consider Easter in terms of three ‘Hopes’:
Hope from the Dead
For Humans, death ordinarily represents finality. It signals the end. A terminal point of sorts. It is most often associated with pain, sorrow, anguish and sadness. It is that which should not be mentioned. It is instructive that God, in His work of redemption, particularly addressed and dealt decisively with Death.
We see this in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead. This is one of the main thrust of Apostle Paul defense of the Gospel.
6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers:
7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?
22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
Acts 26:6-8,22-23 (KJV)
Notice what the Apostle Paul is saying; he was talking about the hope of the promise of God, the hope to come, and he tied that hope to the God’s work in raising the dead.
Essentially, he was saying that God made a promise to the fathers, and His raising of Christ from the dead is consistent with, according to and in fulfillment of the Promise of God to the fathers. Hence, we can sustain hope in God and His promises, because in the resurrection of Christ, God fulfilled (and fulfills) His promises. It was hope from the dead.
Hope for the Dead
Now, how does the resurrection affect the dead? Much in everyway. There are three categories of the dead in view; First, the dead in sins and trespasses. Second, the dead in Christ. Third, the dead out of Christ. I will deal with the first category now, and the other two subsequently.
How is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Hope for those dead in sins and trespasses?
1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 2:1-6 (KJV)
Apostle Paul answers this definitely. He says, in demonstration of the Love of God towards us, according to the wealth of His mercy, He quickened us (the Word quickened means to revive, to make alive, to impart life) together with Christ.
It means that, in the resurrection of Christ from the dead, God also captured us – we who are (were) dead in sins and trespasses. So that in His resurrection from the dead, we also were resurrected.
The Apostle Peter, adds another dimension to this:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 1:3 (KJV)
Remember, the ‘us’ that the Apostle Paul was talking about – we who were dead in sins and trespasses? The Apostle Peter, referring to us, says that God, according to His mercy, goes on to beget us (another language of resurrection) unto a lively hope.
How did God beget us unto a lively hope? By the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Thus in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, there is hope for the dead in sins and trespasses.
Hope In Death
Now, we turn to the last two groups; The dead in Christ and the dead outside of Christ. Both groups are affected by the fact of the resurrection of Christ, and their relationship with it.
15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
Acts 24:15 (KJV)
For the dead in Christ, we turn to the first epistle of Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians:
13. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18 (KJV)
We see in this portion of Scripture, the Hope of the dead in Christ, that one day, those who are dead in Christ, Christ will bring with him when he comes in his Glory. This is powerful. But notice what the Apostle premised it on.
He says: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
If we believe that Christ died and resurrected – which we do as believers – then we can be sure that those who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him when He comes the second time. Glory to God!
Even as I write this, my heart warms up with comfort, and I hope it comforts your heart, especially for those who have lost loved ones in Christ. Know this, God will bring them with Christ, they are eternally His. You didn’t lose them, they simply went ahead of you. One day, when His glory is revealed, we will find that we are also caught with them, to Enjoy him Eternally for Eternity.
Comfort one another with these words. I pray to God that this stirs up hope in you and brings comfort to your heart.
For those who die outside of Christ, Let no one deceive you. Do not be deceived. Do not deceive yourself. Awaiting you is an eternity of pain, anguish and suffering on an eternal scope. It is an experience of the untempered wrath of God. It is a life with hope now and an eternity of hopelessness.
May this weekend be the weekend that marks a rebirth of hope, and forms a foundation for a change of story, through Jesus Christ our Lord we ask, Amen.
In Plain Sight 
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