Hope Into Action 

Luke 24:1-53

A few weeks ago I found a 62 year old man at Kings Cross station, sitting there with a huge bag which contained ‘his life’ looking for all the world like he was waiting for a train – but he is homeless, genuinely street homeless, and has been for 14 years. I first met him at the  London City Mission Homeless Centre in Waterloo about 3 ½ years ago but never got past ‘base 1’ in speaking with him. He disappeared over two lockdowns (though apparently still on the street) and I ‘just happened’ to bump into him again a few weeks ago. Now we have a regular coffee together every Thursday! He doesn’t want anything else!

Having met him again, I had to ask him ‘Do you believe?’ His reply was utterly unexpected: ‘11th September 2015’. He went on to describe an experience of God meeting him in prayer and giving him a picture of being ‘purified’ (forgiven), and then went on to describe how he reaches out to God in prayer regularly. He regularly attends a church or two in central London for meals and gets some spiritual food too along the way. (He is still on the street and refuses help from outreach workers – no, I don’t know why either – yet!)

The next time I met him, as we chatted, he produced a rather crumpled tract from his pocket. I read it. It was pure scripture and on the subject of heaven. I simply looked at him and said: ‘This means you are not homeless!’ … he replied: ‘I know’!! Incredibly this homeless man has very real hope in heaven! He is a wonderful example of the simple trust and powerful hope we can know when we trust in Jesus.

The subject of hope, of course, is a no-brainer for Easter Sunday! Easter Sunday is all about hope! – real hope! We live in a world that hopes for many things – peace and prosperity, well-being, comfort, security – but in the end, the world offers little hope at all. As Christians we are not surprised by that – outside of Jesus there is no ‘hope’ ultimately.     

Right now we have the living hope spoken of by Peter in his first letter (1 Peter 1:3): ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…’  That living hope is Jesus himself because of the fact and truth of Jesus’ resurrection – Jesus is alive and that makes all the difference!

Also, as believers, we know who we belong to and we know where we are headed – we have a home in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:1): ‘Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven…’  We know where we are going, no matter what we may go through in this life because of the resurrection of Jesus. 

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:17: ‘If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead…’  That living hope needs to be worked out and lived out daily!

Let me give you four things from Luke 24 about what it means to have resurrection hope.

1. HAVING RESURRECTION HOPE in Jesus lifts up the downcast (verses 1-12).

That first Easter morning, the women had very limited expectations; limited hope. Think about it. They had watched Jesus die in the most cruel and most gruesome of executions. Their hopes had been shattered. They had for the moment forgotten what he had taught in the face of the terrible reality of his death. Now they came to do what they could for his dead body – or so they thought. That soon changed when they were confronted with an empty tomb and angelic encounters. The reality of the empty tomb, the folded grave clothes, the ‘strange’ messengers….and real hope started to build in in their hearts. The text actually says they were reminded of what Jesus had actually already told them more than once about his death and resurrection. We can only try to imagine the lifting of their sorrow as they dared to hope He was really alive.  

Even as Christians we can allow ‘life’ to get us down. We can allow circumstances, illness, setbacks, challenges to get the better of us. We can have limited expectations in prayer. We can easily forget who we are in Jesus and where we are headed if we allow the weight of this life’s burdens to weigh us down or get the better of us.

Probably one of the darkest books in the bible is Lamentations – the clue is in the name – yet we have those well-known verses that speak of hope in the midst of despair: ‘Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” (Lamentations 3:21-24). We can find rest in the darkest situation because of the hope we have in Jesus. His faithfulness and love never end. They are new every morning, guaranteed just as the sun rises every morning even on a rainy day, though we may not see it. 

2.HAVING RESURRECTION HOPE in Jesus opens the eyes of the blind (vv 13-35)

The story of the two men on the road to Emmaus tells us that in some way they were kept from recognising Jesus until he broke bread, having taught them along the road from the Scriptures about himself. Maybe it was something about his resurrection appearance or maybe simply as it says ‘they were kept’ from recognising him. The point is later in the day they had their eyes opened and they realised with great joy that it was Jesus who had walked and talked with them. They had their eyes opened to His reality and presence! It was a transforming moment that literally turned them around to go back to Jerusalem even late in the day.

Jesus opens eyes that are spiritually blind. In fact only he can, and he chooses when. We can and should always seek opportunities to witness and share our faith but only Jesus can take that blindness away. We all know those who do not yet know Jesus. Never give up, keep praying, keep showing the love of Jesus to them. When I see homeless people now, I know that none is beyond His grace and His transforming power.

3.HAVING RESURRECTION HOPE in Jesus banishes fear (verses 36-44).

Jesus appeared to his disciples later that first Easter Sunday and they were startled and frightened – they thought he was a ghost - but not for long! His very reassuring presence amongst them banished their fears! His very presence was enough. They didn’t have to understand, they just knew he was there. It was Jesus.

The presence of Jesus banishes fear. So what are we afraid of? Are we letting things around us bother us more than they should? When fear comes creeping over us, let us get back into the presence of Jesus in prayer and in His Word. Too many people (including us!) fear needlessly. Peace is found in knowing the Prince of Peace. 

4.RESURRECTION HOPE gives His presence and power for the journey (vv 45-53).

Just a few weeks later, before Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave those first disciples his authority and commission, then His power and boldness at Pentecost – they never looked back! Luke gives us his version in verses 45-49. You can check the other gospels too!

No-one is saying that living out our hope day by day is easy! Far from it! But we go into every challenge, every opportunity to witness, every opportunity to serve with Jesus’ presence, power and authority guaranteed. He does not leave us resource-less. Far from it he gives us everything we need to live for Him, everything we need for the journey between here and heaven.

I have often felt out of my depth dealing with the homeless but if its where He wants me, I know He will give me what I need. But we each have our mission field, wherever that is. Let us be those who live out that resurrection hope we particularly celebrate at Easter, remembering Jesus transforms lives.

Because of His resurrection, the lost can be found, the addicted can be set free - Jesus’ transforming resurrection power opens eyes, rescues, heals, restores, redirects and empowers.     

Let us all be those who put that resurrection hope into action in this needy world.