This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s Message: I Believe in the Resurrection (Youth Rally Wrap) (WATCH HERE)
Because Christ Lives, We Will Live
“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.” — 1 Peter 1:3
Hope is a powerful thing. It keeps us moving through difficult days. It gives us strength to endure hardships and confidence that tomorrow can be better than today. Yet many of the hopes we carry are uncertain. We hope a medical test comes back clear. We hope our children make wise decisions. We hope our finances improve or our plans work out. While these hopes are understandable, they are never guaranteed.
The hope God gives His people is altogether different. Peter doesn’t call it wishful thinking or optimistic thinking. He calls it a living hope.
Why is it living? Because it is rooted in a living Savior.
The Christian’s confidence is not built upon circumstances, emotions, or even the strength of our faith. It is built upon the historical fact that Jesus Christ walked out of His tomb alive. His resurrection changed everything. Death was defeated. Sin was paid for. Satan’s power was broken. And because Christ lives, those who belong to Him will live also.
Jesus made that promise to Martha as she grieved the death of her brother Lazarus. “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25). Notice that Jesus didn’t merely promise life after death. He pointed to Himself as the source of that life. Eternal life is not simply a destination; it is found in a relationship with the risen Christ.
That truth reshapes the way we face life’s greatest fears. Christians still grieve. We still experience illness, loss, and the sadness that accompanies death. But we do not grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Every Christian funeral is a reminder that death does not have the final word. We lay the body of a believer to rest in confident expectation that one day Christ will call them from the grave just as surely as He called Lazarus.
This living hope also transforms the ordinary moments of life. When disappointment comes, we remember that our future is secure. When suffering lingers, we know that it is temporary. When the world feels uncertain, we cling to the One who has already conquered the greatest enemy we will ever face.
Martin Luther once wrote that Christians should learn to say, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” Those words are more than a comforting sentiment. They are a confession of faith. Because Jesus lives, my sins are forgiven. Because Jesus lives, death is defeated. Because Jesus lives, my future is certain.
Today, whatever burden you carry, remember that your hope is alive because your Savior is alive. Nothing can separate you from Him, and nothing can take away the inheritance He has prepared for you.
Reflect: What circumstances in your life tempt you to place your hope in something other than Christ? How does the certainty of Jesus’ resurrection change the way you view today’s challenges?
Prayer: Risen Savior, thank You for giving me a living hope through Your resurrection. When fear, uncertainty, or grief weighs on my heart, remind me that You have conquered death and secured my eternal future. Help me to live each day with confidence, joy, and peace because my hope is found in You alone. Amen.