Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
There are not many days that I wouldn't say I could use some more hope. If you find yourself in that place today, just needing a little bit more hope, have I got an encouraging verse for you. It comes from the very end of the Gospel of Matthew. Before we read the verse, I want to set the scene and paint this picture, because it really hits home just how wild these words are.
The Bleak Moment Before the Dawn
At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, we watch Jesus betrayed by one of His own disciples. He's put on trial. He is accused of crimes He never committed. Then He is unfairly put to death in one of the most gruesome scenes—the crucifixion. It is a bleak moment in the story. I don't know about you, but I know there are times in my life that it just feels like the story has turned really bleak. I've wondered, is this the end?
But as we're going to see here, those dark moments weren't the end of the story. I want to encourage you that your dark moments right now aren't the end of your story. Because the disciples had followed Jesus for three years. They had put all of their hope in Him being the Messiah and the Savior—the one who was going to free them from oppression. Then they watched as their friend and Teacher and Savior hung on a cross, the same as the thieves and murderers next to Him. The story seemed like it was over. But then we get to our Verse of the Day.
It comes from Matthew chapter 28, verse 6. It says, "He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen. Come, see where His body was lying."
The Stone Is Rolled Away
Jesus's followers were just continuing to live with this depression and this weight. As two of His followers—both named Mary—were coming to the tomb, they noticed that the stone had been rolled away. An angel had rolled it away and was now sitting on top of it. I love what it says next. The guards who were there—who were meant to guard the tomb—actually fainted. That's how powerful that moment was. The angel says, don't be afraid. I know who you're looking for. You're looking for Jesus. I don't know all of the thoughts that might have been racing through their minds—oh no, somebody has taken the body, they want to do even worse things, they're trying to shame us, they want to mock us. But the angel says, hey, the body's not here—and that's a good thing. Come see where He was lying. But He's not there anymore, because He is risen. Because the story wasn't over. What a powerful, powerful message of hope.
When Hope Feels Dangerous
Just a couple of passages earlier in the story, hope would have seemed really dangerous. I know I have had seasons where it felt dangerous to hope—just like the disciples had hoped in Jesus being the Messiah and then watched Him be crucified. There are times where maybe we've hoped for that illness to go away and it doesn't seem to change. Or we've hoped for that relationship to be healed and nothing seems to fix it. Hope can feel very dangerous. But it's verses like this that remind me that God is always working. There's always something coming next, and it's always going to be more powerful than we could ever imagine.
As believers, we don't hope in the things of this world. We hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ—that our God is working all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. Maybe life feels dark. Maybe it just feels really heavy. But remember that our God is a risen King. He is no longer in the grave. Because He has new life, we have new life with Him. Find hope in that today. Find hope in that every day, because our God is with us and for us, and He will overcome all of it.
