A Glorious Hope

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:27 NIV

One of the bonuses of being a Christian is the glorious hope that extends out beyond the grave into the glory of God’s tomorrow.

The Bible opens with a tragedy and ends in a triumph.

In Genesis we see the devastation of sin and death, but in Revelation we glimpse God’s glorious victory over sin and death. Revelation 14:14 says, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them’” (NIV).

But what is the basis of the Christian’s hope of eternal life? Is our hope of life after death merely wishful thinking or blind optimism? Can we have any certainty that there is life after death and that someday those who know Christ will go to be with Him throughout eternity?

Yes! There is one great fact which gives the Christian assurance in the face of death: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the physical, bodily resurrection of Christ that gives us confidence and hope. Because Christ rose from the dead, we know beyond doubt that death is not the end, but is merely the transition to eternal life.

Never forget that the resurrection of Christ is in many ways the central event of all history. Paul said, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 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” (1 Corinthians 15:17–20 NIV). The resurrection of Christ makes all the difference! Because He rose from the dead, we know that He was in fact the Son of God who came to save us through His death on the cross, as He claimed.

Our Father and our God, I celebrate Christ’s triumph over death! For I know that, as a Christian, His resurrection gives me victory over death too. Like Him, I will be raised from physical death to life eternal. Praise Your holy name! Praise the name of Jesus! In Him I pray. Amen.

Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).