Hope for the Hurting

Tragedy is all around us.  Most of the time we read about it online or hear about it in the news.  It is miles away in other cities where gunmen kill and tornadoes destroy and we think “that would never happen to us.” 

And then it did.  Tragedy strikes and it has touched everyone in our community in some way.  Tragedy leaves us asking all kinds of questions like “why did this happen?” “where was God?” “what do I do now?” “how should I feel?” “how do I move on - is it even ok to move on?”

I am sure there are many more questions and some of those questions have definite answers.  Some questions don’t.  One of the questions I want to answer is “where do we turn to?”  I believe the answer to this question will help us with all other questions that will arise in the midst of a difficult time.  

Tragedy has been around almost as long as mankind.  We don’t know how long Adam and Eve lived in the Eden before they were tempted, but my guess is that is wasn’t terribly long.  Satan comes into the picture and places a choice before them.  They can believe that God is who He says He is, or they can believe that God is a liar.  This is the first tragedy in our history when Adam and Eve choose to believe that God is a liar and they can set themselves up as God and King over everything.  

This tragedy results in death and we have been dealing with death ever since.  
Death is separation.  
Separation from life.  
Separation from God.  

We see this all over the Old Testament.  In the chapters following in the Book of Genesis we see death.  People live and people die.  Moses, as he writes this knows about life and death, he has seen it, experienced it, even killed a guy.  He has to be wondering - isn’t there something more?  What is the answer to the problem.

God was working behind the scenes of the entire New Testament, using every messed up person and circumstance and a way to point to the solution to tragedy.  Jesus.

Jesus arrives on the scene as a little baby.  An old man named Simeon was promised that he would live to see the the Messiah, the Savior and upon meeting little baby Jesus who is only a few weeks old, he sees the fulfillment of that promise.

Simeon uses words like “depart in peace,” “salvation,” “light,” and “glory,” for Jesus - WHO IS A BABY.  Something stirred Simeon to do this - he wasn’t going around and picking up random babies for the fun of it.  

Jesus grows up and sees tragedy all around.  Hurting and sick people flock to Him for help and healing, and He provides.  He makes the lame walk and the blind see.  He feeds the hungry and loves the outcast.  He brings people back from the dead…

Wait.. what was that?  Brings people back from the dead?  Ah yes - that has been the problem this whole time.  Death.

Jesus had a friend who died.  A close friend.  Who died.  But wasn’t Jesus able to stop that?  Yes.  So why didn’t He?  So that God would be glorified through what was about to happen.  Making a person who is sick become healthy is one thing - but bringing someone who is dead back to life?  That is varsity.

That is what He does.  Brings Lazarus back from the dead.  Not before seeing the family and shedding some tears himself.  Jesus knew the hurt that death brought to people.  He experienced it and then said I am greater than death.  

Nothing proves this more than His victory over death.  His resurrection tells us that He defeated death.  He is greater than death.  He is more powerful than death.  He wins the war.  

What does this mean for us?  Well simply put:
1. We are going to die.  We don’t know when, but we will die.
“it is appointed for man to die” Hebrews 9:27
“our life is a vapor” James 4:14

2. There is hope because Christ is greater than death
“living hope” 1 Peter 1:3
“laid down his life” John 10:14-15
“eternal life because of Jesus “ 1 John 5:11-12
"Face death without fear” Psalm 23:4
“There is comfort during death” John 11:17-26

3. This isn’t the end
“guaranteed resurrection” 1 Corinthians 15
“dwell with God forever” Psalm 23:6 and John 14:1-4

4. What is Jesus to us?
"Anchor" Hebrews 6:19-20
“Hope” Psalm 42:5
"Living Hope" 1 Peter 1:3
“Joy, Peace, Hope” Romans 15:13

5. In the end
“Co-heir with Christ” Romans 8:16-18
“Nothing can separate” Romans 8:35-39

So now what?  People asked the same thing when John the Baptist came on the scene in Luke 3.  There has to be a response.  Maybe you have been a Christian for many years.  You need the Gospel.  Maybe you aren’t a Christian.  You need the Gospel.  How you respond to this message of hope will help answer all the questions you have during times of tragedy.  Jesus is hope.  Not just hope, but the ONLY hope we have in this life.  Will you trust Him?

You can hear the lesson HERE.