Hope in Jesus is worthy
Grace, mercy and peace from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be multiplied unto you…Amen!
Theme of the today: A Hope worth waiting for
Text for Meditation: A letter written by St. Paul to the Romans 8:18-27
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creation wait for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope, that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. 23 And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For in hope we were saved: but hope that is seen is not hope: for who hope for that which he sees?
25 But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
26 And in like manner the Spirit also helps our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself make intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered; and he that search the hearts know what is the mind of the Spirit because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God….
Beloved: The word of the Lord!
Let us pray:
Oh, Christ, you are the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the work…grant us you Holy Spirit to strengthen and keep us in faith in the God:– The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit till your second coming…Amen!
Friends: Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!
Hope in Him is a hope worth waiting for! HALLELUJAH!
Friends, what does the phrase “wait for it” mean to you? Well, it is a signal that something big or good is coming. This statement gives a person a sense of expectation or other words it keeps a person in suspense. Honestly speaking the word “Wait for it” sounds frustrating, isn’t it? To wait for it!…till when, how long should one wait?.
In Jesus is Hope; In Him is Anticipation, suspense, promise, which is worth waiting for: Wait for it. Something big is coming!
Today, the phrase “wait for it” could actually sum up Paul’s encouragement to the Romans. If you believe in Jesus, no matter what’s happening in your life right now; there is always hope. Dear Listeners; hope that things will change; hope that things will work out, hope that struggles and challenges we face have a purpose for our life now and for the world to come… Wait for it in hope, with confidence; for such hope gives us the power to endure, to persevere, to conquer! Hallelujah!
From the test:, St. Paul in hope; wrote to the Romans; in Romans chapter 8:18 &19… …, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.”
St. Paul said it without holding back. He was on point in describing our world in Romans Chapter 8.
Dear listeners: this is not a mere thing. It is a hope for this world of ours. We need that hope now than ever; even more in our current circumstances of COVID-19 pandemic.
There are sufferings in these present times; we are in a real-world subjected to futility; where everyone is groaning with one pain or the other… we groan with the pains of childbirth. We are so vulnerable and weak in knowing what is valuable and enduring. In our weakness, we do not even know what to pray for. Suffering, futility, groaning, weakness; is our real-world counting on human effort.
Dear listeners: On the other hand, look at how real hope is also described by St. Paul in the same text Roans 8:18 ff. In spite of all things, that real hope of Jesus is here for you now and for all who believes!! Paul says that there is “Glory to be revealed to us. We should wait for the revealing of the sons of God: A creation to be set free from the bondage of corruption, and the redemption of our bodies.” Hallelujah!
Waiting in Hope of setting free and Glory to be revealed; this definitely amounts to eager expectation while we wait.
Reason is that; a believer’s trust is not in his or her own skills, ability and capacity or efforts. No, all these things are eventually contaminated with the effects of sin, which leads to death.
A believer’s hope is in the person and the work of Jesus. Jesus cancelled all sins, by shedding His Precious Blood on the cross of Calvary. He is the overcoming promise of the resurrection for your life, and for my life to come. This is real hope for us to grasp while we are on this side of eternity!
To everyone listening to me; with all the energy and life you have now; you have to wait for that hope in Jesus; that’s hope is worth waiting for… Hallelujah!
As our text says, “in this hope we have been saved.” Why, because God gives that hope something to really hold on to, by faith we have been adopted other words, we are grafted in Jesus as sons and daughters of our heavenly Father.
Paul also writes in Philippians 3:21 that this hope is one we will experience personally, bodily, when he says, “Jesus will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject all things to himself.” Now if I understand that text correctly, then I say that is real hope. We can confidently wait for it.
Due to sin and corruption of our world, we all struggle at times with waiting in hope. In the midst of the trials and temptations of this world! We even wonder at times, what good, is God doing amidst all this waiting… COVID-19 and its challenges, we wonder what God is doing about it?
You know, Paul gives us another glimpse of that kind of hope when he calls our attention to something many of us have experienced at one time or another; the birth of our child. He speaks of hope amidst the birth pains.
If you were to ask a ……… in the midst of the 8th or 9th month of her first pregnancy, I bet that she’d tell you that she’s had better days physically. I’m sure she would be able to understand the words of our text, “pain, suffering, and yet hope.”
And, for the fathers, there’s a lot of uncertainty of feeling helpless to really help the woman you love. But, wait a minute; what about the unborn child? What are they feeling? Have you ever thought about that?
That’s what Paul is trying to say to you and me about life; the certainty of life and hope this side of heaven. Now, there is the reality of the love and grace of Jesus Christ by faith, just like a mother’s love was a certainty when you were just an idea in her womb. Now is the certainty of your adoption by Him to be God’s sons and daughters by faith, when the full reality of your resurrected physical life still awaits. Now is the time for forgiveness that is by grace through faith alone that will soon give way to a time when what you know by faith, you will see with your very eyes, in the midst of this real world, the real hope, the real-life that is yet to come is God’s promise to you in Jesus Christ alone!
It is only awaiting hope that can sustain people.
Paul’s reminds us again that this hope is sure because it is rooted in the work of Jesus, the Savior.
We face the world as it is because in Jesus we have been reconciled to God again. We have been given life and salvation anew. Quoting Paul again, he says that this status is like being adopted as sons and daughters by faith in Jesus. In Jesus, believers are already children of God and fellow heirs with Him.
The truth is: to be Jesus’ people for others in this sinful world, means that there’s going to be times of suffering. We experience times of struggle as we seek to share Jesus with others… our comfort of hope comes from suffering with Jesus in view of the promised glory that is to come.
A real hope rooted in Jesus; empowers us to be patient in times of tension and difficulties… we wait for it and wait in that hope now, the reality that is to come.
So friends: Be careful when you are tempted to measure God’s grace and blessing by how many good things may or may not be happening in your life now. That view misses the cross, misses the shared suffering in Jesus that love often demands, and misses the promised glory that is forever there for those who trust in Jesus as their Savior.
When our Lord was on the cross, He cried out Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” It was the ultimate “wait for it, wait for it” from the Father through the Son so that you and I could be saved!
Friends: trust in the atoning works of Jesus’ groaning on the cross and hope in action as He Himself is willing to be vulnerable to the law of God, to the judgment of God so that through His work, you and I could have hope that is sure, a real hope for the real world as we wait to see with our eyes what we know is true now by faith!
Using a familiar concept of child-bear… St. Paul demonstrated in the text that: There are challenges in this world. There are difficulties to overcome. There can even be pain and suffering in loving people that Jesus brings into your life. But, in all things, Paul reminds us that in Jesus it is always worth the wait, worth the faith, worth the confident trust to follow Him in all things, because Jesus Himself is the goal of our waiting. Paul says, “remember the hope that is seen is not real hope.”
And the author of Hebrews concurs saying, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Jesus reminds us in His own words to Thomas amidst real-world doubts, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Jesus even catered a bit to Thomas’s weakness and doubting by showing up and being seen right before his eyes. Jesus caters to us too in our weakness and hopelessness by showing up and being seen in God’s Word and Sacraments available to us all. So, with Thomas today, with me today, taste and see that the Lord is good, with His words, with His gifts, just for you!
Paul wants us all to know clearly today; real hope is in a real Person, Jesus, who has delivered us from bondage, corruption, and futility, who makes even the sufferings of this world purposeful, as we love others in His Name. He alone is the source of real hope in the midst of this real world. And no matter what you’re facing today, heaven is waiting for all those who trust in him. With faith in Jesus alone, “wait for it, wait for it,” because you haven’t seen anything yet!
Amen.
Benediction
The Lord bless; you and keep you
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you His everlasting peace… Amen!