He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. —Revelation 21:4

02 Apr, 2021

The Hope of Full Restoration

by Andrew Barker

Good morning!

Today we commemorate Jesus' death—a painful death on a cross, separated from God as He took on the sin of the world. And yet it was not a defeat, but a victory. It's not a bad Friday, but a good one.

Good Friday is Good News.

On the cross, Jesus ended the reign of sin and death in the world—the "old order of things has passed away." He took the punishment we deserved for our rebellion against God. Now, if we believe that Jesus has saved us from our sin and ask for His forgiveness, we too are free of sin and death and can look forward to that joyful day when His work is complete and "he will wipe every tear from [our] eyes."

But when Jesus died on Good Friday, His disciples thought that was the end. They had no hope.

Margaret from Uganda was devastated when she learned that, after her husband had already died, both she and her nine-year-old daughter, Rita, were also HIV-positive. She felt like God had abandoned her. In the months that followed, Margaret faced many challenges, including helping her young daughter understand her lifelong illness.

The news could have been life-altering for Rita, but instead she put her faith in God. Before she was diagnosed, Rita learned about Jesus at her local Compassion child development centre and gave her life to Christ. “Our pastor was the one preaching. When the pastor called for those who wanted to give their lives to Christ, I went up. The first person I told was my mother,” Rita recalls.

As Margaret fell into depression, she noticed her daughter had instead become more prayerful, often reading her Bible. This continuous growth in Rita amazed her mother and the centre staff, all astonished at her quiet acceptance of the diagnosis. According to her mother Margaret, Rita is a jewel at home and her teachers at school praise her, as do the centre staff.

Rita’s consistent behavior and love for God changed her mother’s life. “I wanted to have the kind of peace she had.” Inspired by her daughter’s life change, Margaret gave her life to God.

"I feel better because of the hope arising in me. Jesus is my hope. He has taken away the worries I had,” Margaret says. “I want to persevere through all kinds of situations, trusting God and knowing that it is only God that I can hold onto. I want to use my little strength to mother Rita, to usher her to the future that God has prepared her for."

Like Margaret, we can have hope, a firm anchor for our soul, because we know that Jesus rose again, proving He was who He said He was: the Way, the Truth and the Life—the son of God, the Messiah.

In John, Jesus tells his followers, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:29).

And on Good Friday He did. The troubles in our present age are temporary, but God's promises of something better are eternal.

A day is coming when there will be no death or mourning or crying or pain. The old order of the world will have passed away, and instead God's dwelling place will be among his people (Rev 21:3). How amazing!

This is the Good News of Good Friday.

It’s a good day for good news!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to save me from sin and death. Thank You that I can look forward to the day that Jesus returns and brings in a new order with no crying or pain. Please help me to follow You faithfully as I wait. Amen.

Reflection Question:

How can the hope Jesus brings give you comfort in the challenges of your life?

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