{"id":4200,"date":"2025-05-02T20:45:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T20:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/?p=4200"},"modified":"2025-05-02T20:45:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T20:45:16","slug":"hope-for-the-hopeless","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/2025\/05\/02\/hope-for-the-hopeless\/","title":{"rendered":"Hope for the Hopeless"},"content":{"rendered":"

Think back to a day of great pain \u2013 a day of hopelessness, of despair. A day when you lost a loved one \u2013 or a loved one betrayed you. A day it seemed as if God didn\u2019t care for you \u2013 or He didn\u2019t even exist.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the situation for the followers of Jesus after the crucifixion. They had left everything to follow Him \u2013 fathers, mothers, homes, employment. For they thought He was the long-promised Messiah, the descendant of David who would restore Israel and reign forever. They had seen His power; they had heard His words \u2013 no one had ever spoken like that! When the religious authorities tried to trap Him, time and again He turned the tables on them. So those authorities didn\u2019t even dare to ask him anything else publicly.<\/p>\n

Jesus had called His followers out of their simple, normal lives. He had raised their hopes in the inevitable advance of the Kingdom of God. And He told them they<\/em> would judge the twelve tribes of Israel! Simple fishermen, a tax collector!<\/p>\n

But now, they have seen this almighty King stripped, scourged, and scorned. They have heard the soldiers mock Him as King of the Jews. They saw Him hanging on the cross. They saw Him die. They saw His lifeless corpse.<\/p>\n

This dashes all their hopes. All their dreams. Now they just look like fools for leaving everything and following an itinerant preacher \u2013 indeed, a madman.<\/p>\n

So they despair \u2013 as you may well have despaired on your day of greatest pain.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the women\u2019s state of mind as they come to Jesus\u2019 tomb early Sunday morning. In the midst of their despair, they intend to do what they can \u2013 to honor Jesus\u2019 lifeless body.<\/p>\n

But they find the tomb open! And Jesus\u2019 body is not<\/em> there!<\/p>\n

Luke tells us two men \u2013 presumably angels \u2013 then speak:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you \u2026 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” (From Luke 24:5-7)<\/p>\n

The women return to the apostles, reporting what they\u2019ve seen. But Luke tells us, \u201cThese words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them\u201d (Luke 24:11).<\/p>\n

Peter goes to the tomb and finds it empty \u2013 but does not see Jesus.<\/p>\n

Later that day two followers are walking away from Jerusalem. The risen Jesus overtakes them, but they do not recognize Him. Still very much in despair, they describe to Him what has happened and then summarize their present state of mind: \u201cWe had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel\u201d (Luke 24:21). The implication: They no longer have that hope. The empty tomb has not raised them out of despair.<\/p>\n

They go on to say that others went to the tomb and verified the women\u2019s report, but conclude, \u201cHim they did not see.\u201d<\/p>\n

What does Jesus then say?<\/p>\n

He says what He says to us on our hardest days, when we lose all hope: “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!\u201d (Luke 24:25)<\/p>\n

Foolish! Why?<\/p>\n

We all are foolish for at least three reasons when we despair:<\/p>\n