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“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (Matthew 16:21 NIV)
What do you do when you are waiting for a promise to be fulfilled? How do you retain hope for your breakthrough when it seems like its too far way?
What are you waiting for?
- To find the love of your life, whom you can marry, have a family with, and live together;
- You have applied for a University course and are eagerly awaiting to find out if you have been accepted or not.
- Some people wait for years, month after month to find out if they are pregnant, either naturally or through IVF;
- Have you applied for a job, had an interview, or been waiting on that elusive promotion?
What do you do while you wait? How do you fill the void between the promise spoken, outcome desired and the actualisation of this dream. How do you maintain hope when stuck in the middle?
Good Friday is one of the most significant and essential days of the Christian faith. It is the day when Jesus Christ was crucified on a Roman cross, an instrument designed to inflict maximum pain and suffering leading to a slow death. The followers of Jesus Christ, his Disciples had journeyed with Him, listening to His stories, the fulfillment of ancient promises. He performed miracles for all to see. Jesus had promised His followers that when He died, he would be raised from the dead witin three days.
The mission of Jesus Christ was to die on that cross and be resurrcted three days later. It was never intended to create a religion, but to restore the relationship with God that sin destroyed. For the sin, that is behaviour, thoughts or actions that are contrary to the will of God, caused a divide between His beloved, that is all men and women thoroughout history, present and future. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, His death represented that sacrifice – for the forgiveness of all sins – allowing all peoples to have a direct relationship with the Lord God.
Many of Jesus disciples abandoned Him when the trial for His life began. So many had denied and abandonded Him that only a few journeyed to the place of His death. Once His lifeless body was taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb, the promises spoken during Jesus ministry must have faded fast. For those who had witnessed Jesus promise that He would be raised from the dead, that He was their conqueroring King, that He would show them the way back to God, their hearts must have been crushed. All hope must have been lost once the stone was placed in front of the tomb.
What were they to do…they got on with life as best they could. They mourned, returned to their homes. Some would have even returned to their work. Despondent, feeling rejected, deceived, hope was gone. But some had faith to believe as they remembered Jesus promise to return from the dead. Hope, still had a chance.
What do you do whislt waiting? Can I suggest you get on with living in hope. Continue to position yourself as if the promise has already manifest. Let your thoughts and actions demonstrate that you believe the promise has been fulfilled and you are just waiting for it to come to pass. It will better prepare you for the next season.
As a follower of Jesus Christ, the phrase, “Its Friday, but Sunday’s coming” is one that I love to think of each Good Friday. It is a reminder that, even though we are living in post-resurrection times, and I know and believe that Jesus Christ was raised from death on the third day that there is always hope. No matter how bleak or hopeless the situation may appear, while you are still breathing, there is hope for promises to be fulfilled.
When waiting for your desired outcome, do you still believe it will come to pass?
