1 Peter 1:3-9
April 12, 2026
What do you think the future holds for all of us and our nation? If you were to look at our country simply from a technology point of view, you would think that our future is very bright. We are living today with more gadgets than the world has ever known. We just had 4 astronauts travel over 250,000 from the earth, around the moon, and return home safely. So you would think with all of these gadgets and advanced technologies that we would be living in an age of optimism and hope. After all, just think of the diseases that have been conquered in our lifetime; consider how easily we can communicate with people around the world today; and look at all of the comforts we enjoy on a daily basis. But in the midst of all this, it seems like people are not very optimistic these days. With war taking place in different parts of our world, with the cost of living constantly on the rise, and with some of the horrible things people put on social media; it appears at times that hope and happiness are fading and we are living in an age of doubt and pessimism. But Peter, in our second lesson for today, assures us that since Jesus lives, so does hope.
Even though we have all of these wonderful gadgets and our lives are rather comfortable, there is a desire in all of us for things to last. We buy cars, dishwashers, refrigerators, washers & dryers to last, but they fail us and we don’t like it when things break down. The problem, though, is that everything in this life is temporary. Cars break and wear out. Gadgets become old. Computers become obsolete. Homes need repairs and renovations. Love in a marriage fades and goes bad. Even our bodies slow down and grow old.
So we, who live with the newest and best equipment in the world, still are not always happy and optimistic. Why? Because the things and dreams of this life are not eternal, they won’t last forever. We don’t have any kind of guarantee on our health. We don’t have a guarantee on wealth. Jobs that may have appeared to be rock solid with big companies can easily disappear. Marriage does not always last until death separates a couple. We all know the old saying, “The only sure thing in life is death and taxes.” As a result, many people are pessimistic.
Is that your view of life? Have you grown pessimistic toward work, government, schools, or marriage? Do you think God wants you to live your life that way? If you have lived or worked with someone who was always pessimistic; then you know it’s not fun. Not only is their life miserable, but so is everyone else’s around them. But that is not the way God wants us to live. If you live without hope, then one could argue that you may be living without faith. As Christians, we know we shouldn’t have that kind of pessimistic outlook on life, but we do it all the time.
Several years ago a pastor friend of mine was going through some tough times, so his wife came into the kitchen one day wearing all black and looking sad. My friend looked at her and asked, “Who died?” She replied, “God did.” And he said, “What are you talking about? God did not die.” But his wife responded, “Oh, I thought by the way you were acting that He had died.” She wanted to remind him that Jesus was still alive, that there was still hope even in the midst of difficulties. And that is Peter’s point in our second lesson for today. Note the sense of optimism in our opening verses as Peter says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)
No matter how bad life may get, there is always hope, because we have the assurance that Jesus died for the sins of the world, that Jesus died for us, and that God accepted His sacrifice for our sins by raising Him back to life. There is more certainty to life than death and taxes – there is also eternal life with Jesus in His heavenly kingdom. It’s the promise that has given us hope in this world of something that is permanent. Jesus once said, “Because I live, you also will live. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” The great thing about this promise is that it can never perish, spoil, or fade – because it’s in heaven. This is what gives us a living hope, a sense of optimism even in the face of death, because we know that we will live forever. And what’s even better is that Peter promises us that we are shielded by God’s power until God calls us home, which means there is nothing, there is no one who can take your hope away. The only way you can lose it is if you let it go.
Several years ago, my wife, Sue, had been struggling with pain in her knee for quite a while. Finally she went to see the doctor about it and when we left the doctor’s office she was actually smiling. Not because the doctor had taken her pain away, he hadn’t, but when she saw the X-ray the doctor had taken of her knee, she said somewhat joyfully, “I was hoping the doctor would find something in my knee that was causing me pain and he did. I have a torn meniscus, some arthritis, and not a lot of cartilage in my knee.” Now her joyful tone sounded a little strange at first, but she was relieved and actually happy that the doctor discovered a problem in her knee that was causing her pain. Now she knew there really was something wrong. She wasn’t necessarily thrilled when the doctor told her that she needed knee replacement surgery, because there would probably be additional pain in that process, but knowing that the surgery and rehab would strengthen her knee gave her hope that the pain would eventually go away.
The point I am making is: What do you base your hope and happiness on in your life? Many times people are not happy, because they base their happiness on the temporary things of this world. If they’re not happy, then they conclude that God must not love them or they have done something to upset God, because God has the power to make them healthy and wealthy. But God never promised us health, wealth, or a comfortable life in this world.
In the book of Acts, Paul and Silas are put in prison for their faith and telling people about Jesus. During the night they had their feet placed in stocks, which would cause extreme pain and cramps in their legs. But around midnight Paul and Silas were heard singing hymns of praise to God, and Peter tells us in our text that many Christians at this time were doing the same thing while in pain. Peter says in verses 6-8: “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.”
The reason why Peter said they had reason to rejoice is because their suffering would only be temporary. While it may seem long and difficult at the time, nothing could compare to the joy of an eternity in heaven. So when we look at life from this point of view, it helps us to rejoice, because we know that our suffering in this life is only temporary. Peter also reminded his hearers that grief and trials come so that your faith may be proved genuine and would result in praise, glory, and honor at the return of Jesus to this world. So when Peter and his fellow Christians went through persecution, they looked at it as an opportunity to prove to God that they really loved Him. Their goal in life was not to be happy right now, although they would have preferred that, but they were determined to show that their suffering was not going to hurt their faith. Instead, it was going to strengthen their faith. How? Because it would make them turn to Jesus for strength and help. Just like my wife Sue was looking forward to having surgery on her knee, even though she knew there would be additional temporary pain in order to remove the constant pain she had, so we can live with hope and happiness even in the midst of suffering, knowing that eternal life with Jesus is coming for all of us who put their faith in Him. Jesus lives, and so does hope.
