WEBVTT 00:01.400 --> 00:02.500 Grace, mercy and peace 00:02.500 --> 00:06.300 be to you from God, our Father and our Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:07.100 --> 00:07.800 Amen. 00:08.900 --> 00:11.100 Our text is the passage just read. 00:13.900 --> 00:15.600 So looking at this text, 00:17.200 --> 00:19.300 we are faced with an immediate question. 00:21.100 --> 00:22.300 What is hope? 00:25.800 --> 00:27.400 It's a hard question, isn't it? 00:29.800 --> 00:34.900 Usually people use the word in positive ways unless they are saying, 00:35.200 --> 00:36.900 hope I hope not. 00:38.000 --> 00:39.200 Which they also say. 00:42.200 --> 00:47.000 Many times, people say, common things about hope, like I hope it won't 00:47.000 --> 00:49.100 rain tomorrow and ruin our picnic. 00:51.200 --> 00:53.700 Or less common, but common at Seminary. 00:54.700 --> 00:57.300 I hope I get an A on the systematics exam. 01:00.500 --> 01:03.300 Or some thought like that. 01:05.500 --> 01:07.000 Hear the term wish 01:08.400 --> 01:11.900 or expect might be a replacement. 01:15.100 --> 01:18.000 I think when the Bible is talking about hope, 01:19.400 --> 01:21.900 when we hear about hope from the word of God, 01:23.000 --> 01:25.100 it has a different deeper meaning. 01:27.100 --> 01:33.300 The Bible tells us hope deferred makes the heart sick 01:35.300 --> 01:38.700 but hopeful filled is a tree of life. 01:40.700 --> 01:41.900 This is from the Proverbs. 01:43.700 --> 01:49.300 Romans chapter 8 tells us but if we hope for what we do not yet have 01:50.100 --> 01:52.500 we wait for it patiently. 01:54.700 --> 01:59.500 Here we have two interesting and useful perspectives on hope. 02:01.300 --> 02:06.200 In the one case hope is described, in terms of what it can do to us. 02:08.199 --> 02:09.000 In the other 02:10.100 --> 02:12.400 what it brings to us. 02:15.400 --> 02:17.200 The heart is made sick 02:17.800 --> 02:21.200 when hope is dashed or deferred. 02:21.900 --> 02:27.100 There is that sinking feeling that things will not be right. 02:28.100 --> 02:33.600 There are thoughts sometimes desperate of how to fix and arrange 02:33.600 --> 02:34.900 things for safety. 02:35.900 --> 02:40.100 Protect oneself from future disappointments that have been coming 02:40.100 --> 02:40.600 along. 02:41.900 --> 02:44.600 I will get to the second half of that verse in a minute. 02:45.600 --> 02:52.700 But suffice it to say that the meaning here is negative and describes 02:52.700 --> 02:53.800 a difficult 02:54.300 --> 02:59.800 and hurtful thing. A thing that we do not like to have in our lives. 03:01.800 --> 03:03.000 Hope deferred. 03:05.200 --> 03:11.000 In the second case, in the second verse, we have a roadmap for hope. 03:12.200 --> 03:19.600 Hope is something that gives the ability to wait patiently. 03:22.500 --> 03:26.900 One of my members once told me, don't ask for patience. 03:28.100 --> 03:31.800 If you ask for patience, God will bring you trouble because that's how 03:31.800 --> 03:34.400 God generates patience is giving you trouble. 03:37.100 --> 03:42.600 The results of hope are patient waiting. 03:44.300 --> 03:49.400 When we have hope we can patiently wait. I don't know if this 03:49.400 --> 03:56.200 classifies as a spiritual gift of God or some other way in which the 03:56.200 --> 03:59.600 Spirit works in us through the word. 04:01.000 --> 04:02.700 But I do know the result. 04:04.000 --> 04:06.600 We can wait patiently. 04:09.400 --> 04:11.700 And now for the second half of that verse, 04:12.900 --> 04:13.800 that I stopped. 04:15.200 --> 04:18.800 The hope fulfilled is a tree of life. 04:20.300 --> 04:25.100 It seems to me this hearkens to the real source of hope the tree in 04:25.100 --> 04:30.800 the garden and the tree of the cross. The Tree of Life in the Garden 04:31.200 --> 04:33.300 is not much discussed in the Bible. 04:34.300 --> 04:39.300 It was not marketed by Satan. Eve was not tempted by the tree. 04:40.500 --> 04:45.800 But God does prevent Adam and Eve from eating from it, after they had 04:45.800 --> 04:50.100 sinned, so that they would not live on forever. 04:51.500 --> 04:56.700 We see it's recapitulation in heaven in the Book of Revelation where 04:56.700 --> 05:01.300 the tree of life grows, along both sides of the way with its leaves 05:01.500 --> 05:03.600 for the healing of the nation's. 05:05.300 --> 05:09.700 But the strongest place we see that tree is in the Bible, in the cross 05:09.700 --> 05:12.600 of Jesus, Jesus Christ. 05:14.400 --> 05:16.600 Oddly, it looks like a tree of death. 05:17.600 --> 05:23.300 But it is for us who see it rightly the place of life. 05:26.100 --> 05:30.900 Here, we see the goodness and mercy of God toward sinners. The 05:30.900 --> 05:31.600 magnificent 05:31.600 --> 05:36.000 love God has for us, exhibited in the great sacrifice 05:36.000 --> 05:38.900 He makes of giving His only begotten 05:38.900 --> 05:45.300 Son. This is truly life for us and death to God's son. 05:46.100 --> 05:52.600 That tragic sacrifice that is also a source of our life. 05:55.300 --> 05:59.800 And, of course, there is the great news that on 06:00.000 --> 06:02.900 third day, Jesus rose from the dead. 06:04.100 --> 06:09.000 As well as Christ being alive and well 06:10.300 --> 06:12.700 meeting women at the graveyard. 06:13.800 --> 06:16.900 Having barbecue with the disciples. 06:17.400 --> 06:18.700 I don't think he was from Texas. 06:18.700 --> 06:19.200 But, you know, 06:20.300 --> 06:25.300 And restoring a double and doubting disciple with the touch of his 06:25.300 --> 06:27.500 hands and side. 06:28.800 --> 06:34.200 And so Jesus touches us telling us behold 06:34.500 --> 06:39.100 blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. 06:44.500 --> 06:48.400 So, now I have to get to the meat of the matter because we do have to 06:48.400 --> 06:49.600 handle the text. 06:51.300 --> 06:54.500 So, what is Peter doing for us in this text? 06:56.000 --> 07:00.500 I would suggest he is providing hope. 07:02.600 --> 07:10.100 That as we read, or listen to this text of scripture, it is filled 07:10.700 --> 07:17.100 with elements that bring us hope, it feeds our hope. 07:19.700 --> 07:22.300 I don't think Lutheran's quite know what to do with this. 07:22.300 --> 07:24.900 You know, we kind of put Peter off there, we like Paul, you know, this 07:24.900 --> 07:29.600 study Paul, study the gospels, but Peter is kind of off on the side. 07:30.700 --> 07:34.100 But here we have Peter giving us real hope. 07:39.300 --> 07:46.600 We have a lively hope through a concrete event, the resurrection of 07:46.700 --> 07:48.100 Jesus Christ. 07:50.300 --> 07:53.800 We have hope in that treasure 07:55.400 --> 07:58.600 that is stored up for us in heaven. 08:01.100 --> 08:04.700 We have hope for these temporary 08:05.900 --> 08:10.900 and limited sufferings that we must suffer through here. 08:13.100 --> 08:20.700 We have hope in a gracious and merciful Lord who shields us in all 08:20.700 --> 08:26.500 things, not allowing us to suffer, beyond what we can bear. 08:28.900 --> 08:36.000 And Christ also matures us in our faith purging out the dross of our 08:36.000 --> 08:37.400 imperfect lives. 08:38.299 --> 08:41.500 Yes, through sufferings in this life, 08:42.500 --> 08:44.000 that what we are in Christ 08:44.000 --> 08:51.900 Jesus might also be revealed in its fullness and purity in heaven. 08:54.500 --> 08:57.400 And we also have joy. 08:58.600 --> 08:59.300 Joy, 09:00.000 --> 09:05.000 we allowed to be joyful, is that allowed or is somber only allowed in 09:05.000 --> 09:05.600 Chapel? 09:07.400 --> 09:09.500 And we have joy in the Jesus 09:09.800 --> 09:12.400 we have not yet fully met. 09:14.700 --> 09:17.400 Not yet encountered directly 09:18.900 --> 09:22.500 except by means of Grace and Faith in the word. 09:23.800 --> 09:26.600 Who is also with us 09:28.600 --> 09:29.900 but who we will see 09:31.100 --> 09:32.100 and touch 09:33.300 --> 09:34.400 and be with 09:35.500 --> 09:40.700 in everlasting, righteousness, innocence and blessedness. 09:42.700 --> 09:48.000 And all of these blessed hopes point to the, ultimate fulfillment of 09:48.000 --> 09:53.200 the Salvation of our souls and our bodies. 09:54.200 --> 09:57.900 And yes, our Spirits in heaven with God. 10:00.300 --> 10:06.600 Peter is creating hope through these words. 10:07.700 --> 10:14.300 A Concrete hope in a concrete Lord, a concrete Resurrection. 10:15.800 --> 10:17.700 A concrete life to come. 10:19.100 --> 10:22.900 A hope that lets us wait patiently. 10:24.500 --> 10:32.600 A hope through victory, over cross and grave that both is and will be 10:32.600 --> 10:36.800 our victory through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 10:37.400 --> 10:38.200 Amen. 10:39.900 --> 10:43.100 And now may the peace of God that passes all understanding 10:43.300 --> 10:47.200 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 10:47.900 --> 10:48.600 Amen.