Resurrection Hope: part four
Welcome to part four of our Easter series, ‘Resurrection Hope’.
In this series, CMS International Director Peter Sholl thinks about four questions that arise after Jesus’ resurrection in short devotionals from Luke 24. This is followed by a short story from a CMS missionary, sharing how they have seen resurrection hope change lives around the world.
In this article, CMS missionary Julie in South East Asia shares the story of Ruth—whose hope in the resurrection brings her peace and assurance amid familial pressure and conflict.
“Do you have anything here to eat?” (Luke 24:41)
Devotional by Peter Sholl
Of all the questions in Luke 24, this is perhaps the plainest. It’s a question many of us might think or be asked daily (especially if we have teenagers in the house). Not only that, but the response to the question in verse 42 is equally boring: “They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.” Not exactly memory-verse-worthy.
And yet, it is deeply profound.
Jesus has already appeared (and disappeared) from Cleopas and his companion, and now he is with the eleven, back in Jerusalem. The eleven are startled and frightened, thinking they are in the presence of some sort of spirit.
Jesus knows their uncertainty so goes to great lengths to show that he is with them in full bodily form. He invites them to use their senses—see me, touch me, hear me. And while they are wandering somewhere in the no-man’s land between disbelief and joy, he requests some food, and eats before them the fish they provide.
While the matter of Jesus being truly physically resurrected seems to be proven, Jesus’ task amongst them is not yet finished. He speaks again, proclaiming his death and resurrection from the Old Testament scriptures—but this time it is not for them alone. He ends with instructions to go and proclaim this great news!
The Easter message is not just a neat intellectual conclusion, and it is not just for us alone. The crucified one who now eats is alive, and because of him, repentance and forgiveness can be proclaimed to all the nations!
What a wonderful saviour. What a wonderful message. Hallelujah.
Resurrection hope brings life
Story by Julie in South East Asia
Certainty in Jesus
Ruth* is a Middle-Eastern believer currently living far from family as she works towards her PhD in my South-East Asian city.
We happened to meet through an international student WhatsApp group as the only two people who wanted to check out a local tourist trap. From that small common interest, we discovered we shared the deepest bond—faith in Jesus.
As Ruth tells me her story of faith leading to commitment and the various oppositions she’s faced since, what stands out clearly is her absolute certainty in Jesus. Hers is a certainty that stems from knowing the Holy Spirit has led her to this faith.
From agnosticism to belief in Jesus
In her teens, Ruth rejected the religion of her family and of the majority where she grew up, preferring agnosticism over the contradictions and uncertainties the people around her ‘just lived with’.
She wasn’t convinced it was okay to ignore the deep-seated social injustices she saw actively taught. Declaring herself agnostic wasn’t a problem to her nominally religious immediate family.
During the pandemic, Ruth happened upon online teaching from a famous Syrian woman, who provided her with Christian answers to some of her deepest concerns.
She was able to pray and read the Bible by joining an online church, but the local church of her city couldn’t accept her for fear of the local authorities. Finally, one pastor agreed to baptise her in secret—a fact she confessed to her family a few months later to prove to them her faith was no temporary phase. She then moved to South East Asia for further study.
Recently, Ruth’s extended family have been putting pressure on her parents because of her decision to follow Christ, in turn putting strain on her parent’s relationship with her.
Ruth is sad but not shaken, saying, “Even though I am stressed and down, I am completely safe because he loves me.”
From death to life
I asked Ruth what resurrection hope meant for her now. She explained how the resurrection describes the feeling that her life before Jesus was a nothingness—devoid of meaning or purpose—but now by faith in Jesus who raises the dead, she feels everything about her is alive.
The contrast from death to life is an undeniable feeling she holds to when her right to exist as a Christian is tested in debate and argument. “If my family followed their rules, they would have to kill me.”
Yet instead of fear, she is bold about her faith, knowing that the life given by Jesus cannot be taken away.
*Name changed for security reasons.
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The message of resurrection hope is not just for us alone—it is to be proclaimed to all the nations! Could you be someone who proclaims this good news cross-culturally? Click here to start a conversation with your local CMS branch today.
