What's Next

At Easter, we celebrate the completed work that allows us to embrace the living hope of the resurrection for all who believe. There is an important difference between optimism and hope. Optimism is a feeling that things might turn out well, but living hope is a firm belief that even when circumstances seem bad, there is still hope because of our risen Lord.

Corrie Ten Boom was arrested in 1944 and survived Ravensbrück concentration camp for helping hide hundreds of Jews and resistance members during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Once, she said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” This powerful quote reminds us that our unseen hope is not based on circumstances but on a deeply trusted and known God.

Easter reminds us that the worst thing isn’t always the final thing. When Jesus died on the cross, his followers thought their hopes died with him. When his body was placed in the grave, they forgot Jesus’ promise to rise on the third day. When the women came to the disciples with the news of Jesus’ resurrection, “they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.” (Luke 24:11). Thomas took it one step further, saying, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” (John 20:25)

The living hope secured for us in the resurrection is rooted in God’s promises. As Paul asks, “Hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he sees?” (Romans 8:24). Identify a "dead end" in your life—a dream that has stalled or a lingering disappointment. How would your perspective shift if you viewed it through the lens of the resurrection? What if this isn't an end, but a fallow season before new growth?

Easter is not just a period at the end of a sentence, but a comma that begins a new chapter. We didn't learn about the resurrection from seeing the empty tomb; we learned about it because we saw and heard about the transformed lives of those who believed and who show the living hope that the resurrection brings.

The "What's Next" of Easter is straightforward but profound: an invitation to live as if death, fear, and failure hold no power over us. You shouldn’t have to wait until next year to feel that strength again; it's accessible in every breath you take. The resurrection provides us with the "living proof" of renewal—the hope of being born again.

Furthermore, because of Easter, you can be a source of light in a world darkened by hopelessness and blind optimism. As a result, we have something more meaningful than just an empty promise of “Things will get better.” Sometimes, life doesn’t improve, but that doesn’t mean we should lose hope.

Paul told the believers in Thessalonica, “We do not grieve as others do who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13) This is more than a simple statement about death; it’s a declaration of identity. Paul is saying: We experience grief, but we don’t dwell in despair. We face loss, but not as those who believe the story ends in the grave. Our sorrow is real, but our hope is even greater because Christ is risen.

What’s next? We can offer encouragement to someone expecting criticism. We can show patience where we usually feel frustration. We can live as people who have a living hope, not a dead one! The empty tomb is not just a past event; it is a present power. Paul says, “The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you.” (Romans 8:11) That means resurrection is not something we merely celebrate—it’s something we embody.

Where others see impossibility, we see God’s power. Where others see endings, we see God starting anew. Where others see despair, we quietly plant seeds of hope. Easter is not just about what happened. It’s about what will happen.

Because Christ rose, we know that death will not have the final word; evil will not write the last chapter; our labor in the Lord is never wasted; and every tear will be wiped away. This hope for the future gives us courage today. We don’t live out of fear—we live out of promise.