Even Our Bodies Have Hope

Passage to be read: Acts 2:22-36

For David said this about Him: 
"I keep the Lord before me always.

Because He is close by my side, I will not be hurt. So I am glad, and I rejoice.

Even my body has hope, because you will not leave me in the grave.

You will not let your Holy One rot. You will teach me how to live a holy life. 

Being with you will fill me with joy."

(Psalm 16:8-11 | Acts 2: 25-28)

Keep the Lord before you always, and you will never be hurt. Remember to keep Him closer to you, because He is always close by your side. Even in the hopeless circumstances remember that God is near, by your side.

While reading through this powerful passage from Acts-chapter 02, we find Peter referring to this amazing passage from David's Psalm as he stood for the first time in front of the crowds to speak out, to proclaim and to begin a powerful ministry. And this is one of the reasons, I believe, which gave the great start for this powerful ministry that followed. 

Led by the Holy Spirit, with the God-given-wisdom, Peter touches the most important question of everyone's life. "Is there hope beyond life?"

In the midst of fading hopes we stand and wonder where this road would lead us to. Sometimes, our minds calculate and find the answer to be 'zero hopes'. But we must remember that there is our God beyond all these. A God who assures and promises, and in miraculous ways He fulfills His promises. The least hope someone would have is to live. And even when a person's life ends the hope continues. The hope continues for the soul but not for the body! Isn't it? Now let me remind you, this is where the gospel ministry that begins with Peter's sermon wins! Yes! A life after death, not only for the soul but also for the body, in the fellowship of Christ. 

Three beautiful truths I would like to draw from today's passage.

"Even my body has hope, because you will not leave me in the grave.

You will not let your Holy One rot. 
You will teach me how to live a holy life." (Psalm 16:9-11)

The first truth. Even our bodies have hope! Just imagine, the dead-end for human beings on earth is just a milestone for God. He has a life for us beyond our boundaries. God has hope for our bodies too. It is through the faith that we have that one day all the  bondage of the graves would be broken and we will arise with God. Then imagine, how much God cares for the little things in our lives. If God could promise a hope for our bodies beyond death, imagine how much more for the little things in our life? God is, indeed, by our side and He has hope for our lives even beyond the gates of death.

The second truth. God has assured this hope through the life and resurrection of Christ Jesus. We find that David finds his assurance prophetically from God's 'Holy One'. David says, "You will not let your Holy One rot" and that is Christ Jesus. And Peter, refers to this passage from Psalm of David, to assure to the ones around Him that Christ Jesus's resurrection gives us life, new hope. 

Now the third truth is a result of the first and the second. 

'Our bodies have hope' and 'God did not let His Holy One rot'. 

Yes, hope beyond life comes through Holiness in God!

We find Peter carefully mentioning the third truth that lays the foundation for the need to live a holy life. Even though our bodies have hope, this hope is assured through a holy life. Wow! Isn't that amazing? Christ Jesus lived a life of Holiness and God did not let His Holy One rot in the grave. 

Does that strike you? Is the realization making a change in your whole perspective? It would be great if we realise the third truth with a heart of acceptance, and that is, 'there is hope for us beyond the end of this earthly life, when our lives have been holy. And that is the same exact reason why David concludes the assurance with these words - "You will teach me how to live a holy life." Even to live a Holy Life, David totally depends totally on God. 

I pray that God will teach us to live a holy life. Let the yearning to live a holy life grow in us day by day, and lead us into the assurance of life and hope beyond the end of this earthly life. 

Thanking God for this great assurance!

May God bless you.

Yours in Christ,