1 Peter 1:3-5

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..” vs. 3

This little letter was probably sent from the Christian community in Rome and carried the name of Peter, who Roman Catholics regard as the first pope. It’s addressed to the large community of believers living in Asia Minor, present day Turkey. Most of them, a mixture of Jews and Greeks, had likely come to faith some years before as the result of Paul’s missionary journey through this region. Peter starts his letter with a blessing directed to God, through whom believers had received a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Because belief in the resurrection has been reinforced by the use of the Apostles’ Creed through the centuries it’s hard to comprehend just what a radical teaching this was. Think of it! These people had come to believe in one generation that death was not the end and that resurrection awaited all the faithful. It was mind-boggling!

And that same hope now belongs to us, and we celebrated it with enthusiasm just last Sunday. The call and response comes easily to us as we worship, “Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!” We know what that means. And blessed are those for whom it is the center of faith!

Thought for the Day: How do I describe my resurrection hope?