Is there any hope?

"It'll probably be fine." That's what people say when they're nervous before an exam or waiting for news. It's a nice thought, and sometimes it's right. But what about when things clearly aren't fine?

Compare it with a rock climber halfway up a cliff who says, "I know who's holding the rope." That's a different kind of confidence. It doesn't depend on how things look; it depends on who you're trusting. If the world is as broken as the Bible says, and the problem runs through every human heart, then the fourth big question really matters: is there any hope?

What you'll learn

• The difference between optimism and the hope the Bible talks about
• How God's promise to Abraham begins his plan to rescue the world
• What Isaiah 53 says about a "suffering servant", and why Christians see Jesus in it

Optimism or hope?

Optimism is a feeling that things will probably work out. Biblical hope is confident trust in a God who has promised something and always keeps his word. Optimism tends to collapse when things look terrible. Biblical hope is designed for exactly those moments, because it doesn't come from us.

God's rescue plan begins

After Genesis 3, things got worse: Cain murdered his brother, violence filled the earth, and people built a tower to make a name for themselves. Then God speaks to one man, Abram (later called Abraham):

"I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:2–3)

Notice two things. First, God's answer to a cursed world is a blessing, and it's for "all the families of the earth", not just one nation. Second, God starts small: with one old, childless couple. Hope often starts that way. Centuries later, Paul said this promise was the good news about Jesus announced ahead of time (Galatians 3:8).

The suffering servant

About 700 years before Jesus, the prophet Isaiah described a mysterious "servant" of God. (A complete copy of Isaiah found among the Dead Sea Scrolls was made over 100 years before Jesus was born, so this wasn't written after the events.) Here's the heart of it:

"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:5–6)

Look at the little words: "our", "we", "us". The servant suffers for other people, in their place. Christians call this substitution. And it answers last lesson's diagnosis: if the problem is in every heart ("We all like sheep have gone astray"), then someone needs to carry it for us.

Here's how some of the details line up with Jesus' life:

To be fair, many Jewish readers understand the servant to be the nation of Israel. But from the very first church (Acts 8:30–35), Christians have read Isaiah 53 as being about Jesus. You can look at the details and weigh it for yourself.

One thing stands out either way: in Isaiah, hope comes through suffering, not by avoiding it. That's very different from most hopes in the world.

Other hopes, fairly

Secular materialism puts its hope in human progress: science, medicine, education and kindness can make life better. That progress is real and worth working for, and Christians have been leaders in hospitals, schools and science. But progress can be lost, and it can't undo past injustice or death. In the very long run, scientists expect the sun to die and the universe to run down. Some materialists face this bravely and choose to find meaning now, but there's no final hope.

"Be true to yourself" puts its hope in me: I can become my best self if I stay true to who I am. It's right that change is possible and that people need encouragement not to give up. But if the problem is partly in me, can I be my own rescuer? And what about the days I let myself down?

The Bible's hope is different. It comes from outside us, from a God who keeps his promises.

Key words

• Optimism: a feeling that things will probably work out.
• Biblical hope: confident trust in a God who has made promises and keeps them.
• Covenant promise: a binding promise God makes to his people, like his promise to Abraham.
• Substitution: one person taking another's place, especially taking their punishment.

How this points to Jesus

The promise to bless every family on earth, and the servant who suffers in our place, both come together in Jesus. He was rejected, pierced, silent before his accusers, buried in a rich man's tomb, and then raised to life. Christians believe he is the one through whom God's blessing reaches people from every nation, including you.

Think about it

Take it further

Think about where you usually look for hope when things go badly: a person, a plan, your own effort? Is that hope strong enough for the worst days? Try reading all of Isaiah 52:13–53:12 this week. Your worksheet helps you match Isaiah's details to Jesus and add the "Is there any hope?" row to your worldview table.

If you'd like to, you could pray: Faithful God, thank you that your promises don't fail. When things look hopeless, help me trust you. Amen.