Witnessing Hope Die

Friday April 2, 2021

Created by Sammy DiBaiso

Mark 15:34 (NIV)

“And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

Devotion

The word for hope in the Biblical Greek is ἐλπίς. In addition to “hope,” ἐλπίς can also mean expectation or anticipating welcome. ἐλπίς is present throughout the New Testament, but it is not found in any of the four gospels.

Maybe that is because in the gospels there was no need for hope, expectation, or an anticipating welcome because Jesus was already with them. There was no need to wait when God was in their midst. Rather than ἐλπίς, it’s Jesus in the gospels who embodies hope.

Today we witness Jesus, who embodies our hope, die on the cross. It’s hard to witness hope die. It’s hard to witness Jesus’ death by crucifixion that was put on public display. It is hard to hear Jesus cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34) Witnessing hope die is painful. It’s gut wrenching. It’s grief ridden. Rather than feeling our grief deep in our bones, it’s easier for us to jump over today and jump headfirst into easter.

Yet, in our grief, we cannot afford to move towards Easter until we reckon with the reality of witnessing hope die. We are called like our biblical ancestors, just as we find ἐλπίς, hope, throughout the New Testament, to wait.

Today we witness Jesus die on the cross, yet in our witness we will wait in our ἐλπίς, need for hope, expectations, and anticipating welcome. Let us be still, watch, and wait for the hope that is coming.

Prayer

Good and gracious God, help us to find hope in this weary season. Amen.