Looking to Jesus: Our Hope, Power and Victory

Love paid a price for hope to come true. ~Susan Gadis

The resurrection of Jesus is both the end… and the beginning of our Christian faith. The death of Jesus put an end to the Old Covenant with all its rules, symbolized by the veil in the temple being torn in two (Mark 15:38). His death ratified a New Covenant, a better covenant, which was established on better promises (Hebrews 8:6). God then raised him from the dead and anointed him as our High Priest to minister to those he promised us.

Easter symbolizes everything we hold dear in our Christian faith. Jesus’ demonstration of love, obedience, and sacrifice established a new relationship between God and his people. But this one, having offered one sacrifice for sins forever, has sat down at the right hand of God from now on, waiting until his enemies are made his footstool. (Hebrews 10:12-13).

When God made a covenant with Abraham, he ratified it with the blood of animals and birds (see Gen. 15). Our New Covenant, however, was ratified with Jesus’ own blood (see John 20:17).

Blood pacts are deeply ingrained in the human experience. American Indians become blood brothers. Husbands and wives become one with the shedding of blood. In ancient times, families, tribes, and peoples created blood pacts for protection, loyalty, support, and profit.

A blood pact is a form of adoption. Neither part is singular; now they are one. It is the strongest relationship bond known to mankind. Two parties exchange everything they are or have for the benefit of the other. In our case, the New Covenant forever sealed our access to all the riches and power of heaven. This is why the communion ceremony is so powerful; reaffirms our Covenant with Almighty God and his Son, Jesus, our Savior, Lord and High Priest.

God declared, “I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16). Why?… to display in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:5-7).

You can imagine? God wants to show us his abundant riches and goodness! he wants to hurt us much more abundantly than you can ask or think, according to the power that acts in us (Ephesians 3:20). These are just three of our promises in the Resurrection.

Jesus our hope

through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:2)

Hope means expectant anticipation. No matter what’s going on in your life, hope clings to God’s promises, waiting for things to change. As born again believers, we look forward to spending eternity in heaven because of Jesus. Why? Because God said so! But God wants us to have a good life here on earth too. He wants us to hope in ALL of his promises. Peter explained that we were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ… so that your faith and hope may be in God (I Peter 1:19,21).

The covenant hope comes from The Word. David said, “You are my refuge and my shield; I hope in your word” (Ps. 119:114). Paul explained in Romans that we have access by faith to the grace and favor of God. Faith – putting our absolute trust in God’s Word alone – is the substance of the things we hope for. Hope, along with faith, loudly declares God’s promises of health, prosperity, peace, joy, and deliverance, believing they will be fulfilled.

Jesus our power

Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with confidence, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.(Hebrews 4:16).

The power of God is demonstrated throughout the Bible. From the creation and parting of the Red Sea to the miracles of Jesus and the acts of the Apostles, we see physical circumstances dominated by the voice of Almighty God. The greatest demonstration of his power was the resurrection of Jesus from the abyss of hell. How did He do all the mighty works of it? Speaking words from his mouth. Everything He says has the power within itself to come to pass. And He transferred that power to us through Jesus!

As joint heirs with Him, we have the power to speak His Word. Jesus, as our High Priest, is ready to ratify our words spoken in faith. The God of Israel is the one who gives strength and power to his people (Ps. 68:35). That power is inherent in the Word of God, but we also need strength to patiently endure until manifestation. Faith clings to the Word, knowing He gives strength to the weak, and to those who have no strength, he increases their strength. (Isaiah 40:29).

Jesus our victory

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:57).

Hope and power lead to victory. Born-again believers have an advantage that the rest of the world lacks. For he who is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith (I John 5:4).

Think about Jesus’ mission on earth. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel [good news] To the poor He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free. (Luke 4:18). The Amplified says those who are ‘oppressed, bruised, crushed and broken by calamity’.

Healing, deliverance, restoration and freedom are part of our Covenant. Jesus never turned away anyone who asked for healing or restoration. He brought victory wherever he went. He never said, “You don’t deserve it.” In fact, the Bible says that He only said and did what the Father told Him to do and say, so everything He did was an example of the Father’s will. God wants to do you good and bring you victory where you need it.

yes an amen

Sometimes we feel like God is telling us no, not now, or just ignoring us, but that’s not true. Because all the promises of God in Him are ‘yes’; and in Him ‘amen’ to the glory of God for us (2 Corinthians 1:20). It is a covenant society. Jesus is the Mediator, but the power works ‘for us’ as his representatives on this earth. God’s promises are always ‘yes and amen’, but it takes our faith to make the connection with the Divine provision. Both parties are needed to make a strong pact.

God called us to be His family, to receive all the generosity and blessing that He can bestow. We are not only his covenant partners, we are his sons and daughters. And if you belong to Christ, then you are descendants of Abraham and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:29).

If he were named heir, I’m willing to bet he’d be ready and waiting to receive what he was promised. You would call the lawyer and say, “Hey, it’s me. I’m entitled to that and I want it. What do I have to do to get it?” Then you would do whatever it takes to get what you were promised.

The same is true with the New Covenant of grace. The grace of God has made everything available to you through the blood of Christ and the Word of promise. Look to Jesus, hold on to his promises and take your stand. You have the supernatural hope, power, and victory you need to see them through, all because of the Resurrection.