1 Peter 3:15
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defence to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
I recently had someone ask me “why do you Christians sing and dance”. In short, the person wanted a reason for my hope. What makes you happy? What is it that keeps you going? Why do you still trust God with everything you are going through?
What reasons are there for the hope we have in Christ? I am sure you and I will have many reasons for our hope in Christ Jesus.
However, I want to draw your attention to a scripture in the bible which encapsulates one of the greatest reasons for our hope in Christ Jesus.
Jesus in John 6 had introduced Himself as the Bread of Life, in John 6:51
51 “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
This was probably one of the most difficult things for the Jews to comprehend because they took Jesus’ words literarily, but Jesus was speaking figuratively. This was a figurative description of what Christ came to do. Jesus made it clear to them that eternal life is gained by believing in Him. Just as bread nourishes and gives sustenance, Jesus was telling His disciples that He was that bread that came from heaven to give not just an ordinary life but an abundant life and through His blood, eternal life. A lot of the disciples began to leave Jesus because this was a hard saying for them, they became offended.
Sometimes some Christians can be like these Jewish disciples, when they feel that the answers they get from their prayers do not align with their expectations They give up or walk away from the faith. Some get offended, because they do not like what they hear. I pray that you and I will not fall into that category in Jesus name.
When Jesus looked around Him and saw that most of His disciples had left, he turned to His twelve disciples and asked do you want to leave also. Peter’s answer gives us a reason for the hope we have in Christ.
68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
The answer to our hope is that Jesus has “the word of eternal life”, He is the anointed one and He is the son of the living God. His blood speaks of better things than the blood of Abel.
He is the alpha and omega
He is the soon coming king.
He is the risen Lord
He is the Saviour of the world
He is the one who brought us out of the miry clay and set our feet upon the rock.
Peter said in verse 69 “Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”.
This is the reason for our hope, that Jesus is who He says He is. We have come to believe, no matter what the enemy throws at us. He is the son of the living God.
Our hope is built on nothing else but on Jesus Christ and that is why Peter says sanctify Him in your heart. That is to set Jesus apart in our hearts, to hold Him in high esteem and not allow anything to corrupt our hearts concerning Him and who He is.
Hold on to the hope you have in Jesus Christ, that way you can give an answer for the reason of our hope to others.
