Easter Sunday 2026 - 1 Peter 1:3-5 - Born again to a living hope

One thing i love doing is reading the stories of the Christian greats - well, those we consider great (there are a lot of great people who do what they do in obscurity because they know the reward is in heaven). People who attempted great things for God. Some time back I was reading the story of Hudson Taylor, who went as a missionary to China in the 1800's. He's the guy who said, "‘Depend upon it, God’s work done in God’s way will never lack supplies." He goes off to China where he lives that out. He gave away so much to serve those around him.

When he discovered his future wife, she had an interesting response because not everyone like the idea of them getting married. She wrote,

"‘Though I sometimes feel that the greatest earthly pleasure that I desire is to be allowed to love the individual whom I have mentioned so prominently in my letter, and to hold the closest and sweetest intercourse with him spiritually as well as temporally that two fellow mortals can hold, I desire that he may not hold the first place in my affections. I desire that Jesus may be to me the chiefest among ten thousand, the altogether lovely."

Why was all this possible? Why would Jesus feature so prominently in her life? Why do these two people desire to live so differently, so radically?

The same reason the disciples went from cowardly to corageous. Fearful to faith-filled.

It was the same reason they were willing to die for their faith - without wavering.

It’s the same reason why 3000 people, in Jerusalem, surrendered their lives to Jesus in one day and just 50 days after Jesus was declared dead.

It’s the same reason we are meeting here today.

Because of the resurrection!

1 Peter 1:3–5 CSB

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Before we go too far, we must consider some of the context of this letter. This was written to people driven from their homes and dispersed across Asia-Minor because of their faith. People for whom persecution was real. Often, when times are like that, we lose a bit of perspective. Maybe feel abandoned and forgotten. A lot of the New Testament is written with this kind of audience in mind. Peter wants to encourage these people.

Reminding them that Jesus is alive is key to bringing solid Christian encouragement.

The first thing he shows is this...

1. Because Jesus is alive, we worship

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The first action of the disciples when they saw the risen Christ, was worship - see Matt 28.

1.1. We have every reason to worship! He proves He is the Son of God. He shows that the testrimony of Scripture is true - God became flesh and lived with us.

1.2. We overflow with worship - we respond to who He is and what He has done.

It's as if Paul can't hold himself back because the resurrection fills him with excitement and a heart that worships God.

1 Timothy 1:17 CSB

17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

2. Because Jesus is alive, we are assured of the new birth

The resurrection matters.

1 Corinthians 15:12–20 CSB

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith. 15 Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified wrongly about God that he raised up Christ—whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Those, then, who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. 19 If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone. 20 But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

2.1. We are recipients of great mercy

Our salvation is simply an act of God’s mercy.  It is simply God withholding from us what we rightfully deserve.  Did we deserve our new birth?  No!  Could we have earned it?  No!  It was by God’s mercy that we have been saved

Titus 3:4–5 CSB

4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, 5 he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

This is not a small amount of mercy, this is great mercy.

2.2. He caused us to be born again

He caused us to be born again.

It gives us confidence

What Christ has done is sufficient

What Christ has done is finished.

It says the Gospel is true. We live in light of the Gospel.

Redeemed

Forgiven

Justified

Adopted

This means I live confidently in the finished work of Christ on the cross.

3. Because Jesus is alive the new birth is into a living hope

Hope - what a beautiful word.

Romans 15:13 CSB

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I was listening to Joni Erikson, a woman who has lived as a paraplegic since she was 17 (she is now 76). But the joy and hope that she has. She speaks about how she has such incredible hope for the future.

In the movie called "The Shawshank Redemption" one of the lead characters, Andy, writes to Red and says, "Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

We have a real hope.

3.1. It’s a grounded hope

Note it's through the resurrection. Because Jesus has conquered the grave we have hope. .”  Because Christ rose from the dead, you and I live with hope.  What can man do to me? With a living hope, fear is dispelled, anxiety is broken and shame is removed. In some ways, death becomes attractive – because we go home.

3.2. The promise of the hope

Its to an inheritancce

Imperishable - not capable of corruption

Undefiled - not corrupted by sin

Unfading - We are so used to fading treasures, this doesn’t!

i. The inheritance is not of this world. 

Those 3 things can happen to anything in this world. We know this world will pass away.  In the Old Testament the promised inheritance was focused on the land of Canaan.  They lost that through their disobedience.  Ours does not perish.

ii. It is a future event to be realised.

“Kept in heaven for you.” It is ours already waiting for the day when Christ returns and all that has been prepared will be handed over and what is our hope will become real.

iii. It is an eternal inheritance.

It gives us a picture of the glory of heaven, a place that is for the believer in Jesus Christ, a place where there will be “no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

3.3. A secure hope

Kept in heaven for you. Jesus said, “No one can snatch you out of my hand.. no one can snatch you out of my Father’s hand.“  If today you are a child of God, you are shielded by God’s power, and will be “until the coming of salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” 

Edmund Clowney sums it all up like this, “Our hope is anchored in the past; Jesus Rose! Our hope remains in the present; Jesus lives! Our hope is complete in the future; Jesus is coming!”