[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":85},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Fwe-had-hoped":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Fwe-had-hoped-surround":74},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":10,"columnName":56,"date":57,"description":16,"extension":58,"image":59,"meta":60,"minRead":61,"navigation":62,"path":63,"postType":64,"publication":65,"publicationUrl":59,"seo":66,"stem":67,"topics":68,"__hash__":73},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Fwe-had-hoped.md","We Had Hoped",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9],"Luke",{"type":11,"value":12,"toc":52},"minimark",[13,17,20,23,26,29,32,35,38,41,44],[14,15,16],"p",{},"Last winter a dozen West Virginia miners were trapped after an explosion filled their mineshaft with toxic gas. Rescue workers sprang into action, loved ones kept vigil at a church nearby, and an anxious nation waited to hear about the miners' condition. In the middle of the night word came that most of them had survived, and the good news spread quickly. Church bells rang and hastily printed newspaper headlines read, \"Miners Alive!\" Tragically though, the initial reports were wrong. All but one of the trapped miners died, and the one survivor was pulled from the mine in critical condition.",[14,18,19],{},"It was excruciating for the families to hear good news and then discover that their hopes were unfounded. Riding a roller coaster of emotions, they feared the worst, hoped for the best, and then had to accept the worst again.",[14,21,22],{},"Something similar happened to Jesus' disciples. For three years they traveled with Jesus. Their hopes grew as they pondered his teaching, observed his miracles, and watched him interact with the crowds. They learned to trust him. They came to believe he was the Messiah promised by God through the prophets. Jesus not only preached good news, he was good news. Israel's long awaited Savior had finally arrived.",[14,24,25],{},"But then Jesus told them disturbing news. \"I'm going to suffer,\" he said. \"I'll be killed, and on the third day I'll be raised again to life.\"",[14,27,28],{},"All of this talk about suffering and death was hard for the disciples to reconcile with their high hopes. How could he deliver Israel from its enemies if he was dead? How could he rule as king if he was in the grave?",[14,30,31],{},"Their hearts sank when Jesus' predictions come true. He was arrested, beaten, ridiculed, and condemned in a hastily called trial in the wee hours of the morning. Cruel accusers spit in his face, slapped him, and showered him with insults.",[14,33,34],{},"The disciples had hoped to crown him king, but now he wore a crown of thorns. They had hoped to sit beside him on majestic thrones, but now he was crucified between two thieves. They had seen him heal the sick and cure the blind, but now his hands were immobile, nailed to the cross. They had hoped to live with him forever, but now their hope drained away with every drop of his blood.",[14,36,37],{},"After he was buried they hid behind locked doors, afraid and confused. One downhearted disciple on the road to Emmaus spoke for them all when he said, \"We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel\" (Luke 24:21).",[14,39,40],{},"\"We had hoped.\" But not anymore. \"We had hoped.\" But now they only had questions. \"We had hoped.\" But the initial good news gave way to bitterness and defeat.",[14,42,43],{},"Aren't you glad the story doesn't end there? After agonizing hours of grief and confusion, the disciples heard intriguing reports: Jesus was alive! Their first reaction was doubt and disbelief, but soon they saw indisputable evidence of his resurrection. The tomb was empty. Good news walked among them again.",[14,45,46,47,51],{},"Our lives are emotional roller coasters full of ups and downs, joys and disappointments, glimpses of God's grace mingled with painful reminders that we live in a fallen world. Through the clouds and confusion, one bright ray of sunshine makes all the difference. Christ is risen indeed, so we have hope—we ",[48,49,50],"em",{},"have"," hope—in him.",{"title":53,"searchDepth":54,"depth":54,"links":55},"",2,[],"First Look","2006-04-16","md",null,{},3,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fwe-had-hoped","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":16},"articles\u002Fwe-had-hoped",[69,70,71,72],"Biblical Theology","Church Leadership","Perseverance in Suffering","Holy Week and Resurrection","25wLTSo5_c7ylmI-10Vd10bpAV0VZ7-LjkIhlovxonk",[75,80],{"title":76,"path":77,"stem":78,"description":79,"children":-1},"We Don't Labor in Vain","\u002Farticles\u002Fwe-don-t-labor-in-vain","articles\u002Fwe-don-t-labor-in-vain","The other day my son-in-law asked me a humorous question he had received in an e-mail: \"If you try to fail, and you succeed, which have you done?\"",{"title":81,"path":82,"stem":83,"description":84,"children":-1},"We Have Been There Before","\u002Farticles\u002Fwe-have-been-there-before","articles\u002Fwe-have-been-there-before","Legendary football coach Paul Brown had a big impact on the game. He coached successful teams in high school and college, and served as general manager of the NFL's Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. Brown wore a jacket and tie on game days and took a no-nonsense approach. He expected high levels of discipline from his players, even urging them to mind their table manners in training camp—to eat quietly and keep their elbows off the table.",1790466191857]