Christian Hope in Hopeless Times

5th Sunday in Lent, 3/29/20
Ezekiel 37:1-14


Christian Hope in Hopeless Times
I. God’s almighty power is in his word.
II. God’s Holy Spirit gives life.


Tragedies have a way of causing hopelessness. Nearly two years ago we watched wildfires marching relentlessly across almost 2 million acres in California. Imagine living in their path. What would you do? What could you do? Hopeless.

A couple months ago we heard reports of flooding just a few hundred miles south of us. Days of torrential rains caused streams and rivers to overflow their banks. Roads and homes were destroyed by feet of rising water. Imagine watching as the waters rise up the walls of your home. What would you do? What could you do? Hopeless.

It’s been 10 months since tornadoes wreaked havoc in our area. A few weeks ago, they ripped through the Nashville area. Have you ever been through a tornado? Other than heading to the safest place in your home along with your loved ones, as you hear what sounds like a freight train approaching, what would you do to prevent it from leveling your home? What could you do? Hopeless.

And now it’s COVID-19. The entire nation is on alert. By and large people are doing what they can to stop its spread, but still thousands of people are testing positive. Hundreds are dying every day. Other than literally locking every person in their home, what more can we do? What could you do? Hopeless.

Now imagine being attacked by an enemy nation. You had heard it was possible, but you hoped it wouldn’t happen. But it did. And it was worse than you ever imagined. The enemy not only defeated our military forces, it destroyed our cities, burned beautiful buildings to the ground, plundered everything of value. Worst of all, you and the rest of the people of our nation were forced into exile. Everything in your life was now gone. What would you do? What could you do? Hopeless.

But that’s what happened to God’s people in the Old Testament. They had been overrun by the Babylonians and now were in exile. Every one of their dreams for the future had been dashed. Many of their loved ones had been killed. Their property and homes were a distant memory. What would they do? What could they do? Hopeless.

That’s the situation before us this morning here in Ezekiel 37. God’s people were hopeless, and rightly so. So, what did God do about it? He did what he always does. He shares his word with them. And that’s exactly what they needed. That’s exactly what we need, because it’s in the word of our God that we have hope—certain and eternal hope. Christian hope in hopeless times. Let’s see what that hope is and how our God bestows it to us.

Part I.

Talk is cheap. Whether it comes from a blustering politician, an enterprising home remodeler, or a well-meaning friend, talk is cheap. What’s important—what’s critical, even—is what they do. Will they follow through? Will their intentions bear fruit? Will they do as they say?

But talk is never cheap when those words come from the mouth of God. Do you recall the very first words on record that God spoke? He simply said, “Let there be,” and there was. Imagine that. Using nothing but his word, he called all things into being, from the smallest atom to the vastest universe, they all came into being simply when God spoke.

Keep that in mind as we spend a minute in the sandals of God’s prophet, Ezekiel. He wrote, “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.” This was one of the visions that the Lord gave to Ezekiel, and what a vision it was! A valley full of dry bones. Bones everywhere. Picked clean. Bleached by the sun. A dramatic vision of death. What could be “more dead” than a valley full of bones?

But a better question is, “What did this vision mean?” Recall the situation. God’s Old Testament people, the nation of Israel, the one which God had chosen to be his special people, the nation with whom God had established his covenant, was in exile in Babylon. Many of them had been exiled before Jerusalem and its temple had been destroyed. By and large, their hope had been to return to Jerusalem, but now that it had been destroyed, their hope had dried up. Their dream of returning to their property and homes had evaporated, like mist in a desert. In their way of thinking, they had no better chance of returning home than these bones surrounding Ezekiel had to come to life. They were hopeless.

But listen again to the Lord’s solution to their dashed hopes and dreams. The Lord directed Ezekiel, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” The word “prophesy” means to proclaim God’s word. God’s solution to the problem of dry bones was to speak his word. God’s solution to the hopelessness of his people was for Ezekiel to speak God’s word to them.

But isn’t that a rather “weak” solution? Wouldn’t an act of God such as a miracle be a better solution?

Recall again whose word it is and what his word does. He once said, “Let there be,” and an entire universe came into being. His word has power, almighty power. God’s word has the power to bring you to faith—a miracle—and to strengthen your faith—another miracle. And it happens over and over again throughout lives. And the Lord always keeps his word. He always does what he says he’s going to do. And that, my friends, is Christian hope in hopeless times. God’s almighty power is in his word.

Today he speaks that almighty to you and me. Are you fearful? Your God tells you, “Fear not, for I am with you.” Are you doubtful? Your God says, “I am your rock, your solid foundation.” Are you lonely? Your God says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Are you worried about your future? Your God says, “Your times are in my hands.” Are you feeling a little vulnerable? Your God says, “I am your shield.” Not sure which way to go? Your God says, “Follow me. I’m your Good Shepherd.”

Did you notice a pattern? He meets all our needs with his almighty word. But how can we be sure? Because he met our greatest need in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Without a Savior, we would truly be hopeless. But our God kept his word and sent his Son. That Son’s love for you caused him to live for you and sacrifice himself for you. He rose again to assure you that everything he says to you is true. And with that word, he turns hopelessness into hopefulness. That’s Christian hope in hopeless times.

Part II.

I’m guessing nearly every one of you has seen it on a TV drama series. Some of you have witnessed it in person. I’ve witnessed it several times during my ministry, most often involving a member of this congregation. I’m talking about watching a heart monitor in a hospital room that’s attached to a loved one, and you know that death is near. The line on the monitor faintly rises and falls, with ever increasing distance between the peaks and valleys. And then it happens. A flat line. Your loved one is dead. And that’s it. It’s so final.

Ezekiel had “death” all around him in this vision. Devastatingly hopeless. But not to his God, our God. Listen to what our God says, “O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.” The Lord promised to bring his dead people to life.

And that’s his promise to you as well. These words are most likely not a reference to the great Christian hope and truth of the resurrection in glory on the Last Day. They are better taken as a reference to the spiritual life that God the Holy Spirit creates in us when he brings us to faith in Jesus and makes us members of a new and eternal kingdom. In effect, our God is telling us, “I know how hopeless your life seems to be at times. I know how tragic it can be. I know that you often strive for solutions to problems but never attain the success you had hoped for. I know that sickness and disease seem to march on in spite of your efforts to contain and eliminate them. I know how harassed and tired you are. And here’s my hope for you: that I have given you life with me, a life that will never end, a life of bliss and glory. I know that might seem distant now, but it’s the truth, the truth that sustains you in hopeless times. I have a perfect life in store for you. And it’s yours because you have life with me now through faith in Jesus.” That’s the only life that really matters.

And that, my friends, is Christian hope in hopeless times. God’s Holy Spirit gives us life.

We’re praying that soon we won’t have to hear another word about the number of victims COVID-19 has claimed. We look forward to that day and our God will bring it. But realize that death will still continue. Funeral homes will always have clients waiting for them. Some day it will be for me, for you. Hopeless?

Not at all! Because God the Holy Spirit has already given you the life that really matters, the life that never ends, the life which brings bliss and glory with your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There’s your Christian hope in hopeless times. May the Holy Spirit fill you with that hope! Amen.