He Is Risen | Cory Johnson

Devotional

Day 1: The confident belief that the best is yet to come.

Hope is not a mere wish or a fleeting desire; it is a confident expectation rooted in something secure. It is the anchor for the soul, providing stability and perspective in the midst of life's uncertainties. This kind of hope protects us from drifting into despair, cynicism, and apathy. It is the foundational promise that our future is held by a faithful God. We are invited to place our trust not in what might be, but in what will be because of His character. [01:08]

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3 ESV)

Reflection: As you consider your outlook on the future, what is one specific area where you are currently tempted toward cynicism or despair? How might anchoring your hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ change your perspective on that situation?

Day 2: The painful risk of placing hope in what cannot last.

Human hope is often met with disappointment because it is placed in things that are inherently temporary and imperfect. Relationships, careers, financial security, and personal achievements are all good things, but they are flawed vessels that cannot securely hold our deepest hopes. When these things fail to meet our expectations, the resulting pain can feel crushing. This disappointment warns us against investing our ultimate confidence in anything created. We are reminded to examine where we have placed our trust. [04:24]

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.” (Jeremiah 17:5-6 ESV)

Reflection: Where have you recently experienced the pain of a disappointed hope because you trusted in something or someone that was ultimately unable to fulfill you? What did that experience reveal about the object of your hope?

Day 3: The resurrection provides the only secure foundation for hope.

The empty tomb stands as historical evidence that Jesus Christ conquered sin and death. His resurrection validates every promise He made, proving that His power is greater than any obstacle we face. Because He is alive, our hope is not based on a philosophy or a sentiment, but on a living person. This reality transforms hope from a fragile wish into a confident assurance. Our future is secure because it is grounded in His finished work and His eternal life. [06:47]

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead… (1 Corinthians 15:17-20a ESV)

Reflection: How does the historical reality of the resurrection of Jesus provide you with a different kind of confidence than hoping in a positive outcome or a personal desire?

Day 4: Even in doubt, we are invited to seek the risen Christ.

Moments of confusion and disbelief are a natural part of the human experience of faith. The initial reaction to the news of the resurrection was not immediate, full-fledged belief, but perplexity and skepticism. Yet, even in that state of doubt, the invitation was extended to come and see for themselves. God is not threatened by our questions or our need for evidence. He meets us in our uncertainty and calls us to investigate the truth of His promises. [14:21]

So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. (John 20:2-3 ESV)

Reflection: What is one question or doubt you currently have about your faith? What would it look like for you to actively bring that doubt to God and seek His truth in it this week?

Day 5: A living hope restores what was lost and secures what is to come.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ reverses the despair of our failures and the finality of our losses. It speaks directly into our moments of deepest regret, shame, and hopelessness, declaring that no failure is beyond redemption. Because He lives, our past can be forgiven, our present can be empowered, and our future is guaranteed. This living hope is an inheritance that is kept secure for us, not by our own strength, but by the power of God. [25:20]

…into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:4-5 ESV)

Reflection: Is there a past failure or regret that still feels like a source of despair for you? How does the truth of the resurrection and the promise of a secured, eternal inheritance speak into that specific memory?

Sermon Summary

Easter centers on hope understood not as wishful thinking but as a confident expectation that the best is yet to come. The distinction between casual hopes—like sports wins or good weather—and the deeper hope anchored in the resurrection sets the foundation for life that resists cynicism and despair. Misplaced hope in people, careers, money, or relationships functions like pouring water into cracked cisterns: those things fail to hold and will leave a person empty. The prophet’s warning about broken cisterns serves as a call to examine where confidence rests.

The resurrection of Jesus alone secures a living hope. The empty tomb, the rolled-away stone, the guards, and the angelic declaration together point to a concrete event that validates hope beyond sentiment. Peter’s dramatic response—running to the tomb and finding only the linen cloths—reveals how the reality of resurrection converts despair into amazement and restores everything a person has risked for Jesus. Even disciples who heard Jesus predict his rising wrestled with the news; the narrative preserves their honest doubt while also showing how resurrection transforms fear into confidence.

Peter later frames that hope theologically: new birth into a living hope comes through the resurrection, promising an inheritance that does not decay and a salvation guarded by God’s power. The resurrection guarantees that sin’s barrier between humanity and God does not stand permanently; Christ’s life, death, and rising accomplish a real exchange—sin removed, righteousness given—and secure a future that no earthly disappointment can eliminate. The call becomes practical and urgent: choose an anchor for hope that will not leak away. Placing hope in the risen Christ offers a durable, forward-looking assurance that reshapes how loss, failure, and suffering get interpreted. Hope grounded in the resurrection does not remove hardship, but it reframes suffering within the promise of redemption and final restoration, enabling perseverance, courage, and a patient longing for what God will complete.

Key Takeaways

1. Hope as confident expectation (6 words) Hope stands as a forward-looking conviction that reality will be improved by God’s action. This hope differs from optimistic wishing because it rests on God’s demonstrated victory over death. It reshapes suffering into anticipation and calls for endurance rather than resignation. [00:51]
2. Don’t pour life into broken cisterns (5 words) Investing ultimate confidence in idols—people, careers, money—guarantees eventual emptiness because created things cannot bear ultimate weight. The prophet’s image of cracked cisterns warns against building identity and future on anything that cannot hold eternity. Redirecting longings toward what endures prevents the slow erosion of soul and purpose. [05:53]
3. Resurrection creates a living hope (4 words) The empty tomb changes hope from abstract wish to grounded assurance by demonstrating God’s power to reverse death and ratify God’s promises. That living hope issues in a sure inheritance and divine guarding, sustaining faith through persecution and loss. It orients time toward a secure future rather than a remembered past. [16:28]
4. Evidence validates hope’s claim (4 words) Historical details—the rolled stone, Roman guards, angelic witnesses—bolster confidence that the resurrection is a real event, not myth. Those facts transform doubt into amazement and justify risking everything on Jesus’ promises. When hope rests on verified reality, courage follows. [08:58]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:11] - Easter’s central hope
[00:51] - Wishful vs. confident hope
[05:21] - Jeremiah: broken cisterns
[06:47] - Hope anchored in resurrection
[07:31] - Women arrive at the tomb
[08:58] - Stone, guards, and evidence
[13:09] - Report meets disbelief
[14:52] - Peter runs to the tomb
[16:28] - Living hope in 1 Peter
[23:26] - Resurrection’s saving exchange
[26:05] - Invitation: hope in Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Luke 24:1–12 (ESV)
1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

1 Peter 1:3–5 (ESV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Observation questions

What details in Luke 24:1–12 point to the resurrection being a real historical event rather than a myth or legend?
How did the women and the apostles initially respond to the news that Jesus had risen?
What specific words does Peter use in 1 Peter 1:3–5 to describe the inheritance believers have through Jesus’ resurrection?
According to the sermon, what was Peter’s emotional and spiritual state before he heard the news of the empty tomb? [17:22]

Interpretation questions

Why is the reality of the resurrection so important for having a “living hope” rather than just wishful thinking?
How does hope grounded in the resurrection change the way a person views suffering, failure, or disappointment in life?
In what ways can placing hope in things like careers, relationships, or money function like “pouring water into broken cisterns”? [05:53]
Why might someone who believes in Jesus still struggle with doubt or fear, as the disciples did even after seeing the risen Christ? [13:34]

Application questions

What are some practical ways you can remind yourself daily that your hope is anchored in the resurrection rather than in changing circumstances?
Where have you recently placed your hope in something that left you feeling empty or disappointed? How can you redirect that hope toward Christ?
How does the truth that your inheritance is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” affect your decisions about what you pursue and value in life?
When facing difficulty, what would it look like to interpret your situation through the lens of resurrection hope rather than despair?
Is there an area of your life where you’ve been tempted toward cynicism or apathy because of disappointed hopes? How can the resurrection renew your sense of expectation?
What would it look like to live this week with boldness and courage, knowing that your future is secured by God’s power and not your own ability?
How can you encourage someone else this week who is struggling to believe that the best is yet to come because of Jesus?

Sermon Clips

52s

#JesusIsAlive

“That today, he offers us this exchange. He will take away our sin and give us his righteousness so that we can be reconciled back to God. And we can be promised an eternal secure future with him. That is our hope. That is what we are standing on, and we're confident of it because Jesus is alive. If Jesus is not alive, man, let's close the book. Let's go home. Let's find something else to do with our Sundays. Let's chase something else. But if Jesus is actually alive, then that promise, that hope is alive and well for us to have and to live in today. What are we hoping in? What are you gonna hope in today? What is your promise for a better future?”

44s

#ReconciledThroughChrist

“Our hope is that that Jesus came to fix what we broke. Our confidence for a better tomorrow is that that that God didn't just talk about making a way for us to to be reconciled, but but he actually did that. We have all sinned. That's what the scripture tells us, and we all know it. None of us are perfect. Whatever the standard is, all of us have fallen short of it. We've all walked away from God's perfect standard, and we've put sin in between us and God, separating us from his presence. And and the scripture tells us the wages of sin is death. And that's much more than just a physical death. That's a separation from God himself who is life, who is light.”

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He Is Risen | Cory Johnson

Devotional

Day 1: The confident belief that the best is yet to come.

Day 2: The painful risk of placing hope in what cannot last.

Day 3: The resurrection provides the only secure foundation for hope.

Day 4: Even in doubt, we are invited to seek the risen Christ.

Day 5: A living hope restores what was lost and secures what is to come.

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

He Is Risen | Cory Johnson

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