Hanging Our Hearts on Hope (Colossians 3:1-4)

Below is my Easter sermon from Colossians 3. You can check out the audio here. You should also subscribe to our podcast which can be found here.

He is risen! He is risen indeed.

He is risen! He is risen indeed.

If there’s one thing - that the resurrection of Jesus offers us - it’s hope, right? But hope seems so hard to find in this world - and perhaps especially today. It seems everything is changing and shifting. And it so often seems like it’s not for the good.

We’re also in a world where it’s hard to know what’s real. Is that video authentic - or some kind of a deepfake? Did they create that art - or was it done by AI? We hear people talking about news that’s fake. We wonder what we’ve been fed that’s maybe propaganda. It’s so easy for us to lose all trust.

We also love to uncover mysteries. True Crime podcasts and shows are all the rage right now. Conspiracy theories are mainstream today. We see people - that we’re tempted to admire - and then we wonder, “But what are they really like?” We read of something wholesome - spotlighted in the news - and we think, “Yeah, but what’s really going on?” We tend to be skeptical, cynical, asking, “But what’s being hidden? What’s actually real?” And we can dismiss any news that might sound good. And that makes it easy to end up hopeless.

The Lord has some words for us in the passage we just read. He says, through Paul here in Colossians chapter 3, “Seek the things that are above” in verse 1, and “set your minds on things that are above” in verse 2. Maybe there’s more there than our eyes can see. Some greater, hidden realities that can move us toward hope. The Lord wants to guide us there, through these words here.

The Path from Hope

But before we get to the truths in this text, I want you to think about two common strategies. Paths that just won’t work. That move us from hope. Paul is writing to this church in Colossae. And he’s encouraging those disciples to keep Christ first in their lives. And he’s also trying to keep them from wandering away. Onto well-worn paths that lead to despair. To trails that still truly tempt us today.   

In verses 16 through 23 of chapter 2, the apostle warns of those that have tried, through legalism and asceticism, to create their own reality. By trying hard to do the right things - and fighting hard against doing what’s bad - they think they can create a life that’s close to God - full of hope to joy. They lose patience with walking by faith, so they work on a life they can control. Or at least they try. To build their own mystery.

And, in the verses that follow our section, in verses 5 and following, Paul is calling out those tempted to go a completely different direction - getting sucked into their old reality, throwing themselves into the ways of the sinful world. Hurling their lives toward idols - to sex, money, and power. Getting caught up in all the lying and fighting and raging and bullying. Giving up, giving in. To what they can see. To what feels most real.

Some of us try to buck up, and take control; try to do everything right, get God on our side. Others of us tend to give up and lay down, and just go with the flow. But both of those things move us from hope. Neither of them work. Or bring us joy. Focusing inward - on ourselves and what we do. Or aiming ourselves downward - onto things that destroy. Nope. It’s only in looking upward that hope can be found. Jesus tells us -  “the things that are above” - “seek” those things. “Set your minds on them.”

You’ve probably heard someone say, about someone devout, “She’s so heavenly-minded that she’s no earthly good.” But it just may be, that fixing our eyes upward, on our great hope, is what puts us in any kind of good place at all. Because maybe the things that are the most real of all, aren’t there in plain view. And require that we search, and dig - and trust and obey.

The Path toward Hope

Geocaching has become fairly popular today. You get some coordinates. You go look for some treasure. You use your map. These days, usually an app. You go on a search. Something is hidden, usually deep in the woods. You take an adventure - with your friends or your family. But you trust the person who placed the package. Along with the GPS you have on your phone.

If we want to find hope, we have to put trust in our Lord. And follow Him there. Believing in His character. And what His plans are us. And that - and only that - is the pathway to hope. You see, there’s another way we can go. One of wisdom. And it’s to lean into His reality. To what He says is true. And let that remake us.

As we look at this passage, we see things hidden now in Christ. Things true of every Christian. That we need to look to, to fuel us, toward hope. They’re ours if we’re believers. More real than anything we can see here. But they’re realities not currently visible. That Jesus wants us to trust.

But first, I want to say, if you’re not a follower of Christ, I want to invite you. Put your faith in Jesus the King. Run to your hope.

No amount of fixing your minds on God or His ways can give us that hope. And no amount of running and numbing can take away our pain. Call out to Christ to come to your aid. And then all these things will be true for you, too. And you - with us - can let His new, greater realities move you and make you.

Well, what are those things? First, there are truths about who we are and who we’ll be. Look at verse 1. Paul writes, “If you have been raised with Christ.” Here we finally get to the resurrection. It’s Easter, after all. If we’re believers in Jesus, it means, first of all, that we’ve gone through a spiritual resurrection. As Ephesians 2 explains it, we were dead in our sin, but we’ve now been made alive. And this means that we have hope for true change. We have been “raised with Christ.”

Look at verse 3. “For you have died,” Paul says. “But, Kevin, I thought you just said we’re alive?" Both are true. As it’s put in Galatians 2, also words of Paul, we’ve “been crucified with Christ.” We’ve died along with Him - to our old way of life. And as that verse goes on to say, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” That life no longer defines who we are. We don’t have to go down those roads anymore. Christ’s power now animates us.

And that brings to mind one of the key truths of Scripture. An aspect of the gospel so often ignored. Of those who believe and their union with Christ. It’s something mystical. Something we can’t see. But something real - and truly life changing. Through faith in Him, we’re united with the Son. And all He’s done and accomplished becomes ours. His life, His death, and His resurrection. We are “in Christ.” And God looks at us as if we’re clothed in those accomplishments. And they give us power and hope as we live life today.

But there’s more here. Look back again in Colossians 3, verse 3. And we see another reality about us. Paul says, “your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Now scholars have debated about what this means. Some have said this speaks of our security. It’s a theme in the Psalms - where He hides us in Him. The Lord is our shelter, our refuge. And that’s true. Others have said this is God shielding us from judgment. Like we’re in hidden in Noah’s ark. And safe from the storm. As Jonathan Dodson puts it, safe in the “enveloping presence of God.” Also, true - and good - for sure.

But it could also refer to a reality that’s soon to be revealed. Not everything is as it seems. We may not be seen as the strong or the wise. We may be poor in the eyes of the world. We don’t have to be controlled by what people think. And can we can ignore Satan’s accusations about us. Who we truly are will one day be revealed. But for now, that’s hidden. But not forever.

On that note, look at what is revealed in verse 4. One day, God promises, we will “appear with Him in glory.” We will all be changed. What has been veiled - from others, and even ourselves - it’ll be revealed. Earlier, I mentioned a spiritual resurrection. Here we’re talking about one that’s physical. American Christianity has bought into this crazy idea, really from Greek philosophy, that our hope is that we’ll be freed from our bodies. That we’ll float around in heaven. That that is our future. But the teaching of the Bible is something quite different. It’s that we’ll experience a bodily resurrection, just like Jesus. One day, we will be transformed. We’ll be made new. We’ll receive glorified bodies, like our Lord. And we’ll live with Him - and those who believe - forever. This give us so much hope in the suffering we face. We’ll be freed from this body of death.

Friends, if we want hope, in this fallen world, we have to remember who we are and who we’ll be. The real you, the real me - and where we’re headed in Him.

Again, to return to where we began. This isn’t reality we create. It doesn’t say, “seek the things that are above” and then you’ll be “raised.” It doesn’t say “set your minds” on the heavens; then you’ll gain all these things. No. It’s the opposite.

Because you’ve been raised, “seek the things that are above.” “Set your minds on things that are above” because you’ve died with Him. You have this life to be revealed. Because there’s a day coming when we’ll all be changed. With all of that in mind, with all of that in view, turn your eyes to heaven. The distinction here makes all the difference. One is powerless religion. The other is biblical Christianity. One leads to despair. The other toward hope. We lean into these realities. We live in light of them. Of who we are and who we’ll be. Those are realities we can hang our hearts on.

But there’s another thing we see in these verses. Second, there are truths about who He is - and what He’ll do. Look at verse 1 first, what it says about Christ. Jesus, it says, is “seated at the right hand of God.” Now this refers to the reality that we’re celebrating today. Jesus rose from the dead. And He ascended to heaven. Jesus is risen! Death couldn’t hold Him. Death has been conquered.

But now He sits. Doing what? Ruling, reigning, over the earth. Even amidst the sin and suffering we see, Christ is on the throne. He’s completely in control. And it does our hearts good to latch ourselves to that.

Look again also in verse 4. “When Christ who is your life appears.” One day, Jesus will return in glory and power. And every eye will see Him. He’ll come back and make everything new. He’ll judge His enemies. He’ll give relief to His children. And He’ll renew this broken, fallen world. He’ll make a new heavens and a new earth.

He’ll put all things - including His enemies - under His feet. And there’ll be no more suffering. No more pain. Peace will reign. Injustice will cease. At His return. Friends, if we want hope, on this broken earth, we have to focus on who He is and what He’ll do. Those are some more truths we can hang our hearts on.

Lifting Our Eyes to the Heavens

Let’s turn back to the two commands we see here. We’re to “seek the things that are above.” To set our “minds” on those things. On the King and His Kingdom. On His words and ways. To run after Jesus. Draw near to His heart.

A big theme in Colossians is the preeminence of Christ. Of His first place in the world. Where He should fit in our lives. As Paul puts it in verse 4, Christ is our “life.” Yeah, He’s the source of our lives - as we’ve seen, that double resurrection. But He’s also meant to be the focus of our lives, what moves us, what drives us, our passion, our pursuit. Paul says, “Seek those things. Seek Him.” And as Jesus put it in Matthew 6:33, as we seek first His kingdom and righteousness, everything will be added to us.

The Lord tells us here, “Don’t pursue things below.” Don’t move your eyes from heaven, and fix them on the ground. “Set your minds on things that are above” - verse 2 - “not on things that are on earth.” Paul’s not telling us this earth doesn’t matter. He’s in no way saying that matter is bad. And he’s not commanding us to have our head in the clouds. Sure, we can too much mess with the mortal and the mundane. But he’s primarily calling us to turn away from evil - from the sinful aspects of His fallen creation. To not give up and say with the crowds, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (1 Cor. 15:32).

We can’t give ourself to idols - and make other things our “life.” We can’t let them sweep you and me into sin. Lift your eyes above. Fix your mind on Him. On who you are and who you will be. On who He is and what He’ll do. And maybe that’s how we’re truly of earthly good. With hearts full of hope. Waiting for the kingdom to come.

N.T. Wright argues that “the message of the resurrection is that this world matters.” He explains:

“Every act of love, every deed done in Christ and by the Spirit, every work of true creativity – doing justice, making peace, healing families, resisting temptation, seeking and winning true freedom – is an earthly event in a long history of things that implement Jesus’s own resurrection and anticipate the final new creation and act as signposts of hope, pointing back to the first and on to the second.” (N.T. Wright)

Author John Dickson further explains:

“Christians live in light of the fact that this world is not all there is, and they try to live in a balance between future hope and present activity. Christians should not be so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly use, but neither should they be so earthly minded that they forget the ‘kingdom come.’ True Christianity holds both in beautiful tension. But how so? Christians believe the lifespan of each of us is not the full running length; it is a kind of preview. They believe that the human injustice that infects everything in the world will find an ultimate answer in God’s justice. They believe that the groanings of an afflicted creation will be answered when God recreates the world in glory. These beliefs change what a person thinks, the way they live, who they are. Death, says the Christian, is not the end.” (John Dickson)

It’s in our kingdom work that we give a glimpse of what’s hidden, what’s the most real of all, the glory that’s to come, the mystery that will one day be fully revealed. Maybe you’ve seen this in TV or film. The camera’s zoomed in on a conflict or a trial - we’ll say in the jungle. There’s a battle raging. Things look really tense. But then the camera zooms way out. A drone with a broad, high view from the sky. Maybe it zooms down and catches other scenes. You see more of what’s happening. And that perspective changes everything.

It’s easier to live well when you have all the right information. To see the picture, where all things are going. And knowing those realities helps us not to lose heart.

The Stone Was Rolled Away

Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus came out of that tomb, kicking off His new creation, jumpstarting our hope. And that’s what we sing and celebrate today. But maybe that’s something you struggle to believe. Tim Keller talked about how he overcame those doubts. And he said it was three things that put him over the edge, that helped him to believe. They’re helpful. It was first the historical evidence, that is actually quite strong. Here’s just one example. How did all those disciples, who were cowards before, suddenly become emboldened, and launch this big movement? How could they have kept going for years, if they knew it was a lie? And even gone on to give their lives for that truth? It makes no sense, unless it really happened.

It was second his experience of the risen Christ in his life. Ask the Lord to come and work in your heart. See the difference it makes. He is risen indeed. It was third seeing Christian communities live out this resurrection in real and powerful ways. Now that’s a challenge for us here to live lives of love - especially with all the crazy stuff you see on the news. But I’ve experienced His life among His people. Have you? If you struggle to believe, I’d challenge you in those ways. Here - and here alone - is your hope, His resurrection. As Keller commonly said, even if you doubt He is risen, you want it to be true. And as he said, in a well-known video, just before he died of pancreatic cancer, if Jesus is risen, it means everything is really going to be OK.

Those Quiet Three Days

I wonder if what we feel is much like that Saturday. When the disciples were discouraged. And couldn’t see the path ahead. Filled with uncertainty, with unknowing, with fear. When the resurrection of their Lord was just around the corner. They just needed to remember what He had said. That He’d suffer and die. And rise again from the dead. There they were, stuck between promise and fulfillment. Between “it is finished” and “He is risen.” Watching, waiting. Struggling to understand. Feeling like the darkness would win. With their doubts and their questions. Seeing their reality. And wondering what to think and to feel. Caught in the in-between. In the time of not-yet. With that tomb closed, sealed by that stone. No doubt struggling to believe and to hope. Wondering where their Jesus had gone. Why He wouldn’t still speak. And if He still cared.

But we know what happened on that great morning! And we have far more light today than they had back then. And that makes all the difference for our future and today. In Fredrik Backman’s book, Anxious People, the older police officer, Jim, grieves the death of his wife. And he finds it too hard to take off his ring. Backman writes,

“The hardest thing about death is the grammar, the tense, the fact that she won’t be angry when she sees that he’s bought a new sofa without consulting her first. She won’t be anything. She’s isn’t on her way home. She was.” (Fredrik Bachman)

Karis, for those of us in Christ, grammar is our friend. We can use that future tense. And use it in hope. We’ll be raised, along with Him. That’s our future, in glory. As Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 2, drawing from Isaiah 64: “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Let’s trust His promises. Rest in His plan. Even in this world that’s so broken. For we’re a part of a much bigger story. And we know the ending. We see what’s real now. And what will one day be revealed. And that’s grounds for hope, and also for celebrating. As Russell Moore has put it, “Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for yesterday, we were dead!” Karis, hang your heart on what now is hidden, for there you’ll find your hope. Let’s pray.