As Jesus hung on the cross, suffering for our sins, he must have felt like it was taking forever to finish the pain and be released into death. When every breath might be your last, minutes seem like days.

As Jesus lay in the tomb, the disciples were sure they would live with only a memory of his smile and his words of truth.

As the disciples waited for the gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, they must have wondered if they would recognize the gift when it arrived.

But Jesus’ death did come, Jesus did rise from the dead, and the Holy Spirit did descend onto his followers.

Following Jesus leads us through suffering into a very different future. We are the people of hope! This is what the resurrection means: our current suffering never limits what God can do tomorrow.

I have things for which I have waited for weeks, months, and years. I know you have such unrealized hopes and needs as well. But hang in there! Good Friday and Saturday are very real, but so is Resurrection Sunday. Our hope in Christ is not in vain.