Hope on a Hill Top

OPENING ILLUSTRATION: Discuss a time you experienced so much pain that it was all you could think about (for example: being sick, getting hurt, working out, etc.)

I discussed my gut-wrenching experience with food poisoning after eating an egg roll out of a trash can in college.

— TRANSITION & TENSION —

This is the nature of pain — we get this crazy tunnel vision, where the pain consumes you. It’s all you can think about. You assume it’s never going to end.

If you aren’t careful; your infliction can become your identity.

Here is the good news. Eventually, the sun rises and you start to feel better. Maybe it takes a day. Maybe it takes a decade. I don’t know what pain you are facing, but there is always hope.

Today, we are going to look at the Easter story through the lens of an Old Testament character named Jeremiah.

• Reading the bible without context is like reading a text without knowing who sent it. So, let's discuss some context for this passage.

• The book of lamentations was written by Jeremiah. His nickname was the weeping prophet. Jeremiah is writing this book while watching Jerusalem burn to the ground.

• This book takes place during the first major destruction of Jerusalem. The Babylonian empire turned their backs on the nation of Israel and seized it. It was a dark time. They sealed up the walls of the city and threw napalm over the walls. This transformed the walled city into an oven.

• The Septuagint says that Jeremiah wrote this whole poem from a hilltop, overlooking His city as it burned to the ground.

• He was sitting high above his problems, watching them. Feeling powerless.

• Jeremiah sat on a hill and watched the fire — his friends, his family, his home was all burning to the ground before him.

— TRANSITION —

Have you ever felt like this? Have you ever felt like everything around you is burning to the ground while you helplessly watch it happen? You are so sad you’re sick. You feel lost. You feel hopeless. You even start to question if God knows what he’s doing.

I know I’ve been there. Here are three powerful truths to help you push through your pain.

Lie: Your Pain will Last Forever  // Truth: God’s Love is Everlasting

• The Hebrew word is Hessed. This word is defined as “loyal love.” This is the kind of love that will fight for you. This is a warrior love. This is the kind of love that will go to bat for you. This is the kind of love that will take a bullet for you. This is not hallmark love — this is Braveheart love.

• The gospel is not just that Jesus died for your sin…the gospel is that Jesus died for YOU. He saw that your relationship with God was damaged and he took on the death you deserved. This is not some fluffy Valentine’s Day love — this is a sacrificial love. Jesus wanted to be in a relationship with you so badly that he took on crucifixion to make it happen.

• That is love. That is the nature of God. Love is here. Love is now. God demonstrated his love for the world with the cross.

Lie: I am broken. // Truth: God’s Mercy is Massive.

• Verse 22 says “His mercies never come to an end.”

• The Hebrew word here is Rahah. This is one of my favorite Hebrew words in this text. This word is the same Hebrew word as “womb.” And it speaks of God’s compassion for you.

• I love this juxtaposition in this text — the word “Hessed” refers to God’s father-like passion for you and the “rahah” refers to his mother-like compassion for you.

• This text says God’s mercy is new for you every day. When the sun rises, so does another serving of mercy for you.

• I can easily sum this up: God’s Got This.

• The mercy he gives you today will get you through. Don’t waste today’s mercy on tomorrow's worries. God will give you exactly what you need when you need it.

Lie: I don’t think I can make it // Truth: God’s faithfulness will be the fuel that gets you through.

• Look at where Jeremiah is. He is watching his life be destroyed… and he starts talking about the promises of God.

• Jeremiah is reminding himself that God is faithful — even though his life is horrible.

• Remember this! Regardless of what you’re going through.

• When you get bad news from the doctor: God is faithful.

• When you feel like you are alone: God is faithful.

• When your family has fallen apart: God is faithful.

• When God is all you have, you will realize that God is all you need.

• God’s promises will prevail.

• Let me sum up the message of this passage, the message of the cross, and the message of scripture: Life is hard, but God is good.

• What on earth does this have to Easter? Jeremiah wrote these words 1,000 years before the resurrection.

• Easter is here. There’s a temptation to jump straight to the tomb, but let’s talk about the cross.

• We so often talk about the cross from the wrong perspective. We look at it from our perspective. We think from the perspective of the crowd. Even from Mary. It’s just second nature to think of it that way.

• Today, we will look at the passion story from the perspective of God the father, as he was looking down from heaven.

• Just like Jeremiah, God sat on a symbolic hilltop watching suffering on an unimaginable scale. His beloved Son was being tortured and murdered.

• The cross is not about appeasing a vengeful God. The cross is evidence that God would rather sacrifice himself than destroy his enemies.

• God watched in terror as Friday happened. Why didn’t he send down a legion of angels. Why didn’t he save the life of His son?

• Because God knew that the tragedy of Friday led to the triumph of Sunday.

• What the world saw as the crucifixion — God saw as a set up for the resurrection.

• There was hope on that hilltop.

• There was healing on that hilltop.

• God faced severe pain before he could fulfill his promise.

• The cross if evidence that life can be hard, but God is so good.

TALK IT OUT 

Go through these questions with your circle. Be honest. Be open. Talk through the tough stuff.

Work together as a group to summarize the Easter story and what it means for Christians.

Why do you think so many irregular church-goers make it a priority to attend Easter Sunday?

What can the cross teach us about pain in life?

In what area of your life are you facing pain? What does it look like to see our pain through the lens of redemption.

How is the miracle of the resurrection still relevant to our lives today?

READ THESE PASSAGES IN ORDER EVERY DAY FOR THE NEXT TEN DAYS

Matthew 3:1—4:11

John 2:1–11

John 4:1–26

Luke 4:14–30

Luke 5:1–11

Matthew 9:9–13

7 Luke 6:17–46

Psalm 22 1-8

Psalm 23

Psalm 24

Do the following with each passage: 

ASK – God to connect with you here. In prayer, start by slowing down, inviting God to be present. Begin with focus and openness to see what God has for you today.

READ – the selected section of Scripture slowly. Take note of the words and phrases that intrigue you, reading them a second time if necessary.

REFLECT – on what grabs you. How does this passage personally relate to your own life and experiences?

RESPOND – to the Scripture. Speak directly to God about what’s on your mind and heart. Look for ways to live out what you’ve uncovered.