A Prisoner of Hope

“Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope.
Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.”

Zechariah 9:12

My wife, Michelle, wrote this passage on the mirror of our bathroom several months ago. I would read it in passing every so often as I was getting ready in the morning. Not surprisingly, and probably like many of you just did, my focus would immediately go to the last sentence – “I will restore double to you.”

And we all say, “Amen! Yes Lord!”

Our family has lost a lot over the last 3 years, so “double” is a SIGNIFICANT amount. Of course, I would be happy with a normal portion, but if God wants to give me double, I’m not going to argue! Yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about the one phrase in that passage that just didn’t seem to fit – “prisoners of hope.”

What?

Those two words are diametrically opposed to one another. Being in prison is the antithesis of hope. It’s hopeLESS. How can you be a prisoner OF hope?

Over the next several weeks, as I began to think on that phrase, the Lord began to reveal some amazing insights to me concerning the pain, grief, and disappointment that we’ve had to walk through over the last several years.

Let me back up a couple of years.

After we tragically lost our daughter in the Summer of 2020, the Lord began to speak to me about some things that we were walking through. My faith had been shattered, my hope felt lost, and, honestly, I felt abandoned by the Lord – but I continued to read His word and press into His presence. What else was I going to do?

I had always been intrigued by one particular story in John 6. As I was reading one morning, I came across the story again, and the Lord used my disappointment and disillusion to reveal something significant.

Jesus is teaching the multitude. It says there were thousands that had followed him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, because they saw the miracles that he was doing for the sick. After He finishes teaching, Jesus feeds all of them with just five loaves and two fish. Another miracle witnessed by thousands. From there, his disciples went back across the Sea of Galilee, but the sea becomes rough with strong winds blowing. They look up, and they see Jesus, in the midst of the storm, walking on the water.

I realize most of you know this story, but I wanted to set the stage for what’s going to happen next. It’s important to remember that ALL of His followers had just seen Jesus do amazing things. Signs and wonders and miracles. The thousands had followed Him BECAUSE of the miracles that they had seen him do.

Then, the next day, Jesus is teaching again to the same people from the day before. They had followed Him across the Sea of Galilee, and found Him in Capernaum. He knew that they had followed Him because of the miracle with the loaves of bread, so He took that opportunity to speak to them about the “Bread of Life.” As He tells them that HE is the Bread of Life, He makes this statement: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” John 6:53-53

Of course, two thousand years later, and we understand what Jesus was trying to convey in this message, but on that day, it was obviously quite disturbing – so much so that many of His disciples stopped following Him.

Here is where it gets interesting. After many of those that had been following Him decided that this statement was too strange and left, the bible says that Jesus then turned to His disciples in verse 67 and said, “Do you also want to go away?”

Here is Peter’s interesting response in verse 68: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.“

I’ve always looked at this passage as a response of resignation. “Where else are we going to go?” Let’s be honest. If you or I were to hear the words that Jesus spoke about His flesh and blood, we all would’ve thought He was losing His mind. There was no context for those statements at that moment, so it was weird. YET, the twelve stayed. Why? Peter told us why – because they had nowhere better to go. Of everything that they had ever seen, heard, or felt, Jesus was the ONLY One that had the words of eternal life – and they handcuffed themselves to that truth. They believed, even in the midst of their doubts.

They had become prisoners of hope.

Many times we tie ourselves to our faith only to cut ourselves free at the first sign of pain, loss, disappointment, confusion, or doubt. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

In other words, we are to be confident in our hope and convicted in the things we don’t see – even when things seem to run completely counter to what we see and what we’ve hoped for. We stand firm in our faith, despite our circumstances. Michelle and I have had every reason to walk away from everything and turn our back on our faith. But, as Peter said, where would we go? Jesus is still the best solution and the words that He continues to speak are the only words of eternal life. We have locked ourselves in a prison of hope, and He is the One who carries the key.

Things are not always going to make sense in life and there will be mysteries that don’t get answered this side of eternity. Sometimes, those mysteries will try to wreck your understanding of who God is and how Good He is. Make no mistake, when trials, tribulations, pain, and suffering attach themselves to us, we will become prisoners. We will either be prisoners of our circumstances, or we will choose to be prisoners of hope.

I choose hope.

“Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.”

Peace.