Coronado, California is a small resort city tucked away off the coast of San Diego. In order to get there, you have to cross the storied Coronado Bridge. It’s a lofty structure offering scenic views between San Diego and a little slice of paradise.

When we lived in the area, it was one of my favorite places to visit. The sight of the bridge led to hopes of uncrowded art galleries and boutiques with door buster sales.

In part, that’s what hope does. It serves as a bridge to what’s ideal, or at the very least, to what will be better.

In this last post of the Lenten series, “Hope: A Joyful Reflection on Lent,” we’ve landed in Holy Week. It offers us the benefit of looking from the bridge built on Hope. Our reflection focuses on Jesus’ final days here on earth. Beginning on Palm Sunday, the week includes His arrest, crucifixion, burial and resurrection.

However, His disciples didn’t have the benefit of hindsight. After the sinless Savior’s arrest, they all deserted Him and fled. (Matthew 26:55-56) From guilt to grief, they struggled. Yet with Easter Sunday just a few days away, we know how the story ends.

If we could talk to Peter, James, John, or any of the Twelve, what words of encouragement would we offer? “I know this looks bad, but He’ll be back.” Perhaps with a Bible tucked under an arm, we’d smile and tell them, “Just wait three days.”

However, the disciples illustrate the tension between the privilege of knowing Jesus, while being challenged to trust how He’ll do just what He said.

I continue to learn the how is His business. The trusting is mine. Thankfully, just like the view from the Coronado Bridge, our hope allows us to see something promising; especially, when what we see is found in the promises of God. (see Psalm 18:30)

Then we can remember what Jesus said.

“As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed” (Matthew 17:22-23).

Our faith deepens as we remember who Jesus is.

As the Son of God, ‘He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:20-21 ESV).

We rejoice in hope as we remember what Jesus did.

He gave His sinless life for our sins. “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2 ESV).

Hope sets an expectation. When our expectations are in God, we see He never fails. (Psalm 73:26) Through the power of Christ’s redemption, He takes the broken pieces of our lives and forms a bridge to our better story. Amazingly, it’s quite the view, as we keep our eyes on Him.

PRAYER: Dear God, Thank You for Jesus and the events of Holy Week. From Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday, there’s a reason to praise You. There are countless reasons to trust You. Here are the broken pieces of my life. I embrace the power of Christ’s redemption and the way You’ve built a bridge to my better story. In Jesus’ name, amen.

JOY TO THE SOUL: “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2 ESV).