He Is Risen: Hope That Doesn’t Depend on the Outcome

Early that morning, Mary stood weeping outside the tomb.

She thought it was over.

She thought He was gone.

She had watched love die in front of her… and she brought her grief with her to the grave.

Perhaps the breeze was blowing and the birds were chirping, but Mary wouldn’t have noticed.

I imagine her eyes were blood-shot and swollen and her shoulders felt heavy, as if they were carrying the weight of the world.

She was wrapped in the darkness of hopelessness and grief.

Maybe she wondered if she had gotten it all wrong. Had her deliverance not been a divine appointment? Had the miracles she had witnessed been tricks or coincidence or even her imagination?

As a woman who had witnessed not only her greatest hopes of a Messiah dashed—but also a friend she loved with all of her heart and soul tortured and murdered—I imagine she was crying out to God from the deepest part of her soul, begging for it all to end.

She had been delivered.

And she had put her full trust in Him—

adored Him,

followed Him,

believed in Him.

How could this be the ending God had planned?

But there was something Mary didn’t know yet.

Jesus was already alive.

He had been resurrected.

The miracle had already happened.

And when He called her name—everything changed.

For her, yes.

But also… for you.

And for me.

When the Miracle Doesn’t Look Like You Hoped

Some of us walk into Easter morning still carrying grief. Still waiting. Still praying.

We believe in resurrection, but if we’re honest… it hasn’t made it all the way into our circumstances yet.

Our child is still using. Our spouse is still lost. Our family is still fractured.

And maybe part of us wonders—if He really is alive, why does it still hurt so much?

We know Jesus rose. But we’re still waiting to see what He’ll resurrect in our lives.

You’re not alone in that tension. Even Mary didn’t recognize Him at first. The miracle was already there—but it didn’t look the way she expected.

Sometimes, we’re so focused on what we want God to do, we miss what He is doing. We look for a fixed outcome, and He offers a healed heart. We want them changed, and He starts by changing us.

You might still be weeping outside a tomb today—but that doesn’t mean Jesus isn’t already on the move.

The empty tomb is still empty. And the hope of Easter is still for you.

You Are Not Saved by Their Sobriety

Let’s say that again: You are not saved by their sobriety.

You are not more loved when they’re clean. You are not more worthy when they’re better. You are not less holy when they’re still a mess.

Jesus didn’t rise from the grave just to fix all the people in your life. He rose to bring you peace. To offer you freedom. To anchor your hope in something that cannot be shaken—no matter what they do or don’t choose.

You don’t need their healing to live in wholeness. You don’t need their breakthrough to walk in yours.

Because your identity is not tied to their choices. Your joy is not held hostage by their relapse. Your peace is not dependent on their progress.

You belong to Jesus. And His resurrection is personal. It wasn’t just for the world. It was for you.

You don’t have to wait for things to change to walk in victory. You don’t have to wait for restoration to live in resurrection.

Because He is risen. And that changes everything.

What If the Miracle Is You?

We spend so much time praying for God to change our loved ones… But what if He’s been changing you all along?

What if the miracle is not in their transformation—but in yours?

What if your miracle is the courage to say no without guilt? What if your miracle is a heart that can love without losing itself? What if your miracle is the strength to set boundaries, the wisdom to surrender, and the peace that holds steady when everything else is shaking? What if your miracle is a closer walk with Jesus and an insatiable hunger for His Word?

Maybe the resurrection power you’ve been waiting for has already started—in your healing, your growth, your tears, your prayers.

You’ve learned to walk away from chaos. You’ve learned to stand firm in love. You’ve learned to hand them over to God and let Him be God.

That’s resurrection. That’s new life. That’s the evidence that Jesus is alive—because something in you is being made new.

That’s the hope of Easter. Not just that Jesus rose. But that you can, too.

3 Biblical Easter Truths You Can Hold On To This Easter

1. Jesus sees you in your grief.

Just like He saw Mary outside the tomb, weeping and confused, Jesus sees you right where you are. He calls you by name. He’s not waiting for you to pull yourself together—He’s already near.

“Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out… ‘Teacher!’” – John 20:16

2. The tomb is still empty—no matter what you’re facing.

Whether you’re full of faith or barely holding on, the resurrection is still true. Your circumstances don’t change the fact that Jesus defeated death. That victory is yours, even in the middle of the mess.

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!”

– Luke 24:5-6

3. God is still writing your story.

Easter proves that the worst thing is never the last thing. The cross looked final, but it wasn’t. If you’re in a chapter that feels dark or unfinished, hold on—God is still working.

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” – John 11:25

As you reflect on what Easter means for you personally, here are a few questions to guide your heart:

1. Where have I been waiting for God to move—and how might He already be working?

2. What would it look like to live in resurrection hope, even before my circumstances change?

3. What parts of me are God bringing back to life?

An Easter Prayer

Precious Heavenly Father,

Today we celebrate the empty tomb—the proof that darkness doesn’t win, that death doesn’t have the final word, and that You really are who You said You were.

We bring You our weary hearts, our unanswered prayers, and the people we’re still pleading for. We lay them all at the foot of the cross and the entrance of the tomb.

Help us to live like Easter people—full of hope, anchored in truth, and ready to rise no matter what comes our way.

Let Your resurrection power bring life where things feel broken. Let Your love be enough for us, even if our circumstances never change.

You are risen, Lord—and because You live, so can we.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.