Jesus, the Anchor of Our Hope

In 2023, my life group, Journey Through The Word, did a study called, “Enduring Hope”. These words are from the blog I posted for the final day of the study.

The last days of a study are always bittersweet for me. While I’m anxious to move on to the next adventure of our journey through God’s Word – I most often want to linger in the present adventure – soaking up more of the insight and wisdom in our current study. However, today’s final destination is such a perfect ending. We end on a grand note of encouragement, which offers us confidence in this journey and all of the journeys still ahead of us.

Scripture
Today’s journey leads us through Hebrews 6:10-20, where we will stop to focus our attention on Jesus, a sure and steadfast anchor for our souls.

19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast, which reaches inside behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus our forerunner entered on our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

I invite you to read the larger passage, Hebrews 6:10-20, and consider the powerful message of enduring hope that we have been given. –

For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints. 11 But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.
13 Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your descendants abundantly.” 15 And so by persevering, Abraham inherited the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute. 17 In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an oath, 18 so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast, which reaches inside behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus our forerunner entered on our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:10-20)

“Put together, these separate images create a powerful message of reassurance. Christ has “anchored” our hope of “refuge” in the very presence of God: the “inner place.” Bibleref.com / Hebrews 6:19

Observations
This message is to believers. So, when the author says that “we ‘have’ this hope …” he is indicating that it is a given rather than something we might have, can have, or will have someday. When we choose to believe in Jesus Christ, we are anchored securely in the “very presence of God.”

The word hope has been mentioned over and over throughout our journey, and we have focused on many of its different aspects in Scripture. Today, we end our study with a reminder and the truth of who “this hope” is.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. -John 3:16

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. – Romans 6:9

And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. -1 John 2:25

Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:2

By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. –Colossians 2:15-16

God’s Word makes it clear that Jesus is our Anchor of hope, and equally clear, that in the midst of life’s storms and trials our Anchor holds secure! Having cancelled our debt, through His death, Jesus is our trusted refuge and redeemer, our source of Truth and Righteousness – the HOPE of our faith – through whom we endure.

Jesus has anchored us – literally, placed us securely in God. We can have no greater hope than this. It is a hope that, when we keep our eyes on Jesus, we will surely endure to the end.

To know Jesus is to love Him –
to love Him is to trust Him –
and to trust Him is to fix our hope in Him.

Application
I’ve read that sailors at sea intentionally fix their anchors out from the ship in a safe and secure location, and I believe that Scripture teaches that the same should be true of believers. We must intentionally fix our ‘anchor’, our hope, in Jesus who is seated in Heaven at the right hand of God, the Father – rather than in this world or our circumstances. When our hope is fixed in Jesus we will be more and more confident in the promises of our God.

Prayer: Response to God’s Word
Oh, how we love Your Word - God! How precious are its truths and the reminders of our sure and present hope, namely, Jesus. Thank You for all He did on our behalf – to secure us safely in You; and to give us confidence in Your promises – that are all yes and amen in Him. There is truly no greater hope than this.