Welcome to part three of our Easter series, ‘Resurrection Hope’.

In this series, CMS International Director Peter Sholl thinks about four questions that arise after Jesus’ resurrection in short devotionals from Luke 24. This is followed by a short story from a CMS missionary, sharing how they have seen resurrection hope change lives around the world.

In this article, CMS missionary Bex Ooi—serving in Japan with husband Matt—shares the story of Yui, whose hope in the resurrection gives her confidence amid a debilitating chronic illness.

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
(Luke 24:32)

Devotional by Peter Sholl

Cleopas and his friend have had a big day.

It started early with the news that Jesus’ body was missing from the tomb and that angelic figures have delivered a cryptic message. They’ve then walked the seven miles to Emmaus and someone had joined them, enquiring about the events of the past few days. They’ve filled this stranger in, only to be firmly instructed from the Old Testament about how they should have seen these events coming.

With evening falling and their destination reached, they’ve invited the stranger to stay, and as they’ve eaten together, their eyes have been opened to the presence of the resurrected Jesus, at which point he has vanished.

You can imagine the pause that follows… after which comes their question to each other regarding their burning hearts.

The two actions of Jesus that have prompted their hearts to burn are his talking, and his opening of the scriptures—actions which both corrected Cleopas and his friend’s understanding of the events of Jesus’ death and (apparent) resurrection.

In his talking and in his scripture-opening, the message of Jesus has been the same—the death and resurrection of Jesus are necessary, they are promised, and therefore they are not a surprise. (This message will be reinforced in verse 44).

Understanding this message produces a burning heart, which produces in the following verses a change in action. Instead of walking away from Jerusalem, sad and without hope, they return, declaring with joy in verse 34, “The Lord has risen”!

As you hear again this Easter of the death and resurrection of Jesus, how’s your heart temperature? And what action is your heart temperature producing?

Resurrection hope amid illness

Story by Bex Ooi in Japan

Trusting God through an undiagnosed illness

This is a story about Yui* who lives with a chronic and debilitating illness that the doctors cannot diagnose.

I first met Yui in 2023, not long after first arriving in Tokyo. Back then, she appeared to be completely genki (a Japanese word meaning energetic and well). However, a few months after making her acquaintance, Yui began experiencing bouts of extreme vertigo and hearing loss and became so unsteady, she was unable to leave the house most days.

Though Yui is ever hopeful that God will heal her, she acknowledges that it is still extremely hard living with this illness.

She told me that her loneliness was overwhelming initially, but there was a turning point for her when God helped her to realise that she was not called to live for herself or for her own joy.

“The reason why I am living now is not for myself or my joy; it’s for God’s glory.”, says Yui.

“I realize that why I’m living now is because there is a plan, God’s plan for me. Even if it’s kind of hard for me to live.”

Even when she felt depressed, she asked God to give her mental healing and support. He answered by showing her how loved she is by family, friends and church family.

“It’s really hard but I can really experience that I’m so loved by God.”, says Yui.

Full confidence in God’s promises

Resurrection hope gives Yui strength.

She says, “If I focus on my dizziness, my sickness, I go down. If I focus on God’s resurrection, the power of the resurrection, I feel like I can say I’m ok.” She has full confidence in this promise of God and believes without a doubt that in heaven, this physical ailment will end.

Recently, Yui shared with me two Bible verses. Firstly, Isaiah 61:3—she shared that instead of sorrow God has given her joy and instead of a heavy heart God has given her worship. She also shared 2 Corinthians 4:17—for she knows that this earthly trouble is but momentary and God will give her many blessings in heaven.

As a cancer survivor myself, I agree strongly with Yui, that hope in the resurrection is the greatest thing to cling to when “outwardly we are wasting away” and only God can renew us inwardly each day and into eternity (2 Corinthians 4:16-8).

Yui and I both understand that the promise of resurrection makes life under the shadow of illness livable.

Neither of us choose to live just for our own joy, but instead, fueled by resurrection hope, we choose God’s plan for us.

*Name changed for privacy reasons.

PRAY

Give thanks for the hope Yui has in the resurrection, and the difference this makes in her life. Pray that Yui and Bex may continue to choose God’s plan for them, rather than just live for their own joy.