The Coffin of Hope

"Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

 –John 12:25

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible unfolds -not- as a disconnected series of moral lessons but as a cohesive, Spirit-breathed (theopneustos) narrative with a single central reality: Jesus, the eternal Son of God, the Christ, the WORD incarnate!

Joseph's Bones and the Coffin of Hope:

In Exodus 13:19, we find a peculiar detail — Israel carried the bones of Joseph with them out of Egypt. Joseph, who had been placed in a “coffin in Egypt” (Genesis 50:26), becomes a signpost of God's promises. His final wish was to be buried in the Promised Land — an act of faith in the resurrection hope of God's covenant people.

That same Hebrew word for coffin ('aron') is used elsewhere to describe the Ark of the Covenant — the sacred chest that housed the tablets of the Law and represented God's manifest presence among His people. Inside one "ark" lay the dead bones of a patriarch; in the other, the living Word of God. And over that ark stood two cherubim, their wings stretched toward one another — guardians of the mercy seat, where the blood of atonement would be sprinkled.

The Presence of God:

This Ark was not placed on the fringe of the camp but at its center — inside the Holy of Holies. Why? Because God doesn't merely deliver His people from bondage; He dwells with them. This points forward to the incarnate Emmanuel — God with us. And yet, that same presence would later be rejected, nailed to a Roman cross.

Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 give voice to the horror and hope of Christ's death centuries before it occurred. He was “despised and rejected by men... pierced for our transgressions.” In Psalm 22, the psalmist cries, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” — words Jesus Himself would echo as He hung as the cursed one for us.

The King-Priest-Sacrifice:

The Magi came, not to the manger in Bethlehem but to the house of a child around two years old (Matthew 2:11). They had journeyed for years, following the light they were given, just to fall down for a brief moment of worship. And they brought gifts, rich in symbolic meaning: gold for the King, frankincense for the Priest, and myrrh — a burial spice — for the Lamb of God who would be slain.

These pagan astrologers responded by faith to the reality of Christ... something Herod and the Jewish religious elite completely missed: this child was the fulfillment of all the Scriptures. He was born to die, and to rise again!

The New Mercy Seat:

When Mary Magdalene looked into the empty tomb (John 20:12), what did she see? Two angels — one at the head, one at the feet — where Jesus' body had lain. This is no random detail. It is divine design. This is the new mercy seat. The true Ark/coffin has been revealed... and it's empty! He is risen! The perfect sacrifice has been made, and God the Father has accepted it!

The presence of God is no longer confined to a temple made by human hands. He now dwells in the hearts of those who belong to Christ in the person of the Holy Spirit! The veil has been torn. The grave has been conquered. Satan has been defeated!

One Story, One Savior, One Gospel:

All of this points to the necessity and power of biblical theology. The Scriptures are not a random collection of religious texts from human minds. They are inerrant, sufficient, perfect, and immutable. Every book, chapter, verse, and word points to King Jesus, the Word through whom all things were made, who became flesh to bear our sin and die in our place.

The GOSPEL is not a call to mere belief. Even the demons have that. It is a summons to death — for the old sinful self to die with Christ, to then deny self, pick up our cross daily, and follow Him. There is no resurrection without crucifixion. There is no crown without the cross.

True Discipleship: Not a Title, but a Life

If we claim to follow Christ but are not actually following Him — not worshipping with His people, not serving in His Body, not advancing His mission — then what evidence is there that we really belong to Him? King Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven...”

The local church is not optional. It is the visible outpost of the kingdom, the bride of Christ, the temple of the Spirit. To detach from her is to detach from Him. To play religious games, while living for self, is to join the ranks of cowards and hypocrites bound for the lake of fire (Rev 21:8) — those masquerading as servants of righteousness, while serving only their flesh and their father, Satan. Scripture warns: their end will be what their deeds deserve (2 Corinthians 11:13–15).

A Call to the Cross:

So friends, let's examine ourselves. Are you truly in the faith? Have you truly died with Christ? Have you been raised with Him? Are you walking in newness of life? Or is it the same old life with a Jesus sticker slapped on the bumper?

The bones of Joseph, the Ark of the Covenant, the cherubim at the tomb, the prophecies of the cross, the gifts of the Magi — all declare one message: Jesus is Sovereign Lord; He alone is worthy.

Repent. Live out your faith as an integral member of a local Bible-believing, Christ-honoring church. Follow Him. Lose your life... it's only then that we ever find it... in Him.

Blessings & love,

Kevin M. Kelley

Pastor

Big Island Christian Church

https://www.youtube.com/@PastorRevKev-w2c