The Christian Hope. The hope of the Christian and, indeed, of mankind lies in Jesus Christ. The gaining of lasting life in heaven or on earth was not open to any of humankind until Christ Jesus “shed light upon life and incorruption through the good news.” (2Ti 1:10) The spirit-begotten brothers of Christ are told that they have heavenly hopes because of the great mercy of God, who gave to them “a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1Pe 1:3, 4; Col 1:5, 27; Tit 1:1, 2; 3:6, 7) This happy hope is to be realized “at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1Pe 1:13, 21; Tit 2:13) Christ Jesus is therefore called “our hope” by the apostle Paul.​—1Ti 1:1.

This hope of everlasting life and incorruption for those who are “partakers of the heavenly calling” (Heb 3:1) is solidly based and is something that can be confidently relied on. It is supported by two things in which it is impossible for God to lie, namely, his promise and his oath, and the hope resides with Christ, who is now immortal in the heavens. Therefore this hope is spoken of as “an anchor for the soul, both sure and firm, and it enters in within the curtain [as the high priest entered the Most Holy on the Day of Atonement], where a forerunner has entered in our behalf, Jesus, who has become a high priest according to the manner of Melchizedek forever.”​—Heb 6:17-20.

According to Paul’s words at Romans 8:20, 21, Jehovah God did not destroy man’s forefather Adam at the time of his sin, but he allowed men to be born from an imperfect father, with futility facing them not because of any deliberate fault of their own, but because of inherited imperfection. However, God did not leave them without hope but kindly set forth hope through the promised “seed” (Ge 3:15; 22:18), who is Jesus Christ. (Ga 3:16) The Messiah’s first coming had been forecast in prophecy by Daniel. (Da 9:24-27) The preaching of John the Baptizer roused the expectations of the nation of Israel. (Mt 3:1, 2; Lu 3:15) Jesus fulfilled that hope by his ministry, death, and resurrection. But the great hope for mankind in general, both the living and the dead, lies in the Kingdom of Christ, when he and his joint heirs serve as heavenly kings and priests. Then mankind exercising faith will eventually be released from the corruption of imperfection and sin and will come to the full status of “children of God.” Their hope is reinforced by God’s resurrection of his Son more than 1,900 years ago.​—Ac 17:31; 23:6; 24:15.