Hope in Times of Fear: The Resurrection and the Meaning of Easter
- Downloads：1879
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-27 08:51:33
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Timothy J. Keller
- ISBN：0525560793
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
The Resurrection accounts of Jesus in the Gospels are the most dramatic and impactful stories ever told。 One similarity unites each testimony--that none of his most loyal and steadfast followers could see it was him， back from the dead。 The reason for this is at the very foundation of the Christian faith。
She turned around and saw Jesus standing there， but she did not realize that it was Jesus。 （John 20:14）
Hope in the Time of Fear is a book that unlocks the meaning of Jesus's resurrection for readers。 Easter is considered the most solemn and important holiday for Christians。 It is a time of spiritual rebirth and a time of celebrating the physical rebirth of Jesus after three days in the tomb。 For his devoted followers， nothing could prepare them for the moment they met the resurrected Jesus。 Each failed to recognize him。 All of them physically saw him and yet did not spiritually truly see him。 It was only when Jesus reached out and invited them to see who he truly was that their eyes were open。 Here the central message of the Christian faith is revealed in a way only Timothy Keller could do it--filled with unshakable belief， piercing insight， and a profound new way to look at a story you think you know。 After reading this book， the true meaning of Easter will no longer be unseen。
She turned around and saw Jesus standing there， but she did not realize that it was Jesus。 （John 20:14）
Hope in the Time of Fear is a book that unlocks the meaning of Jesus's resurrection for readers。 Easter is considered the most solemn and important holiday for Christians。 It is a time of spiritual rebirth and a time of celebrating the physical rebirth of Jesus after three days in the tomb。 For his devoted followers， nothing could prepare them for the moment they met the resurrected Jesus。 Each failed to recognize him。 All of them physically saw him and yet did not spiritually truly see him。 It was only when Jesus reached out and invited them to see who he truly was that their eyes were open。 Here the central message of the Christian faith is revealed in a way only Timothy Keller could do it--filled with unshakable belief， piercing insight， and a profound new way to look at a story you think you know。 After reading this book， the true meaning of Easter will no longer be unseen。
Reviews
Barry
，
Probably more like 3。5 stars。All of Keller’s books are solid。 Each of his books becomes an automatic read for me。 This may not have been my favorite， but if you’ve never read Keller before， this is a decent place to start。 If you have already read several of his other books， some of this may feel like familiar territory， but it’s still a worthwhile read。
Peter Yock
，
My Easter holiday reading （that took twice as long as expected！）。 Great， refreshing read。 Easy to read， gospel centred， rich， true， encouraging。 Helpful。 Glad I read it。
Brooke Hill
，
This took me a good minute to get through。 Keller is very thorough and thoughtful， and certainly gives good evidence for the resurrection。 He then explains the impact that the resurrection has on the world and why it should give us hope。 For some reason， I just found it really hard to read。
Lindsay Oldright
，
This is what I would coin a gentle， humble apologetic book。 Keller at his finest， yet humblest。 You can hear his heart to point to the hope we have in Jesus in an otherwise hopeless world。 The last chapter， “Hope for the Future” is jaw-dropping as it lays out secular philosophies throughout history and what only Christ offers。 Spoiler alert: Hope！ I’m so excited to leave this book on the shelf for my kids to grow up reading， so they can see hope in this sad world。
Meggie
，
A timeless book that is incredibly timely。 Tim Keller directly addresses our current world of pandemic， racial unrest and social confusion as well as his own personal battle with cancer in a highly philosophical and direct manner。 He looks at hope through the “Great Reversal” of the Resurrection and how it can change our lives and perspective on the struggles of life in this world。 While not highly practical， I found his exploration of the Word， history and philosophy to be not only informative， A timeless book that is incredibly timely。 Tim Keller directly addresses our current world of pandemic， racial unrest and social confusion as well as his own personal battle with cancer in a highly philosophical and direct manner。 He looks at hope through the “Great Reversal” of the Resurrection and how it can change our lives and perspective on the struggles of life in this world。 While not highly practical， I found his exploration of the Word， history and philosophy to be not only informative， but so key for my head and heart。 。。。more
David Freudenburg
，
Very good， interesting， and thought-provoking。 Some of it is slow-going， but most of it is approachable， applicable， and novel。 I especially liked the insights into the appearances of Jesus after the resurrection to 5 different people。
J。A。 Flowers
，
Stop everything and read this book！ It will change everything！！
Autumn Eaves
，
I didn't quite finish this one， but I got close enough to the end to to consider this a finished book for now。 I was not in the mood for a book of apologetics requiring deep concentration， but still tried to power through it since it's about Easter and I wanted to read it over the holiday weekend。 I could feel myself struggling to stay engaged and despite still getting some good insights， I know I was not in the mood to do the book justice。I'm planning on revisiting this one when I'm ready to en I didn't quite finish this one， but I got close enough to the end to to consider this a finished book for now。 I was not in the mood for a book of apologetics requiring deep concentration， but still tried to power through it since it's about Easter and I wanted to read it over the holiday weekend。 I could feel myself struggling to stay engaged and despite still getting some good insights， I know I was not in the mood to do the book justice。I'm planning on revisiting this one when I'm ready to engage with it properly。 。。。more
Owen Cottom
，
The breadth this book covers is outstanding， showing how resurrection hope touches every facet of our lives and world。 I’ll be recommending this to our church！
Corey
，
Really great read during the season of Lent。 This is a book that scratches an itch for solid arguments and evidence for the resurrection and at the same time explores the depths of hope that arise out of pain， sorrow， and weakness。 My favorite chapter is the very last one entitled "Hope for the Future" in which he follows the work of Robert Nisbet and his book on the "The History of the idea of Progress。" Keller uses Nisbet's work to demonstrate the paradigm shifting impact that Christianity had Really great read during the season of Lent。 This is a book that scratches an itch for solid arguments and evidence for the resurrection and at the same time explores the depths of hope that arise out of pain， sorrow， and weakness。 My favorite chapter is the very last one entitled "Hope for the Future" in which he follows the work of Robert Nisbet and his book on the "The History of the idea of Progress。" Keller uses Nisbet's work to demonstrate the paradigm shifting impact that Christianity had on the world in terms of where history is headed。 He argues that the idea that history is moving in toward a future of progress and hope comes from the resurrection of Jesus。 Secular versions of progress have brought destruction and have fallen flat。 This book reminds me of some of this other books but yet feels new， insightful and fresh ideas that stimulated my mind。 I really enjoyed this one。 。。。more
Greg M。 Johnson
，
Superb overview of the meaning of the resurrection。 Talks of the pandemic， racial struggles， etc。 My favorite contemporary Christian author。 I’ll admit I was frequently lost on daydreams about how Keller’s writes had nothing to do with the bogeyman painted by his John Wayne- type ， or January 6 critics。
Jeff Hillier
，
This has been my favorite Keller book。 The theology mixed with application to so many realities was incredible。 His concluding chapter stirred me emotionally， exciting me about the hope we have because of the resurrection。 A fantastic read！
Chase Quarterman
，
AMAZING
Ben Howard
，
Classic Tim Keller。 Several outstanding insights。
Matt Manry
，
Tim Keller is always worth reading。 So many of his books have had a profound impact on my life。 His latest book on the resurrection is fascinating， to say the least。 My only complaint is that this book could have been shorter because it felt like Keller was repeating himself a lot， but there was still a lot of wisdom to be gleaned。
John Kuvakas
，
Keller is one of our foremost cultural critics。 He brings a Scriptural perspective to current events and always balances the necessity of proclaiming the gospel with an equally necessary encouragement to engage with the culture。 This book is filled with poignancy and insight as it may be the last one we read from Tim who is battling pancreatic cancer。
Dan
，
In the first part of the book Keller gives a historical defense of the resurrection。 Then， in the second part， he draws out some of the implications of the resurrection in the lives of individuals as well as for communities。 Keller is a such a good "street-level" theologian， tying in his insight on psychology/sociology so effectively。 I was a bit disappointed though as I was expecting this book to be more testimonial。 Keller's article in The Atlantic about his journey with pancreatic cancer was In the first part of the book Keller gives a historical defense of the resurrection。 Then， in the second part， he draws out some of the implications of the resurrection in the lives of individuals as well as for communities。 Keller is a such a good "street-level" theologian， tying in his insight on psychology/sociology so effectively。 I was a bit disappointed though as I was expecting this book to be more testimonial。 Keller's article in The Atlantic about his journey with pancreatic cancer was great and I was hoping for more of that。 。。。more
Grace
，
I love Timothy Keller—and while this was good， I didn’t love it as much as his other works。 It was more of an analysis of Scripture than I was expecting， and I think I wanted an analysis PLUS a specific themed advice， like in his other books I’ve read。 So it wasn’t quite what I was looking for at the moment but there were some really good things in here。
Anne Peyton Baker
，
Emphatically Gospel centered with cool evidence I hadn’t read before。 Packed full of scripture references。 I’ll need to read again for it all to land。
Caleb Blevins
，
Yet another great book from Tim Keller。
Mark Dunker
，
Excellent。 I especially appreciated how he connected the reality of resurrection with contemporary issues。 Great book。
Laurel Kehl
，
The resurrection means more to me having read Keller's thorough and Spirit-inspired explanation。 The Great Reversal throughout history。。。He choses those no one wants， the weak， foolish， marginalized， vulnerable through whom to display His glory。 The resurrection of Jesus was the beginning of what God created and is recreating。 Super helpful！ The resurrection means more to me having read Keller's thorough and Spirit-inspired explanation。 The Great Reversal throughout history。。。He choses those no one wants， the weak， foolish， marginalized， vulnerable through whom to display His glory。 The resurrection of Jesus was the beginning of what God created and is recreating。 Super helpful！ 。。。more
Meredith McDermott
，
A concise & intellectual-yet-approachable synthesis of the historicity， theology & application of the Resurrection。 Typical TK writing that is equal parts realistic & encouraging。 He sets this in the context of the pandemic & his own cancer diagnosis， which made it especially poignant and hopeful。 Tim Keller is the man。
Bob O'bannon
，
Tim Keller has a certain method to all of his books that is present here also — showing how the Gospel strikes a third-way balance between what is typically understood as conservative or liberal， optimist or pessimist。 He does the same here， yet through the lens of what the Bible teaches about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead。 The recurrent theme in this book is how the resurrection is the ultimate display of “the great reversal” — the way to gain your life is to lose it; the way to joy i Tim Keller has a certain method to all of his books that is present here also — showing how the Gospel strikes a third-way balance between what is typically understood as conservative or liberal， optimist or pessimist。 He does the same here， yet through the lens of what the Bible teaches about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead。 The recurrent theme in this book is how the resurrection is the ultimate display of “the great reversal” — the way to gain your life is to lose it; the way to joy is through suffering; the way to be rich is to be poor; and the way to life is through death， seen most vividly in the resurrection。Or， as he says， “The good things of this world seen as blessings but received without God become curses 。 。 。 And the hard things of this world seen as curses but received with faith in God will be turned into blessings。” （61-62）。Those concerned that Keller is a liberal in sheep’s clothing might want to read chapter 10 on justice， where Keller acknowledges the reality of systemic problems and corporate responsibility， but says “the Bible puts the greatest weight on individual responsibility” （p。164）。 Refreshingly， he goes on to warn against the tendency of some Christians to get caught up in “national conversations，” and urges them to focus more on local action instead （p。168）。 I wholeheartedly agree and think this can spare Christians a lot of false guilt for not seeking to solve every social problem that comes across your Twitter feed。Tim Keller continues to use his gifts， even during a time when he himself is struggling with pancreatic cancer， to serve as the great apologist of our day。 May God grant him hope in the resurrection as he walks by faith in his current struggle。 。。。more
Bill Pence
，
Tim Keller tells us that he began a book on the resurrection and then the COVID-19 pandemic struck and he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer。 Writing in such dark times helped him see in the resurrection new depths of comfort and power。 In this book， Keller looks at what Christ as the resurrected one gives to us for life now。 He focuses on the resurrection as a key to understanding the whole Bible and to facing all the challenges of life—suffering， personal change， injustice， moral clarity， an Tim Keller tells us that he began a book on the resurrection and then the COVID-19 pandemic struck and he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer。 Writing in such dark times helped him see in the resurrection new depths of comfort and power。 In this book， Keller looks at what Christ as the resurrected one gives to us for life now。 He focuses on the resurrection as a key to understanding the whole Bible and to facing all the challenges of life—suffering， personal change， injustice， moral clarity， and the uncertainty of the future。 I read with particular interest his five case studies of people who met Jesus after his resurrection and his discussion of unrest and dissatisfaction regarding all social relationships （between economic classes， the races and nationalities， and the sexes）。 He tells us that in the death and resurrection of Jesus， Christians have the resources for a transformation of social relationships that can be a powerful sign to the watching world。 A major theme throughout the book is what he refers to as “The Great Reversal”， an idea which he writes is at the heart of the gospel。 Keller tells us that the cross and resurrection is the Great Reversal。 Christ saves us through weakness， by giving up power and succumbing to a seeming defeat。 But he triumphs—not despite the weakness and loss of power but because of it and through it。 His basic thesis of the book is that the resurrection， the Great Reversal， brings us both the power and the pattern for living life now connected to God’s future new creation。 The way up is down， that the way to strength is through weakness， and that God has a plan and walks with us in the midst of our suffering， fragility， and helplessness。 Building on the theme of the Great Reversal， Keller tells us that we want the storyline of our lives to go from strength to strength， from success to success， and end happily ever after。 But throughout the Bible we see something completely different—a persistent narrative pattern of life through death or of triumph through weakness that reveals how God works in history and in our lives。 Keller writes that even before the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and its aftermath， the Western world had been experiencing a growing crisis of hope。 He writes that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is what Christianity offers a world that has lost hope。 Keller tells us that the resurrection of Christ offers matchless resources for hope and confidence in the face of fear。 Keller writes that the resurrection not only brings the future into the present but also brings heaven to earth。 It reunites people with the glory of God。 He looks at the implications of the reality that the risen Christ has brought heaven and earth together， indicating that when Jesus rose from the dead， he brought the future kingdom of God into the present and he brought heaven to earth。 We enter this kingdom now through repentance and faith in Jesus， and through the new birth by the Holy Spirit。 Then we are literally “transferred” out of the kingdom of this world into “the kingdom of his dear Son”。 Jesus brings his salvation through rejection， weakness， and sorrow。 Yet not despite his weakness but through it he brings the presence of the future and begins to build a whole new world through us。 Keller covers many topics related to the resurrection in this important book。 It is heavily footnoted， with many references from N。T。 Wright， C。S。 Lewis and others。 Below are 20 of my favorite quotes from the book: •tThe fact of the resurrection means we have a hope for the future not based on scientific advance or social progress but on God himself。 •tIf Jesus was raised from the dead， it changes everything: how we conduct relationships， our attitudes toward wealth and power， how we work in our vocations， our understanding and practice of sexuality， race relations， and justice。 •tPerhaps the most ordinary， daily benefit of the resurrection is this。 To follow not a dead， revered teacher but rather a risen Lord is to have him actually with us。 •tThe kingdom of God is already here， but not yet in its fullness。 We must not underestimate how present the kingdom of God is， but we must also not underestimate how unrealized it is， how much it exists only in the future。 •tThe resurrection is a powerful sign to our consciences that Jesus fully paid the penalty of our sin on the cross。 It brings us a freedom that the cross by itself could not give us。 •tThe resurrection means that we do not merely follow the teachings of a dead leader。 Rather， we have vital， loving fellowship with a living Lord。 Jesus the King is present with us。 •tAre you serving the true King， who will forgive you and liberate you to be all you were created to be？ Or will you serve something that will never absolve you for your failures and will never fulfill your heart？ •tHe was rejected， condemned， tortured， executed， and therefore God raised and exalted him。 The vindication of resurrection is both the reversal and the result of the condemnation of crucifixion。 The darkness of Good Friday brings about the sunrise of Easter。 This is how God works。 This is the Great Reversal of history and the New Testament bears witness to it throughout。 •tJesus Christ exchanged places with you。 He came to live the life you should have lived and die the death you should have died so you could be reconciled to God， forgiven， and remade。 •tOther world religions teach salvation through ascent to God through good works， moral virtue， ritual observances， and transformation of consciousness。 In contrast， Christianity is about salvation through God’s descending to us。 This is the great difference between Christianity and every other philosophical and religious system。 •tChristian salvation is never our attainment， a prize after a long struggle while God waits for us。 No， he comes to us and wakes us out of sleep。 It is always a gift of grace。 •tIntimacy with the risen Lord is one of the gifts given to believers in the resurrection。 •tA Christian identity is based ultimately on a realization of the magnitude of God’s unchanging love for us。 We cannot get God’s hope for times of fear without personally meeting the risen Lord。 •tThe resurrection does not promise that all the circumstances of life will go smoothly， but it does give us hope that we can be turned into the kind of people who can handle whatever comes。 •tSpiritual resurrection means that we are， in a sense， living in heaven while still on earth， living in the future while still being in the present。 •tThe death and resurrection of Jesus are the basis not only for Christian moral practice， but also for the inward spiritual growth that will enable us to carry out our mission in the world。 •tThe resurrection means that the liberating， repairing power of God is here now， through the risen Christ and his presence in our lives through the Holy Spirit。 •tWe have not been saved just to be safe， but saved in order to serve。 •tChristians looking forward to the fullness of the kingdom—to the final resurrection and the new heavens and new earth—should be concerned to see justice done now。 •tGood things received without God will become a curse。 On the other hand， people who receive hard things with faith in God will discover that the seeming curses will turn out to be blessings。 。。。more
Ben Rush
，
Great introductory overview of the hope of the resurrection。 Several chapters could have been condensed or combined。 I think this would have been more impactful with about 50 less pages。 Also if you’ve read other works by Keller， several biblical analogies from the OT are reused。 Chapters 1-4 were great， as was Chapter 12。 The rest could have been smashed into a chapter or two。 Also， I found myself just wanting to read NT Wright’s book “The Resurrection of the Son of God”。
Jonathan Roberts
，
Tim Keller always packs so much in his books。 This one is no different。 Using Easter as a springboard he launches into a quest for hope that leads us back again and again to the resurrection！ Highly recommended
Diane Hidey
，
Perfect book for this Lenten season。 Perfect read for those wondering how can Christians impact this current racial tension。 Obviously full of deep thoughts （be sure to read the footnotes， some are paragraphs of insights）。 I love how he uses other sources， especially NT Wright， John Owen， CS Lewis and even some Tolkien。 First， live like you believe the Resurrection。 Second change the world around you because your hope in times of fear can be a witness to the world and your next door neighbor。
Bob Wolniak
，
A wonderful book in time for Easter， it is really about our source for hope in times of great fear。 He addresses those very specific and real fears that we are facing coming out of 2020 and demonstrates the role the resurrection of christ plays in our lives right now。 This is also obviously personal to him as he battles life-threatening cancer。 I appreciate the use of many texts of scripture that talk about the present reality of the resurrected life， not merely pointing back to the first Easter A wonderful book in time for Easter， it is really about our source for hope in times of great fear。 He addresses those very specific and real fears that we are facing coming out of 2020 and demonstrates the role the resurrection of christ plays in our lives right now。 This is also obviously personal to him as he battles life-threatening cancer。 I appreciate the use of many texts of scripture that talk about the present reality of the resurrected life， not merely pointing back to the first Easter or instead merely to the future， but how it makes a difference right now。 。。。more
Jake Preston
，