Written by Dr. Joannie DeBrito, Family Support Specialist
In a world where “hope” often means wishful thinking, Christian grandparents have a sacred opportunity—and responsibility—to teach a very different kind of hope to the next generation. Scripture presents hope not as uncertainty, but as confident expectation rooted in God’s unchanging promises.
As we disciple our grandchildren, it’s essential that they understand the difference between the world’s fragile definition of hope and the certain hope of eternity found in Christ. This kind of hope sustains believers through grief, anchors faith in difficult seasons, and shapes how we live each day with eternal perspective.
In this article, we’ll explore how grandparents can help grandchildren grasp the reality of eternity by understanding both the intangible spiritual realm and the historical evidence that supports biblical truth, ultimately grounding their faith in what is unseen—but absolutely certain.
Secular Hope Versus Biblical Hope
“Hope” is an interesting word that means something entirely different when defined by the secular world versus by those of us who follow Christ. The Oxford dictionary defines the word as “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” We know that, in any given situation, according to that definition, the result of a person’s hopeful thought may be the fulfillment of the desire, or that the desire is never fulfilled.
Unfulfilled hopes can leave people feeling anything from mild disappointment to complete and utter devastation. In general, when a hope is related to something that represents more of a desire than a genuine need, the damage is minor and recovery from the unfulfilled hope is swift.
An example would be my strong hope for a white Christmas each year. When it doesn’t happen- unrealistic expectation to begin with, as it only happens about once each decade in my community- it results in mild disappointment in my life from about three days before the 25th and ending a few hours after the day is over. I express my frustration, vow to take a trip to the mountains as soon as there is enough snow to have some fun, and move on with my day, grateful for the many blessings in my life.
On the other hand, when hope involves more of a genuine need than a desire, the unfilled hope may lead a person to feel profoundly disturbed and hopeless about life. For instance, if a loved one is wrestling with a life-threatening medical condition, I am likely to feel overwhelmed with grief if my hope for recovery is not realized and he or she dies.
Thankfully, for Christians, we can cope with these griefs with a different, alternative definition of hope. Our hope is a twist on the words used in the Oxford dictionary definition. For us, it is “a feeling of expectation and anxious anticipation for something that IS CERTAIN to happen.” It’s not a sentiment of “gee, it would be nice if this happens” but rather “this is going to be amazing when it happens!”
So even in the case of thinking about how to go on if a loved one who is a believer dies, I know that life without that person will be very painful, but that I will see him or her in Heaven when I enter my eternal home. Hope is not only for considering eternity, but also for how to live each day for God and others.
Romans 15:13 encourages us, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Let’s focus on the hope we have for eternity. As we disciple our grandchildren, it is important to keep the distinctions between these two definitions in mind. Remember that when we talk about the hope of eternity with them, they are going to be thinking about the secular world’s definition of “hope”. It’s our job to draw a strong distinction between that definition and a life lived in anticipation of worship, praise, and communion with God in Heaven. We can do that by helping them broaden their perspectives in two different areas: an awareness of the intangible world and knowledge of historical data that supports, and sometimes confirms, much of the information that is presented in the Bible.
Why Christian Hope is Certain, Not Conditional
Everyday Experiences That Point to Invisible Realities
It’s impossible to believe in life after death unless one understands that, throughout our lives, there are many examples of human experiences that cannot be confirmed with scientific evidence. Daily, we all have thoughts, feelings, and impressions that are not based on the stimulation of our five senses. Some examples are:
- Having an intuitive thought that is found to be true later, despite no concrete evidence to support the intuition
- An overwhelming feeling of excitement or dread when entering a room with a large group of people without having interacted with any of them
- Feeling joyful and wondering why, only to receive some very unexpected, good news later in the day
- Feeling loved by someone in your life
Why Believing in the Unseen Is Rational
Since explanations of human thoughts, feelings, and impressions that have been reported across multiple cultures and throughout human history have been surprisingly similar and common, it is reasonable to believe that there is much about the intangible world that influences our lives.
We also must acknowledge that there are certain realities about the world around us- such as air pressure and the force of gravity- that we have all accepted, even though we can’t experience them via our senses. We can feel some of the effects of air pressure when our ears pop, or of gravity when we fall, but we can’t actually see, hear, or feel those forces. This proves that there are realities that exist in the world beyond that which are visual, audible, or tangible.
Furthermore, across multiple cultures and throughout history, many people have reported stories of personal encounters with angels and spiritual guides. While these stories could be a case of honest, yet incorrect distortions and misinterpretations of unusual subjective experiences or intentional attempts to deceive others, it is also possible that at least some of the stories are true.
Connecting the Intangible World to Prayer, Heaven, and God’s Presence
When we disciple our grandchildren, it is helpful to point out that they interact with intangible realities on a regular basis. They need to understand that it’s not crazy to believe in something that can’t be verified by any physical evidence or in experiences that cannot be explained by the limitations of the human body.
From this perspective, Jesus’ death and His atonement for our sins on the cross, His resurrection and ascension, as well as his current presence in Heaven, can be believed. Our ability to communicate with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit through prayer, confession, repentance, and reception of forgiveness makes sense, as does the promise of eternity with God after death, for those who believe in Him.
Encourage your grandchildren to consider the tangible and intangible worlds they interact with so they will have a broad perspective from which to think about the concept of eternity.
Historical Evidence That Supports the Bible’s Claims
Was Jesus a Real Historical Figure?
When I was a young adult, I began to think about many of my beliefs as a Christian and question whether there was any evidence to support much of what I believed. Up until that point, I had believed with so-called blind faith, and while I wanted to cling to that, I knew that I couldn’t be a good witness if I wasn’t able to defend my faith. So, I set about on my journey of apologetics to fully understand the claims of the Bible, learn which parts of it had been taken out of context or misinterpreted, and understand the difference between cultural practices of a given time and how we, as Christians, are expected to behave, despite the place and time.
A mentor suggested that I read Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell, and I was shocked to see how large the book was and how much information was packed into it. So many stories in the Bible were corroborated by historical accounts of natural and human events that occurred as described in the Bible.
Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
I focused especially on the story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ because if that could be proven, then Jesus was indeed supernatural. Therefore, the stories of ascension, our ability to communicate with a personal God via prayer, Heaven, and eternity could be believed. Here are just some of the points that are made to bring credibility to the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
- It is widely accepted by historians that Jesus was a real person who lived and was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
- Early Christians documented hundreds of eyewitnesses who saw Jesus alive after he had been crucified. Many endured torture and were eventually killed when they refused to deny their claims of the resurrection.
- The testimony of women was not considered reliable in the Jewish and Roman culture of the time. The fact that the story of the women who found the empty tomb and had an encounter with an angel was not refuted indicates that it was accepted as a true story.
- No other explanations for the absence of Jesus’ body in the tomb have been found to be true.
Why the Resurrection Matters for Eternal Hope
These points are just a few of many that exist to support the truth of the resurrection story. As you disciple your grandchildren, you might want to study, along with them, these and the other evidence that is available for that story and for the ascension of Jesus to build a foundation for their hope in an eternal home in Heaven.
Let’s build hope for eternity in the hearts of our grandchildren. May we, and in return, may our grandchildren live out Hebrews 11:1. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Christian definition of hope?
Christian hope is the confident expectation of something that is certain to happen, based on God’s promises, not wishful thinking or uncertainty.
How can grandparents explain eternity to children?
Grandparents can explain eternity by discussing both intangible realities (like love, thoughts, and prayer) and historical evidence that supports the Bible, especially the resurrection of Jesus.
Why is belief in the unseen important to Christian faith?
Scripture teaches that faith involves trusting realities that cannot be physically seen but are spiritually true, such as God’s presence, Heaven, and eternal life.
Is there historical evidence for Jesus’ resurrection?
Yes. Historians widely agree that Jesus lived, was crucified, and that early eyewitnesses consistently testified to His resurrection, even under persecution and death.
How does eternal hope help children face grief and hardship?
Eternal hope gives children confidence that the death of a believer is not the end and that God’s promises extend beyond this life, offering peace and resilience during loss.
