new heavens
No Reason to Fear
by Linda Rex
November 20, 2022, CHRIST THE KING or REIGN OF CHRIST—It’s hard to believe that we have reached the end of another cycle on the Christian calendar! Next Sunday, November 27, we will celebrate the first day of Advent, the beginning of Year A in the Revised Common Lectionary.
As I was reading the gospel passage for this Sunday, Luke 23:33–43, it occurred to me that Jesus was never more truly himself as Lord of all and as truly human as all of us as when he hung on the cross, dying at our hands, humbly submissive to his Father’s will. Even in that moment, when he could have simply climbed down from the cross and walked away, he was held by the nails of his love for the Father and the Spirit, and his love for all of us.
Often, it seems, when people think of Jesus Christ returning in glory, they picture him riding in triumphantly on his white horse, annihilating all the people who are standing in opposition to him in that moment. The apocalyptic language of the prophetic Word plants this idea in our minds and hearts, and our earnest longing and desire for God to make everything right fuels our belief that this is the way Jesus, as king of kings and lord of lords, will return in glory.
Looking at the readings for this Sunday, I found a theme—God does not want us to be afraid. He promised long ago that he would “raise up … a righteous Branch” who would reign as king, acting wisely, justly, and righteously—“the Lord our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:1-6 NASB). He said, because of this Lord there would be no need for fear or of being afraid.
Another reading for this Sunday, Luke 1:68–79, talks about how God would free us from our enemies, so we could serve God without fear. God never meant us to dread his coming or to be afraid of him or anyone else. Fear is not what should be uppermost in our hearts when we think of God, or of Jesus returning in glory. The psalmist says that: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;…” (Psalm 46:1-2 NASB).
What if Jesus’ response to all that is standing opposed to him when he returns in glory looks a lot less like the dropping of a nuclear bomb and looks a lot more like what he did on the cross? In the midst of mockery, ridicule, and humiliation, Jesus quietly asked for his Father’s forgiveness of his opponents, tended to the care of his grieving mother, and offered grace and reconciliation to a criminal. Could it be that Jesus’ triumphant entry will be more of a calling of all people everywhere to wake up to the truth of who they really are—who Jesus made them to be when he took on our human flesh and brought it through death into resurrection, into his eternal relationship with the Father in the Spirit?
This is the crisis of judgment—to see things as they really are, and to be given a choice as to what we are going to do in that moment. For some, there will be a refusal to live in that truth. For others, there will be joy and gratitude, and embracing of all God has made us to be as his adopted children in Christ by the Spirit. On the one side, a sickening realization that everything one has built his or her life on is now gone, for the other a celebration of all that they had hoped for in Christ finally becoming a reality.
What crisis might you be facing in your life today? The older I get, the more I realize how often I have pushed off to the future any crisis of judgment I probably ought to be facing right now, today. For example, even though I may know that having that lovely piece of cake right now probably won’t harm me, in the long run it might, if I continue to eat as though large amounts of sugar won’t affect me. Putting off the inevitable isn’t going to make it go away. Truth is, I can have a little here and there, but I must not continue to eat large numbers of very sweet things unless I want the consequences of a serious illness.
I realize this is just a dietary concern, but I’m using it as an example to help us think in terms of the other things we face day by day: our little habit of “being nice” instead of telling the truth in love; our “adjusting” the numbers to get the best return possible; our private addiction which we believe no one knows about (“so it won’t hurt anyone”)…. Do you see how easy it is for us to put off God’s judgment about things?
One day we’re going to have to wake up to the reality that some things just aren’t a part of who we are as God’s beloved children. Some of the things we think, say, and do are in opposition to the truth of who God created us to be. These things were never meant to be a part of our way of being as those who love God with all our being and who love one another as ourselves. One day, when Jesus returns in glory and ushers in the new heavens and new earth, all of that which is not truly us will need to once and for all come to an end. Then there will be no other way to live but that way which is our true self in Christ by the Spirit,
Jesus hung voluntarily on the cross facing our crisis in our place on our behalf. He stayed there, in spite of the legions of angels who longed to deliver him from his suffering. He allowed himself to undergo our worst so we could receive his best, handling himself with such kingly dignity in such a humiliating circumstance. We have no need to dread Jesus’ return in glory—unless, of course, we refuse to wake up to the reality of who Jesus is as king of all. Perhaps we ought to consider facing our crisis today, embracing his loving judgment right now, instead of putting it off until then. Is there something you would like to say to Jesus right now, today, about who you really are?
Heavenly Father, thank you for moving us by your Son from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. Lord Jesus, you are our King, now and forever. You are the One who made all things and sustains all things, and who brought all things with you through death into resurrection, reconciling all things through your self-offering. Today we open ourselves up to your judgment, that you may remove all that is not of you and that you may make us truly as you always meant us to be. Thank you, Father, for removing, by your Spirit, our fear and giving us faith, through Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
“… strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” Colossians 1:11–20 NASB
“When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.’ The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, ‘If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!’ Now there was also an inscription above Him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’ One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, ‘Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!’ But the other answered, and rebuking him said, ‘Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’ And he was saying, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!’ And He said to him, ‘Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.’ ” Luke 23:33–43 NASB
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Rending the Heavens
By Linda Rex
November 29, 2020, ADVENT | HOPE—Last night I was watching a report by Nashville’s mayor in which he was describing the latest spike in COVID-19 cases and an upcoming mandated reduction in the size of gatherings. As you can imagine, my heart turned over. I’m not looking forward to the isolation and health problems this will bring about for so many, nor am I thrilled about the loss of income, business and other difficulties it will create for those already struggling.
In some ways, I can identify with the prophet Isaiah when he wrote:
“Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down,
That the mountains might quake at Your presence—
As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil—
To make Your name known to Your adversaries,
That the nations may tremble at Your presence!” (Isaiah 64:1-9 NASB)
What is interesting about the rest of this passage, though, is how Isaiah didn’t focus on the glorious entry of God into the human sphere to exact his fiery judgment, but rather on God’s deliverance for us from our human proclivity to sin and our futile efforts to do the right thing. This one-of-a-kind God, who Isaiah describes as the potter, is called upon to do the work only he can do for and in us as his clay (Isaiah 64:1–9).
The psalmist in Psalm 80 acknowledges that the only hope for any of us is for him to smile upon us and restore us. This request is repeated three times—emphasizing a passionate desire for God’s grace and good will to be showered upon us. At the end of this psalm, he writes:
“Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
Then we shall not turn back from You;
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
O LORD God of hosts, restore us;
Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.”
(Psalm 80:(1-7) 17-19 NASB)
Do you see it? Here is a hint of how God is going to save his people—something related to a “son of man” whom God places his hand on and makes strong. Our only hope for God’s grace, restoration and renewal begins with God himself and his desire for and accomplishment of our transformation and healing through the Son of Man.
In 1 Corinthians 1:3–9, when the apostle Paul speaks of the final revealing of Jesus Christ, he affirms that we are found blameless not by our own efforts, but because God is faithful. God’s faithfulness is expressed to us in his gift of grace through Jesus Christ which enriched us in speech, knowledge, and spiritual gifts, and in the testimony of Christ being confirmed in us. He has called us into and has ensured we can participate in Christ’s fellowship by the Spirit with his Father.
So often we look into passages regarding the coming of Christ in glory and begin to impress upon them our private expectations and opinions rather than seeing them from God’s point of view. We see the world around us as very messy, filled with evil and sin, and right away call for God to rend the heavens and come down in a dramatic deliverance. We can easily diminish the incredible reality of what God has already done for us in the entrance of his Son into the world in the form of a baby in a manger.
We’re entering into the Advent season, and I am reminded of that beautiful night when the shepherds were quietly tending their flocks on the Judean hillsides. Suddenly an angel appeared—“rending the heavens”—with an incredible message that would change the world forever—the Messiah had come in the person of an infant lying in a manger somewhere in Bethlehem. The angels gathered around and celebrated this good news, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14 NASB).
Later on, this Savior, as he faced his upcoming death on the cross and resurrection, spoke of the transition which would occur between the kingdom of God which he was inaugurating in his passion and that glorious day when he would come in power, ushering in the new heavens and the new earth. He knew there would be a substantial time lapse between his ascension and the day of his final arrival, and he wanted his followers to stay in a state of continual readiness and diligence, especially with regards to sharing the good news of what Christ did in his life, death, resurrection and ascension.
What Jesus forged for us in our humanity tore open our cosmos and set it upon a new footing—in the all-ready/not-yet of God’s kingdom, he has made all things new. We have an incredible hope that bursts into our gloomy sin-laden world and lays bare all our futile efforts at being good and forces us to a crisis—where will we put our faith? Will we continue to trust in our human efforts to rule ourselves—to count on our 201 ways to solve our own problems and save ourselves? Will we keep to our own agenda or will we submit ourselves to God’s plan for our lives? Is Christ—the way he really is—good enough for us? Or do we need to add something to the simple reality of his grace and truth?
Our attention does not need to be on some particular plan or outline of end-time events, but solely on Jesus. Christ is our life. We participate through baptism in his death and resurrection, renewing this covenant relation as we take the bread and the wine in communion with our brothers and sisters in the faith. We live each day in attentiveness to Jesus’ coming and presence—both in his presence here and now by the Spirit at work in this world, but also in anticipation of his coming glorious presence at the renewal of all things. As things grow more difficult for us, as we struggle to stay the course, we can hold ever more tightly to the reality that Christ has come, he is come now by the Spirit, and one day he will come in glory. We have every reason to hope. Maranatha—even so come, Lord Jesus!
Father, thank you for the grace you have given us in your Son, for the work you already accomplished in his life, death, resurrection and ascension, and are working out in this world even now by your Holy Spirit. Keep us ever diligent, ever faithful, attentive to the end to our precious Lord Jesus by your Spirit. Amen.
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:3–9 NASB
See also Mark 13:24–37.
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