“For I have come down from heaven to do the will of him who sent me.”
John 6.38
People only thought they knew where Jesus had come from (Galilee). If they had really known where he had come from, and who had sent him, well, they would have responded to him differently. The ironic thing is, Israel had been pleading for centuries for the LORD to tear open the heavens and descend to earth to forgive, redeem, and save sinners (see Isaiah 64). In answer to those prayers, and more importantly in obedience to and fulfillment of the Father's will, Jesus came down.
Today there are quite a few people praying that the Son would soon again come down. But I wonder, will the world, will even the Church, any of us, be more receptive this time? Maybe I need my eyes checked, but taking a good look at Christ's Bride (the Church), she's not looking so pure or radiant these days. I rather imagine she would find it awkward if her groom were to show up today. Not that the Church can, of its own, clean or remove any spot or blemish that mars its appearance. Even on their best days (and I think the Church's best days are far removed from today), the righteousness of all the abbeys, basilicas, cathedrals, chapels, cloisters, monasteries, and sanctuaries, and of all the saints who worship therein, has never amounted to more than a pile of filthy rags (Isaiah 64.6). It seems likely to me that most of us would find it inconvenient, to say the least, if Jesus were to show up today.
But the fact is, Jesus, who came down, is coming again. And it could be today. It might be tomorrow. The Lord may return some day next week, or next month, or next year, or ten thousand years from now, there's no way of our knowing. The Father alone knows the day (Matthew 24.36). Personally, I don't believe there will be much anyone will be able to do that day to alter or change their condition much, it will be far too late for mending one's ways when Jesus again comes down. But, just in case some believe keeping an eye on the sky might give them some kind of warning of Christ's coming again, I offer the following picture of what it could look like when the Father rends the heavens and the Son comes down.
The sober truth is, the Lord might not come down today, or for a long time, but this could turn out to be the day we personally meet him face to face. Isaiah makes it clear that none of us can have any confidence in our flesh, in our own righteousness. But, knowing that Jesus came down to live, and to die, in order to fulfill all righteousness, and that by his grace, and the love of the Father, he imparts that righteousness to us by faith in him through the work of the Holy Spirit, we have perfect assurance that there will be no spot or blemish on us when the Son presents us to the Father (see Jude 24-25).
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
No comments:
Post a Comment