With Easter around the corner the theme of Jesus' death and resurrection feels more present and all-encompassing than ever. This weekend I heard songs of praise and victory, crosses and tombs and power in the blood, and was blessed with so many timely reminders of what we find hope in as followers of Christ. I love this time of year and rely upon it heavily to reinforce my faith for trials to come, but today, a few words stood out to me that I couldn't help but jot down for this post.
He is coming.
We know that Jesus lived on earth two thousand years ago and had a ministry that changes new lives every single day. We are edified by his words in the recordings of that ministry and live to follow the perfect example he left us in his Word.
We know that Jesus died on the cross and shed his blood to cover our sins. We are cleansed by the power of his spilled blood and freed from the bondage of our sinful human nature because of what he suffered, what he gave, for all of us.
We know that Jesus rose again, that the tomb was empty on the third day. We have victory over sin and the powers of darkness because death could not defeat him, because he has overcome. We can be conquerors because he has conquered, and we have life because he lives.
The Easter story is all of these- Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. They're the foundation, the corner stones of a Christian's life, to paraphrase what I heard today. But what about the driving force, the power that moves us today, to march forward, always forward, to press toward the mark? What is the hope that we see on the horizon, drawing us onward against all odds, all adversity?
Today I heard the answer, and it was so very simple.
He is coming. Jesus is coming.
The story didn't end with his resurrection, or even his ascension into heaven. The story didn't end with Peter or Paul and it didn't die when they did, the ones who had seem him in the flesh. The story did not end when two thousand years passed and here we are, the Christians, still marching, striving, fighting. It didn't end. We know how it ends. We've seen the final chapter. We'll march and strive and fight all day, every day, for as long as time lasts, in the strength of that hope, that promise.
Because it is a promise. Those three little words.
Jesus is coming.