Christmas, Hope and the End of the World

"Superman, where are you now, when everything's gone wrong somehow? The men of steel, these men of power, are losing control by the hour."  Genesis "Land of Confusion"

Fear is everywhere today, filling the airwaves, magazines and news centers of the world. This week alone we’ve heard of the looming “fiscal cliff”, continued high unemployment, an American state fully legalizing marijuana and several deadly mass-shootings. And abroad, continued unrest in Egypt, Syria readying chemical weapons in its civil war and North Korea launching a long-range missile. All just this week, and just on the national and world-stage. Many American cities are seeing crime rates soar as violent crime, despite government statistics, clearly appears to be on a disturbing rise.

This past year was loaded with various predictions for “the end of the world” (or the world as we know it). With the lack of peace seemingly everywhere, the sense that a catastrophe is near seems logical and even prudent.

And yet 2,000 years ago, Jesus promised these things. He assured us that it would get worse, much worse before the “end” would come. Why would he do this? The answers are many and varied, but perhaps the most obvious answer is the best. He prophesied these things so that we would have hope.

But how? How do we hope in such perilous times? How can we have hope that things will get better and that our uncertainties will be made certain? When the sky is falling (or getting ready to fall), how do we entertain a mindset of hope?

The answer comes from Jesus Himself: we hope in Him. We put all of our fears aside and look to the God-man who long ago told us what was to come so that we would believe in Him, rather than fearing the things taking place:

“I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he.” –John 13:3

The words of Christ in the Gospels declaring what would unfold in the course of human events tells us that we have a Sovereign who graciously says to us, “it may look bad, but I’m in control. These things must happen before I come in and clean it up once and for all.”

At the last supper, Jesus tells his disciples:

“You believe in God; believe also in me. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”  -John 14:1&27

It is natural to fear our circumstances and what is happening in our world. But here, He offers us His peace, a peace radically different and “beyond understanding” to the world. And He tells us that it is ours, if we will only entrust ourselves to and believe in Him.

The God-man, God-made-flesh, stands over all of time and history and says, “this is all mine. It is all working toward an end that will bring Me glory and will result in eternal life and joy for those who call on Me and entrust Me to lead them into My eternal dwelling.

However that path to our eternal home may wind, whether through terrible hardship or a restful ease of life, our hope is not in this life or in the things of this world; our hope is solely in the hands of our omnipotent King. And our future is glorious. Because no matter what this life brings, one day, we will see Him. Yes, we will SEE Him!!

And what we are to see is not a baby in a manger. It is not the meek and lowly one in sandals and a carpenters garb. It is the resurrected ruler and awesome King of the universe.

19^th century pastor and theologian J.C. Ryle said it well:

“The second coming of Christ shall be utterly unlike the first. He came the first time in weakness, a tender infant, born of a poor woman in the manger at Bethlehem, unnoticed, un-honored, and scarcely known. He shall come the second time in royal dignity, with the armies of heaven around Him, to be known, recognized and feared, by all the tribes of the earth. He came the first time to suffer – to bear our sins, to be reckoned a curse, to be despised, rejected, unjustly condemned and slain. He shall come the second time to reign – to put down every enemy beneath His feet, to take the kingdom of this world for His inheritance, to rule them with righteousness, to judge all men and to live forevermore.”

and in the vision of the Apostle John on Patmos:

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”  -Revelation 19:11-16

Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see,

Hail incarnate Deity

Pleased as man with men to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King"

Hail! the heaven-born Prince of Peace!

Hail! the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings,

Risen with healing in His wings.

Mild He lays His glory by,

Born that man no more may die;

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King"

Merry Christmas and In Excelsis Deo!!!

-EnJ