From the moment Luke told us, “when the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51)” the frequency and urgency of Jesus’ warnings of God’s future judgment have been increasing. There’s a correlation between these two things. Before the day the righteous Judge returns to judge the living and the dead, the righteous Son of Man will give his own life as a ransom for many. The good news of great joy for all people is that, in God’s plan, the Just One will first offer himself up to be the Justifier (see Romans 3:26!), the bearer of our sin and guilt.
“Just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him (Hebrews 9:27–28).”
These should be motivating words both for those who believe and those who don’t yet believe. It should motivate “the believer to godly living, sacrificial service, and energetic mission (EFCA Statement of Faith).” It should compel us to share Jesus’ urgency to seek and to save the lost and to steward our lives toward that mission as we eagerly await the day our beloved Master returns.
What about for those who don’t yet believe? What response should the thought of standing before our holy Creator as Judge one day motivate? Jesus has a parable about this for us. Settle with your accuser along the way (Luke 12:58).
This Sunday Fred Sanders will be preaching Luke 12:49-59 and Kenny Clark will be leading our sung worship. Would you pray for each as they prepare? And let’s continue to ask the Lord to “teach us number our days (Psalm 90:12)” so that we might make “the best use of the time, for the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16).”
See you Sunday, Grace. Let’s come hungry!
Song Link of the Week
At the Cross by Daniel Renstrom
At the cross, wrath was taken away
And Christ was in our place
What marvelous grace!
At the cross, justice was supplied
By the blood of Christ
And forever we will praise!