The Joy of Glory

*I have enjoyed writing the Lenten devotionals for 2019. I encourage you to keep on reading Scripture daily that you may find ever-increasing joy in the glory of God. Grace and Peace, Jonathan

Revelation 22:1-5 (click here)
No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in [the new heavens and new earth], and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:3-5)

Reflection
Holy Saturday… a day of waiting.

Imagine if you had been amongst Christ’s disciples the day after his crucifixion. That had to be the darkest of Sabbaths. A day they had grown up observing as the most hope-filled day of the week… a day that recalled God’s perfect creation and looked forward to the day he would redeem and restore it all to the way he created it to be… that day had become the darkest day of their lives.

At least that is how it seemed… but if only they could see… dawn was coming.

If only they could see that they were merely a sunrise away from the in-breaking of the eternal light they had always hoped for! The reversal of sin and its darkest effect… death… this would soon begin with the resurrection of him… Jesus Christ!

Oh… if they could’ve seen that! How might it have revolutionized their waiting? If only they could’ve seen resurrection was on its way… coming with the dawn!

Now come back to today… come back to this moment… to this Holy Saturday… a day in which we wait much like those first disciples… not for the resurrection, but for the completion of redemption! The completion of what Christ’s resurrection began… the reversal of sin and death! The dawning of eternity in which there will be no more night, but only light seen in the glory of his face!

And we wait with eyes wide open… we wait as those who have seen the resurrected Christ with the eyes of faith! And, his resurrection guarantees the completion of redemption! Our waiting is not devoid of hope but filled with it! Our waiting is filled with the knowledge that the current darkness will be conquered by the coming dawn!

We know that Easter will have its final effect! Redemption will be complete! All things will be made new! The eternal day will dawn!

So, on this Holy Saturday, we wait in expectation as a people filled with hope and proclaiming hope to the world… the one who rose on Easter will return! His resurrection will finish what it began… the reversal of sin and death. Light will dispel the dark!

Redemption will be brought to completion. Easter will have its final effect!
*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.