The Proclamation and Prophecy
On Thursday of this week I had the opportunity to tour a new Comcast call center that is opening here in Fort Collins. I met the Senior Vice President of Customer Service and the new director of the call center here in Fort Collins. This will bring 600 jobs to our city in the next year.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26:63-64 ESV
With the betrayal of Judas and all that the religious leaders had “on Jesus” they were having trouble verifying any charges worthy of death. One of the gospels reveals how the testimony of various people was inconsistent and even contradicted each other.
If seems out desperation the high priest places Jesus in a position to incriminate himself. Mark’s gospel records Jesus response with a more emphatic “I am.” During Jesus ministry when He spoke the power of “I am” out of the nature of His divinity it caused people to fall down, as in the garden when the soldiers came to arrest Him.
In this situation Jesus not only responds to the question, affirming who He was, but what His future destiny would be. He as the eternal Son of God would no longer be seen in human flesh; but would in the future be seen at the Father’s right hand and would come in the clouds of heaven.
As Jesus began the most agonizing time, torture and death that could be imagined, He was able to see beyond present circumstances and the hours that He would face, and know that His destiny was set and His future was secure.
That is what is needed in our lives when we face challenge, times of uncertainty and what is unbearable. When we place our faith in the resurrected Christ, we know that our destiny is set and our future is secure. There are no situations in this life when we can be confident of the outcome. Life is filled with uncertainty, but history reveals those who trusted in the Lord, prevailed and were victorious.
When the colonies of the newly declared “united states” challenged the might of Great Britain, it look more life a suicide mission than an opportunity with an expected positive outcome. But there was prayer and trust in God.
When the United States was torn by civil war, no one could have predicted the outcome and survival of a nation. But God’s will prevailed.
When the United States entered World War II, its military power was weak and unprepared. But people joined together, sacrificed and prayed and God’s will prevailed over anarchy and tyranny.
In all that Job faced, not knowing what the final outcome would be, he confidently asserted, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.” (Job 19:25 NIV)
The Lord who goes before us in all that we face, is able to help us to keep our faith and focus, seeing even in the midst of the test, the triumph of the final outcome.
Prayer for today…. Lord thank You, that You not only knew what You were called to endure, but what Your destiny was. Allow us to hold fast to our confidence and destiny that is in You, when we face the greatest challenges in this life, knowing there is more to life, than “this” life.