35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' "
Contrary to what many may believe, one day every tongue will confess Christ is Lord, one day every knee will bow in His presence. Matthew Henry states:
“The judgment of the great day will effectively convince unbelievers that would not now be convinced: ‘Then you will say, blessed is he who comes’ – ‘you will not see me to be the Messiah until then when it is too late.’”
There is a false belief that life will just continue on without any accountability for transgressions eventually dying into nothingness. While certainly palatable to those who desire not to change their ways there is nothing further from the truth. Their house is left desolate and solitary because, being unwanted, Christ will no longer “trouble” them. Sadly, not only is their eternal state doomed, they miss the greatest joy that is offered to all believers in the here and now:
“God is the only source of true happiness, because He offers those intangibles that we mistakenly believe can be found on earth: contentment, security, peace, and hope for the future. None of these can be found in a job, a human relationship, money, power, or position. They are God’s alone to give...The Lord Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, told where ultimate happiness lies: ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled’ (Matthew 5:6). This is God’s promise – and it is true.” Billy Graham
The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible states the following regarding Christ’s certain return:
“The same Jesus who ascended to heaven will come again (Acts 1:11) at the end of the age (Matthew 24:3). He will overthrow the Antichrist by the breath of His mouth and destroy his evil work by the splendor of His coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8). Christ is now reigning as Lord at God’s right hand (Hebrews 12:2), sharing God’s throne (Revelation 3:21). Although His authority is not readily discerned by the world at the present time, it will be made visible by His ‘apokalypsis’, or ‘revelation’ (2 Thessalonians 1:7). The power and glory that Christ possesses will then be unveiled and disclosed to the world.”
As believers, we wait patiently for His return. Having God as our confidence, we know that He will guide and teach us; directing us in the paths that we should follow. We are told in Proverbs:
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Prov 3:5-6 (NIV)
Our verse for today reminds me of a quote I recently came across that on first blush seemed offensive yet later loving:
“If you are reading this because you count yourself a good person and good people read religious books, let me give you a warning; you are dancing on the edge of a cliff. One day, maybe soon, you’re going to fall off. Not only that, but when you fall off, it’s going to hurt really bad. I just wanted you know, and I didn’t want you to say that nobody ever told you. I just told you...Feeling ashamed and knowing Christ far surpasses being good and never thirsting for mercy and forgiveness.” Steve Brown, A Scandalous Freedom
C. S. Lewis has a word for us too regarding Christianity. While lengthy, it is worth the slow read – contemplating the truth of his statement:
“Christianity simply does not make sense until you face the sort of facts I have been describing. Christianity tells people to repent and promises them forgiveness. It therefore has nothing (as far as I know) to say to people who do not know that they have anything to repent of and who do not feel that they need any forgiveness. It is after you have realized that there is a real moral law and a power behind the law and that you have broken that law and put yourself wrong with that power - It is after all this, and not a moment sooner, that Christianity begins to talk... (Christianity) tells you how the demands of this law, which you and I cannot meet, have been met on our behalf. How God himself becomes a man to save man from the disapproval of God. It is an old story...All I am doing is to ask people to face the facts - to understand the questions which Christianity claims to answer. And they are very terrifying facts. I wish it was possible to say something more agreeable. But I must say what I think true. Of course, I quite agree that the Christian religion is, in the long run a thing of unspeakable comfort. But it does not begin in comfort; it begins in the dismay I am describing and it is no use at all to go on to that comfort without first going through that dismay. In religion, as in war and everything else comfort is the one thing you cannot get by looking for it. If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: If you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth. - only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end despair.” CS Lewis, Mere Christianity
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NIV)
“Jesus is the “Way” because He is the “Truth” and the “Life.” As the Father is Truth and Life, Jesus is the embodiment of God so people can come to the Father (cf. 1:4, 14, 18; 11:25).” Bible Knowledge Commentary