Solus Christus: The New Heavens and New Earth

Yesterday we began to look at Jesus’ second advent for traditionally the Church has looked at both during the season of Advent. We saw from Re. 5 that Jesus is the Lion and the Lamb who deserves all glory, honor, and praise, and He will one day return to bring into the new heavens and the new earth so we can give Him proper praise for all eternity. For today’s mediation we’re going to look at John’s description of the new heavens and the new earth that Jesus will bring:

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Re. 21:1-4)

That is what the new heavens and the new earth will be like. Did you notice the covenantal refrain? As we talked about when we discussed God’s covenant work in general, this is the point to which He has been leading and continues to lead all His people. He has increased His fellowship with His people through His covenants and the Church enjoys the most intimate fellowship with Him ever experienced because of Jesus’ first advent and work of redemption. However, there is more to come. When Jesus appears in His second advent and ushers in the new heavens and the new earth “God himself will be with them as their God.” We will walk and talk with God in our new, glorified bodies forever. That’s the end towards which our loving and just God has been relentless pushing since before there was time. That’s what we were created for. That’s what Jesus guaranteed for us in His first advent and will bring to fruition in His second.

Did you also notice the promise of complete and utter joy? God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” In yesterday’s mediation we asked “Will the miseries of this age really end?” and answered “yes!” because Jesus has assured it with His life, death, resurrection, and ascension. In today’s passage we see what life will be like when “the former things have passed away.” When everything in this world is gone (cf. 2 Pt. 3:10-12) and Jesus brings in the new heavens and the new earth there will be no pain, no crying, no tears, and no mourning—nothing that can ever eclipse the pure and utter joy of the “dwelling place of God [being] with man.” Nothing. That’s what Jesus won for His Church in His first advent and what we know will one day come. As Peter tells us, “According to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

On this day of Advent remember that Christmas only marks the beginning of the end. Jesus completed His work of redemption during His first advent and we enjoy the first fruits of that redemption now—“justification, adoption, and sanctification, and... assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.” (WSC #32, #36) But, there is more to come. When Jesus returns in His second advent all believers will receive their new, glorified bodies (cf. 1 Co. 15:50-55) that will be “perfectly and immutably free to do good alone,” (cf. WCF 9.5) and they will enter into the new heavens and new earth that John described for us in today’s passage. Remember that all this has been guaranteed in Christ’s first advent and work of redemption and that no one can take it away from those who truly repent and believe. Ask God to give you opportunities to share this good news—the gospel—with someone today and ask Him to give you the strength not to duck when He does. Praise Him for all the benefits He has given you in Christ, and ask Him to speed the day so you can enter into the glorious world-to-come where the “dwelling place of God is with man.” Live expectantly looking for Jesus’ second advent. Perhaps today could be the day.

By His Grace,

Taylor

Solus Christus: The Lion and the Lamb

We’re approaching the end of the Advent season, which means that soon we’ll celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Christmas day. In the last few Advent meditations, we’re going to look at Christ’s second advent, i.e. His second coming which could happen at any time. To that end, we’re going to look at a few passages from Revelation for our final devotions. Today’s comes from Re. 5, which shows us the unapproachable glory and worthiness of Christ and the praise that He deserves:

¹ Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. ² And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, ⁴ and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁵ And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
⁶ And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. ⁸ And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹ And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
    from every tribe and language and people and nation,
¹⁰ and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
    and they shall reign on the earth.”
¹¹ Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice,
    “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
    to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
    and honor and glory and blessing!”
¹³ And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
    “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
    be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
¹⁴ And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Re. 5:1-14)

Worthy is Jesus because He was slain, and by His blood He ransomed God’s people. He is the Lion and the Lamb at the same time. Christmas proclaims the event of Jesus’ birth but we know that He was born so that about thirty years later He might die for His people. We know that He was born to go into battle against sin and death as the Lion and be sacrificed on our behalf as the Lamb. He’s both the great warrior and the great sacrifice, and it was through that very sacrifice (what He was born in His first advent to do) that He won the battle against sin and death for His people. And, it’s in this very death that He showed He is worthy of all praise, glory, and honor—every bit we can muster and much, much more. Unfortunately, since we live in a fallen world, He still doesn’t get the praise He deserves from humanity; even from the Church. But, one day He will return and set things right, and on that day “every knee [shall] bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

On this day of Advent remember that there is another advent coming—Jesus second coming. The world doesn’t look very good right now, I know. We’re constantly bombarded with temptation and tragedy, and sometimes we wonder if it really is going to end. The Church has been waiting two thousand years. Will it end? It will. The Lion has won the war against sin and death because He became our Lamb in His first advent, and though the loser still fights, Jesus will soon return to put an end to this age, to bring His people into the new heavens and new earth where sin and death can’t touch them, and to throw the devil, his demons, and all God’s enemies finally and eternally into the Lake of Fire. Then we’ll stand before the throne of Jesus and with “myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands” and give Him the glory that He’s due. We’ll sing His praises forever and ever. What a glorious day it will be! What a glorious eternity it will be! Remember that His first advent was only the beginning; what we celebrate at Christmas was only the beginning. The best is yet to come. Ask God the Father to send God the Son back soon—to haste the day—so we can begin eternity in the bliss of the new heavens and new earth and give the Lion and the Lamb the praise He truly deserves.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Solus Christus: God With Us

We’ve seen in past devotions that God’s promise of redemption, which first showed itself in Ge. 3:15, has taken many forms in the Old Testament but most often it took the form of prophecy. In God’s promise of redemption, He’s told us many things about the Messiah—that He would be a prophet, priest, king, judge, shepherd, suffering servant, and much more. God even went so far as to tell us how the Messiah would come into the world and who the Messiah would be at the very core of His being. In today’s meditation we’re going to see this in a prophecy God gave to King Ahaz through Isaiah:

¹⁰ Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, ¹¹ “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” ¹² But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” ¹³ And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Is. 7:10-14)

Nearly seven hundred years before Christ, God promised that His Redeemer would be born into mankind from a virgin, and He promised that at the very core of His being the Messiah would be God Himself with us. Then, at the turn of the eon, when Joseph needed assurance that Mary had not been unfaithful to him, an angel appeared to him in a dream and said:

²⁰ ”...Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
²³ “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). (Mt. 1:20-23)

The Messiah is God Himself with us. Jesus is God Himself with us. The baby boy conceived in Mary’s womb is God with us. This is, of course, what we celebrate at Christmas and what we prepare to celebrate in Advent. The second person of the Godhead became man to save us from our sins. God not only promised redemption but God Himself came to accomplish it. Jesus is God with us, born of a virgin, and it was prophesied seven hundred years before it happened.

On this day of Advent remember that God not only planned to redeem His people but that He planned to redeem His people Himself. Remember that He didn’t just sit on His throne in heaven and provide some impersonal, distant way of redemption but that He sent His only Son—the second person of the Trinity—to accomplish it personally. Advent reminds us that the God we worship isn’t some remote, divine dictator who rules His universe from a distance. He’s the God who came into the dirty, sinful world personally to save His people through the second person of the Trinity and now personally makes His residence in His people through third person of the Trinity. He’s also the God who will one day create a completely new heaven and new earth for His people where He “himself will be with them as their God.” Praise Him on this day of Advent for His glorious, personal presence with you. Ask Him to speed the day of Christ’s return so we can be with Him personally for all eternity in the new heavens and the new earth. Perhaps today could be the day.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Solus Christus: The First Sunday of Advent

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. For this opening reading, it’s good for us to start out with a Scripture that encapsulates what Christmas is all about and launches us into the Advent season. Isaiah 9:6-7 followed by Luke 1:68 will do just that for us:

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people...

That’s what we celebrate during Christmas time. Christmas is not about greater kindness, bringing happiness to others, learning to walk in others shoes, empathy, spreading joy, or giving.  Those are all good things, but they are not the point of Christmas—they are not what Christmas is all about. It’s about the good news of a child being born—a child whose name is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. That child is the second person of the Godhead who became man, so He could redeem His people. Indeed, God Himself has visited and redeemed His people.

Also notice that it was the “zeal of the LORD of hosts” that did this—that sent Jesus. It was not God’s begrudging decision to redeem His people. It was not His last resort after He had exhausted all other means. God was zealous to bring about our redemption through Christ. It was part of His sovereign, immutable, eternal will from before there was time, and He zealously sent His Son to accomplish it.

On this day of Advent, meditate on those Scriptures for a little while. Remember that God zealously (not half-heartedly, apathetically, or begrudgingly) sought our redemption—that He eagerly sought your redemption. You are that loved. Thank Jesus for coming to accomplish your redemption and for being your Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. On this first Sunday of Advent, ask Him to give you the power to follow Him—to reform you into His likeness by the Holy Spirit—so that you might be able to be salt and light this Christmas season. Ask Him to prepare your heart for celebrating His incarnation and to build the anticipation so high that no part of culture’s consumerism can occlude it. Ask Him to make you hopeful and eager for His second coming (second advent), and ask God to speed that day. Perhaps it could be today. 

By His Grace,
Taylor

Solus Christus: God With Us

We’ve seen in past devotions that God’s promise of redemption, which first showed itself in Ge. 3:15, has taken many forms in the Old Testament but most often it took the form of prophecy. In God’s promise of redemption, He’s told us many things about the Messiah—that He would be a prophet, priest, king, judge, shepherd, suffering servant, and much more. God even went so far as to tell us how the Messiah would come into the world and who the Messiah would be at the very core of His being. In today’s meditation we’re going to see this in a prophecy God gave to King Ahaz through Isaiah:

¹⁰ Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, ¹¹ “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” ¹² But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” ¹³ And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Is. 7:10-14)

Nearly seven hundred years before Christ, God promised that His Redeemer would be born into mankind from a virgin, and He promised that at the very core of His being the Messiah would be God Himself with us. Then, at the turn of the eon, when Joseph needed assurance that Mary had not been unfaithful to him, an angel appeared to him in a dream and said:

²⁰ ”...Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
²³ “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). (Mt. 1:20-23)

The Messiah is God Himself with us. Jesus is God Himself with us. The baby boy conceived in Mary’s womb is God with us. This is, of course, what we celebrate at Christmas and what we prepare to celebrate in Advent. The second person of the Godhead became man to save us from our sins. God not only promised redemption but God Himself came to accomplish it. Jesus is God with us, born of a virgin, and it was prophesied seven hundred years before it happened.

On this day of Advent remember that God not only planned to redeem His people but that He planned to redeem His people Himself. Remember that He didn’t just sit on His throne in heaven and provide some impersonal, distant way of redemption but that He sent His only Son—the second person of the Trinity—to accomplish it personally. Advent reminds us that the God we worship isn’t some remote, divine dictator who rules His universe from a distance. He’s the God who came into the dirty, sinful world personally to save His people through the second person of the Trinity and now personally makes His residence in His people through third person of the Trinity. He’s also the God who will one day create a completely new heaven and new earth for His people where He “himself will be with them as their God.” Praise Him on this day of Advent for His glorious, personal presence with you. Ask Him to speed the day of Christ’s return so we can be with Him personally for all eternity in the new heavens and the new earth. Perhaps today could be the day.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Solus Christus: The First Sunday of Advent

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. For this opening reading, it’s good for us to start out with a Scripture that encapsulates what Christmas is all about and launches us into the Advent season. Isaiah 9:6-7 followed by Luke 1:68 will do just that for us:

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people...

That’s what we celebrate during Christmas time. Christmas is not about greater kindness, bringing happiness to others, learning to walk in others shoes, empathy, spreading joy, or giving.  Those are all good things, but they are not the point of Christmas—they are not what Christmas is all about. It’s about the good news of a child being born—a child whose name is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. That child is the second person of the Godhead who became man, so He could redeem His people. Indeed, God Himself has visited and redeemed His people.

Also notice that it was the “zeal of the LORD of hosts” that did this—that sent Jesus. It was not God’s begrudging decision to redeem His people. It was not His last resort after He had exhausted all other means. God was zealous to bring about our redemption through Christ. It was part of His sovereign, immutable, eternal will from before there was time, and He zealously sent His Son to accomplish it.

On this day of Advent, meditate on those Scriptures for a little while. Remember that God zealously (not half-heartedly, apathetically, or begrudgingly) sought our redemption—that He eagerly sought your redemption. You are that loved. Thank Jesus for coming to accomplish your redemption and for being your Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. On this first Sunday of Advent, ask Him to give you the power to follow Him—to reform you into His likeness by the Holy Spirit—so that you might be able to be salt and light this Christmas season. Ask Him to prepare your heart for celebrating His incarnation and to build the anticipation so high that no part of culture’s consumerism can occlude it. Ask Him to make you hopeful and eager for His second coming (second advent), and ask God to speed that day. Perhaps it could be today. 

By His Grace,
Taylor

Advent: Day 1

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. A good reading for this morning (which we will be reading at my church today) is Isaiah 9:6-7 followed by Luke 1:68:

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, 

for he has visited and redeemed his people...

That is what we celebrate at Christmas time. Christmas is not about greater kindness, bringing happiness to others, learning to walk in others shoes, empathy, spreading joy, or giving. It is about the good news that the second person of the Godhead became man, so He could redeem His people. It was the zeal of the LORD of hosts that did that.

Meditate on those Scriptures for a little while. Thank God for being your Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Ask Jesus to give you the power you to follow Him--to reform you into His likeness--so that you might be able to be salt and light this Christmas season. Ask Him to prepare your heart for celebrating His incarnation and build the anticipation so high that no part of culture's consumerism can occlude it. Ask Him to make you hopefully and eager for His second coming. And, ask Him to speed that day. Perhaps it could be today. 

By His Grace,
Taylor