Not just a moment in time...the moment!

John 19:30  It Is Finished.

Those words spoken in finality by our Lord Jesus Christ represent both His final words
prior to His Resurrection and the finishing of His work here on earth. At the moment
when these words were spoken, redemption began and the veil separating God from His
creatures was torn. The sins of all had been heaped upon the back of this dying Messiah,
a propitiation had been resolved for sins and defeat was realized, at last, for satan,
death and sin's hold on those who would believe in Christ.

It was, therefore, not just any moment but a moment that changed the world, a broken
world into which Jesus came as servant and savior. It was the birth of a new covenant,
one that would provide the one true means to redemption, an opportunity for creatures
to be born into the light of grace and their sins forgiven. It was the ultimate example of
God's love toward His creatures, unconditional and complete.

It was, at the same time, the most terrible and most wonderful moment in history since,
in addition to all these wondrous benefits, a sinless God-man hung as a curse
on a tree, His body defiled and beaten, His blood flowing as the once and done
sacrifice needed for atonement. God had, in a plan agreed upon even before creation,
sacrificed His own Son as a means of providing righteousness where there was none,
borrowed, as it were, from He who was completely righteous.

I always cringe when I hear it said that this was a 'free gift.' It is a gift that demanded
the death of the Christ, that made it appear that satan had, indeed, been victorious,
left the followers of Christ in despair and confusion only to be finished by the
glorious Resurrection of  the Lamb and the eventual return to His Glory at the
right hand of the Father.

Without this history defining moment, there would simply be no hope, no
joy, no purpose, no completion, no pathway to reconciliation with the God of
the Universe.

It was THE moment. Praise and thank God for his grace!

From briefest moment to eternity

to me

Time is certainly fascinating! One thing that strikes me as an older fellow is how my own perception of time has changed over the years. It's as if time speeds up the older we become. Remember when you were a child how summer seemed almost endless? Remember how driving trips seemed to last and last until one day you realized how very short they really were?

Well scripture suggests that God is not burdened or limited by time. One day is likened to a thousand years in our time perception. I have read a quote that suggests that...all time and space is laid out before the face of God. This would mean that He is capable of seeing time in its entirety; from beginning to end and all that is in between. This ties in with His omnipresence and omniscience.

Our time here on earth is likened to a vapor. We are here so very briefly and then home, again. This brings to mind the realization that we are, therefore, somewhere else for eternity. My apologies to the nihilists out there.

In one amazingly crucial and blessed moment, if we ask with all our heart to belong to Jesus Christ, to believe on Him, and trust in Him.... we can be assured that for time eternal we will live in the presence of God instead of the absence of Glory. One small moment in the baptismal or on our knees in a quiet place can bring purpose, hope and blessings beyond our ability to comprehend.

Grasp that moment, won't you. Do not wait because there may be a time when that moment of deliverance disappears. Do it for yourself, those you love, and most importantly, for our Lord and King, Jesus. He is waiting to hear your prayers!

Praise God!