In the concluding part of my Easter message on the “Identification theme”, today I would like to focus on the following “Identity topics”:
1. Identifying ourselves with the Messiah’s cause: It is one thing to identify the Messiah’s cause and quite another to identify oneself with the same. Just as disciples to whom his cause was revealed were called to identify themselves with their Master’s cause by being his witnesses in “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:9). His followers through the ages to whom his cause has been revealed have also been called to don the same role.
Witnessing for Jesus stripped of all its fanciful strap pings is as simple as telling everyone what Jesus has done in one’s life much in the same way a terminally ill cancer patient operated upon and healed by a Doctor would tell others of his/her Doctor’s wondrous surgical skills. Then again, just as a patient who had a brush with death would do this passionately, starting with his family members and then relay this news all on his own in ever-widening circles, we, too, who have tasted His redemptive love and have been saved from far worse ‘eternal death’ are called to testify in a centrifugal manner about our ‘experience’ beginning with our family members, first.
Note Jesus in the above-captioned scripture portion in italics put Jerusalem first, signifying that his disciples were to start the work of relaying the Good news of Jesus’ saving power right at the place of their stay and then proceed onto other places . . . yes . . . “even to the ends of the world”. That we are reading this piece, most probably in a place faraway from Jerusalem is proof enough of the fact that Jesus’ disciples — their many weaknesses aside — did a commendable job, when it came identifying themselves with their Master’s cause! How are we faring on this front?
2. Identifying the times, we are living in: The end-time prophecy recorded in Daniel 24:4: “But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.” Would always resonate in the minds of all discerning Bible students for it identifies the time, we are living in as the end time, for at no other period in human history than in this cyber age have global business tours catalyzed by technology revolution become more commonplace and knowledge grown more exponentially. Latest inventions are the order of the day so much so it is News only when a new discovery in the field of science IS NOT MADE in a 24-hour span.
Also it would be foolhardy to ignore other ‘signs’ such as earthquakes, famines and wars (Luke 21:10-11), which Jesus announced, would precede his II Coming. Aren’t Newspapers littered with news of earthquakes ravaging several countries, famines stalking various parts of the World and wars being fought within and between nations?
As though to refute a rationalist who would attribute the afore-mentioned ‘signs’ to common occurrences’ of the past centuries too, the good Lord sent yet another irrefutable proof on 26th Dec, 2004 and on March 2011, respectively, in perfect fulfillment of His prophecy in Luke 21:25b: “And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides.” If an earth-shaking event of the magnitude of a Tsunami (the very definition of a strange tide) that hit several coastal cities in Dec 2004 and Japan in March 2011 doesn’t convince us that His Second Coming is on the anvil, then nothing else will! Yes, our hearts go out to the victims but secrets behind some Sovereign acts can only be understood in eternity (Deu 29:29).
Have we identified the fact that we are living very close to the zero hour when the Church would be ‘raptured’? Are we ready to meet our Master? Oh may we all rejoice in seeing his radiant countenance even while hearing his words of commendation: “Well done, my faithful servant”!
Prayer: Father , even as I am identifying the fact that we are very close to the Church rapture times, enable me not only to be alert but also to alert others lovingly and passionately. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Suresh Manoharan
(To access the entire “The Easter Message” mini-series, please click here.)