Saturday, January 14, 2006
1 Peter 1:6-9 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith; the salvation of your souls.
JESU, JOY OF MAN'S DESIRING
On earth we get to see the ones we love, and this gives us joy. But it is different for us as far as Jesus is concerned. We cannot see Jesus on earth with our physical eyes the way Peter could as Jesus' intimate disciple. And still we love Jesus. Even though we cannot see Him, we believe what God's Word says about Him. The Good News of what Jesus has done for us is what makes us happy and joyful, and no one can take this away from us, for God's Word stands forever.
Do you remember how Thomas did not want to believe that Jesus rose from the dead until he saw Him with his own eyes? Jesus did let Thomas see Him, and then He said: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Here Jesus was talking about us. We are blessed when we believe what the Bible says about Jesus without ever seeing Him with our eyes. What is written in God's Word about Jesus is more sure and certain than if we felt Him with our hands and saw Him with our eyes and heard Him with our ears. This Gospel is the unfailing source of our joy. If the source is unfailing, so will the joy be beyond ending. As Peter says: "Though now we do not see Him, yet believing, we rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls." Here then is the reason, plain and simple, for us Christians to be joyful today and tomorrow and the next day: We are saved, saved by our Lord Jesus Christ! Hallelujah!
