You and I have seen the wars over the past year and their devastation. We may even have heard rumors of wars that “could happen” soon if things don’t change.
If you are a follower of Jesus, you might be wondering, “Is this the end of the world?!”
If you are not a follower of Jesus, the reason why Christians seem to go into a tizzy every time a war or catastrophic event happens is because of a teaching that is given in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter. 24. Jesus is telling his disciples about when he will return, and in verse 6 he tells them that, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.”
Hold on! Did you read that? “Do not be alarmed.” But it seems that we believers get alarmed more than anyone else when “end time” events happen. We go into a spiral of worry and wonder what is the mark of the beast, where should we build our bunkers, where is the red moon rising, and so many other things that make us look crazier than we actually already are.
So I wanted to challenge you with something, especially if you are a believer who is feeling more and more fear as the world seems to keep unraveling.
What if Jesus shared Matthew 24 with us not to create fear, but to instill courage into us? What if the book of Revelation was not for us to bicker over, divide over, become fearful over, but to be filled with boldness for the days to come?
What if you and I, followers of Jesus, could be filled with the most peace, confidence and joy (yes, I said joy) in these difficult times?
As much as Advent and this Christmas season does not really bring up end time pictures or theology, I believe that it can help us all in the days to come. When Jesus was born, the world was not merry and bright. Political corruption was happening, religious rulers were disobedient and controlling, and people all over were being oppressed by these terrible leadership decisions. (Sound familiar?) Yet, it is in this time of history God steps into the story and does not fix everything but tells wise men, shepherds and everyday people to come and worship.
Worship!? What about all the injustice? What about the potential wars? What about religious oppression? Don’t worry, I’m not giving you a spiritual sedative, this is actually God’s idea in the midst of a lot of turmoil. To worship Jesus does not mean you tune out everything else. It means to put everything in its rightful place. He is King, Messiah, Lord, Prince of Peace, and our true salvation.
But Josh, what about the end of the world stuff? Are we not supposed to be prepared? Yes, be prepared. By worshiping Jesus. Worshiping Jesus keeps your heart from being hardened and letting your love grow cold (a sign of the times that Jesus also talks about). Worshiping Jesus lets you not be deceived (another sign) into thinking that some other person, political party, or social structure will be able to save.
So as you sing classic Christmas hymns this month like “O come let us adore him” and “Christ is the Lord, o praise his name forever” see yourself as preparing your heart and mind for the end of the world. See it more than just another Christmas season, but a time to continue to be prepared for his second coming while you celebrate his first coming.