For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name.”
You may have read a book or watched a movie that did not make much sense and moved slowly until far into the story. The movie, The Third Man is a good example. Harry Lime doesn’t show up until the last third of the film. So it is with the Bible. Just like each character talked about Harry Lime before we saw him, every book in the Old Testament points to Jesus, who arrives in the last third of the Bible to “confirm the promises given to the patriarchs.” From Genesis 12 and the promise to Abraham, to Jeremiah 31 and the new covenant instituted by Jesus, the story reaches its climax when “God so loved the world…”
That is our hope, our encouragement, and our fuel for endurance to make our way through this life in this world that makes little sense. There is more to this life. There is another world to come. There is more to the story. Jesus Christ forsook his place in heaven to die for us on earth so we could live with him forever at the end of the story. But in fact, our story will never end. We will either love the ending or hate it. For eternity.
Dear Lord, thank you that you have written the end of the story when you return for your bride. May we be found in the Book of Life when it is opened. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church