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What Does Jesus’ Victory Mean to Me?
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April 10, 2023
In today’s society, the news is filled with headlines of terror and ruin. We’re caught in a tailspin of wondering what’s next, what lives will be lost, what disaster will happen, and what tragic report we will be told. As followers of Christ, we’re left trying to catch our breath before the next tragedy — exhausted, drained, and crying out for Jesus’ return.
In this world of darkness, toil, and death, our grief and difficulty won’t end until our Savior comes. Sometimes, it may seem as if God doesn’t see or care about the evil occurring, but we have a heavenly Father who sees all. He sees the evil; He sees the calamity taking place; He sees the corruption; He knows of the wars and the unrest — and He despises it more than we do (Proverbs 6:16–19).
Even though we still live in this world, we can find hope in our Savior, who has not forgotten about us. He will return, and as the days get darker, we can cling to His light and fatherly love. So, what does His return truly impact and signify?
As we celebrate Jesus’ glorious resurrection, where He defeated the grave, we know that He is now seated at the right hand of the Father (Matthew 22:44). We await His return when He ultimately defeats death and all its evils, destroying them for good. And in that truth, one day, all things will be reconciled to God forever, and every enemy will be placed under the feet of our Lord.
In Matthew, Jesus instructs us to pray this: “…your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When he returns, this is the glory we will experience (Matthew 6:10). When Jesus returns, He will bring redemption to the earth and victory to His followers — completely destroying evil for good. Then, He will bring in the new heaven and new earth (2 Peter 3:13 and Revelation 21:1), where we will experience the fullness of heaven and the redemption of the earth. His desire is to make everything new again — redeeming our sin and making the darkness light.
Though we don’t know the exact time or date He will return, we wait eagerly for how He will take us into His arms and destroy all evil (Matthew 24:36). He asks us to be ready. On guard as we prepare for this day (Matthew 24:44). By this, Jesus urges us to be immersed in His word, intentional in our relationships with Him, and urgently share His Gospel with those who haven’t heard the Good News.
Pastor Jeremy Writebol says, “God will be ‘all in all.’ That is, all things are reconciled, put to rights, and exist to the praise of His glory. He is the culmination and consummation of all things. The reality of the resurrection of Jesus is that beauty and glory and goodness of God will be fully experienced and known.”
God promises to come and be “all in all” to reconcile everything to Him forever (1 Corinthians 15:28). We abide only a little longer here in this world of evil. While awaiting His kingdom, He commissions us to spread His Gospel to a wandering world. He is giving the lost a chance to follow Him; as His followers, we are called to carry out His great comission (Matthew 28:19–20).
Friends, though it can get discouraging here in this broken world, hold onto our Savior and run your race with endurance. Tell of His goodness, press on with courage, and walk in anticipation of the day that He will come again.
As Christ’s followers, we will get to see all things reconciled to Him for all eternity. His resurrection holds so much victory! May we never lose sight of it — our Savior is risen!
As we reflect on Jesus’ triumph over death, here are a few questions for you to consider as we look to honor him with our time here on earth:
▶️ As we await His return, how will you prepare yourself and use your time to glorify Him?
▶️ Are there any people in your life you can commit to sharing the Gospel with?
▶️ Has the impact of Jesus’ death and resurrection truly sunk into your heart and transformed your life?
▶️ Does knowing the promise of Christ’s return give you greater hope and perseverance as you face the daily challenges of this world?
