Jesus Wins!

On this day, the opening day of the convention of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LC–MS) in Houston, TX, many are concerned about who will win and who will lose—  in voting about the structure of our synodical organization, in terms of who the next president will be, etc. In light of that, the Rev. Herbert C. Mueller Jr., president of the Southern Illinois District of the LC–MS:
  

God has given me the privilege of serving as pastor of three congregations in my life. Each time I have come as the new pastor, I've asked what they would like to study in adult Bible class. Each time someone has piped up, "Let's look at Revelation! That should be fun!" And so we do.

The second or third time through I came across this idea: get out a modern language Bible, your favorite, then read through the whole Book of Revelation in one sitting (it takes about 90 minutes). Don't sweat the details, but when you're done, reduce the message to two words. Answer? Jesus wins.

Whatever Satan, the world or we sinners try, Jesus wins the final victory. As we hear when the seventh angel blows his trumpet, "The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15). Every time I read it, there's the same result: Jesus wins!

This is true even now, though it's hidden. But we look forward to the day He will appear and we shall see Him as He is. When the disciples saw Jesus ascend and disappear into the clouds, two angels stood by them and said, "This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven," that is, visibly, openly, for all to see (Acts 1:11).

Where is Jesus now? He is seated at the right hand of God (which is everywhere, we said last month), ruling over all things for His Church. "From thence," from that position of power, we confess the next line of the creed, "He will come to judge the living and the dead."

Everything for our salvation has been completed, His birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven for us. Only this remains. He is coming again. Right now, the Bible says, "He must rule until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death" (1 Corinthians 15:25-26), a victory, the Book of Revelation assures us, Jesus wins. "Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and authority and power" (15:24).

That's when He comes again to judge the living and the dead.

What happens to us? If we are still alive when He comes, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet… we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:52). If we have died before He comes, we will be raised from the dead imperishable. Either way, we are given new, glorified, sinless bodies, "for this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?' The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (15:53-57).

See? Jesus wins!

What about the judgment? Remember the Scripture, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Remember the promise of Jesus, "He who hears my word and believes Him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life" (John 5:24). Sin, death and the devil are judged and thrown into the lake of fire together with those whose names are not in the book of life (Revelation 20:10-15). But for all who are in Christ by faith, Christ Himself promises, "this is the will of Him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:39-40).

You need fear the judgment only if you are not found in Christ. My prayer for all of you is that we may be like St. Paul, writing to the Philippians, seeking to "gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection…" (Philippians 3:8-10).

Remember, Jesus wins!