Living in the W

It's been a tough year for a lot of us.  My dad had a pacemaker put in, then had complications.  Several of my friends have
illnesses and all the attendant problems like tight finances and too much time tied up in doctor visits.  The Lovely Joanne had a car wreck and is still dealing with it.  Many people we know have lost loved ones, including two in the last three days.  A dear friend and fellow pastor is afraid his wife may have cancer.  My father-in-law has health problems.  And on it goes.

Where does it all end?  When will it be over?  What can we do to make it better?  Why is this happening? 

I don't know the answers to any of those W's but I do know one W that makes the whole thing bearable.  In fact, this W makes it all make sense.  That's the "Who" question -- which is the only place to start, and is the key to the entire puzzle.  In this case, it's Who is in charge?  And the answer is another question:  Who is Jesus? 

Jesus is the Word who was with the Father before creation and still is (John 1:1-4), and who came to be with us (John 1:14), in the flesh with all our same weaknesses and needs (Heb. 2:17) the unique Son of God who gave himself to save us (John 3:16-17).  He's the One the Father sent because we didn't listen to the other messengers very well (Heb. 1:1-2) and he is absolutely of the same being as the Father (Heb. 1:3).  He paid for all our sins on the Cross, willingly (John 19:30) and rose from the grave (John 20:1-10).  He ascended bodily to the Father (Acts 1:9) and is at the right hand of the Father now, ruling the entire universe -- in fact, containing it all in himself and having brought the whole created order back to God in a state of favor (Col. 1:17-23, Heb. 1:3) .  In all those ways, he perfectly represented us, so that when he died, we died and don't fear death anymore, because when he was resurrected, so were we (2 Cor. 5:14-17) and when he ascended to the Father, he took us with him in spirit and we stand before God the Father without a single fault (Col. 1:22) -- totally blameless, in Christ.  Through Jesus we have been adopted into the very household of God for God's glory and this made him very happy (Eph. 1:3-6).  He will return again in glory and finally set everything right: " I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Rev. 21:3-4).  We have the Holy Spirit as our guarantee, living within us every day, as the down payment on the life we've been promised by God through his Son Jesus (Eph. 1:13-14). And Jesus will never leave us, but will be with us to the end (Mat. 28:20). 

That, my friends, is the Gospel.  Now, with all that in mind, what exactly were you and I worried about a few minutes ago?  Whatever it was, Jesus Christ already knows about it; has experienced it in his own body, and knows exactly how you feel; is walking with you through it; and will never let you go.

We need to keep our eyes on Jesus and keep asking the "Who" question, because that one.  Or as I have come to call it, "Living in the W."  Are you there with me?