You know those times when God has a funny way of dropping bunch of small things in your path that all seem to connect to each other, all seem to point to him in the same way? And you know they're not coincidences, but it's pretty crazy that you're hearing that one scripture so many times in one week or that one person has been brought up and you know you should do something about it?
Well for me, this passage was the cherry on top of one of those experiences. As the Director of Middle School Ministry here at UALC, I've been working to provide online content for my middle schoolers during this time. I've been filming a devotional every week studying the stories leading up to Jesus' death and resurrection. Just this week I studied the passage from John 19 where Jesus is crucified. I chose this gospel in particular because it references several prophecies fulfilled, I wanted to talk about metanarrative.
The metanarrative of the Bible is God's big story. When we read the Bible, we don't just think about each individual story, but how all of the Bible tells the larger story of Jesus, and how it even continues today with us through the Holy Spirit. In the stories of Jesus last few days on earth, several prophesies from the Old Testament were fulfilled, such as soldiers casting lots for his clothing, Jesus not speaking before Pilate, and the wine-soaked sponge.
So what does all of this have to do with Revelation 1:7-8? Well, this scripture is also all about metanarrative. Looking deeper into this passage, I saw references to both Daniel 7:13 and Zechariah 12:10. Both of those Old Testament passages are prophesies about Jesus' second coming. The Daniel verses in particular caught my attention: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven...He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13-14).
This reminded me of another well-known passage that speaks of Jesus' authority: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders...Of the greatness of his government and peace, there will be no end." (Isaiah 9:7-8). It amazes me that, throughout the Bible, even over hundreds and hundreds of years, Jesus is still the center of it all. The whole Bible is just one big story that points to Jesus. Jesus is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the story, of our story.
So no matter what story you're living right now, Jesus is in it. Jesus is your beginning, your middle, and your end. He is the whole point of the story, and we have hope because of him.
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