(This is a guest post by my 15-year-old son, Bryce.)
Presidents have always made promises while they run for office. Many times these promises are so huge, so attractive, and their only purpose is to obtain more votes. But when they are actually elected, they seem to have a completely different agenda than before, and the promises are not kept.
This is a trademark of the leaders of this world. Deception, even lies, are simply the way to win.
Everybody knows this, everybody accepts this. This is why when Jesus says in Matt. 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” It seems like the big daddy of all promises. Jesus is saying this while on the earth, in human form. He says that when this world is destroyed, his words will still stand true.
What are the implications of this?
Obviously, this means that Jesus knows the future! How could he know the future? If he is God then he would know the future. Yes, Jesus is God. He is making fact statements about the end of the world. Boom. Roasted. Jesus knows what the future holds, he is God.
If President Obama promised that his slogan, “Change” will still be improving things when earth is no more, nobody would believe him. But when Jesus says this, it seems right. He has already identified himself as the Son of God, he has performed many miracles, and in the first year of his ministry he knocked out the devil in three rounds. This is one promise whose purpose we know is not just to get more votes. Jesus does not need votes.
How should this affect the lives of the people who identify themselves as slaves of Jesus?
The fact that our Master’s words are never going to fall to the ground though the world ends should be encouraging. We can rejoice that Judgment Day is on the calendar, and Millennial Kingdom is not paradise lost.
As modern-day Christians we get to read Jesus’ words under the lamp of history. We know what happens next. We know that Jesus does die, and he definitely rose from the dead and ascended to heaven on a cloud. Jesus won! He did what he came to do, mission accomplished, game over. He lived the perfect life, he died in sinner’s place, and he defeated death.
But if you haven’t noticed, we are still here in this sin-cursed world. Though we have won, the full realization of the Kingdom has not yet come.
Believers are to live their lives for the King until death brings us to him, or he comes and gets us.
While we are waiting, there are daily battles with sin. These daily battles challenge us, strengthening our faith and dependence on the Christ. These battles with sin are by nature difficult, and disheartening. Especially disheartening is when we give in to temptation, when we sin against the King.
This is when we remember who are King is, only in him is there comfort. He is the forgiving one, the conquering Son. He won! The war is over, the King has got his crown, and his words will not pass away.