God himself will be with humanity
Revelation 21:1-7
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’
5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ 6 Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.’
This passage at the end of the Bible echoes themes we hear at Christmas.
Vs. 3, says that God will dwell with God’s people – themes we hear from the gospels – Emmanuel (see Matt. 1:23, which is a quote from Isaiah 7:14) and God coming to be with humanity (John 1:11). Those are central to the Christmas story – God coming to be with humanity in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But it is not until Jesus Christ comes again with glory and majesty that the full working out of what that means will be realized.
The One who is going to redeem humanity, and bring reconciliation to all of the world – both humanity and the creation – has begun to bring that into being. But we see only in part now – for the day is coming when the reign of God is fully revealed and every tear will be wiped form every eye; and mourning and crying and pain will be no more. The old will be gone and in its place the new order of God’s reign will have been realized.
I realize that for most of this week we have been going over this theme again and again and again – because it is so easy for us to forget. To forget that the reign of God is true and real, that God’s kingdom is coming. It is so easy for us to forget and think that what we see and hear is all there is. Advent tells us there is another story which is at work, another story that is on its way to completion. It began in Bethlehem, but there is more to the story – and we live now in hope of that story being fully revealed.
PRAYER:
Remind us each day, O Lord, that your kingdom is coming, the true kingdom, keep our minds set on you and your reign, so that we might live in hope, and be transformed more and more each day into worthy citizens of your kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.