(In my upcoming novel, Before the Trumpet Sounds: When Jesus Came to the Tennessee River Valley, Jesus returns in a manner nobody expects. During this visit, he is known by everyone as Jay.)
Even though his opponents were close-minded, Jay tried to get them to see how he could be the returning Christ. The second coming, he assured them, would end in triumph, just as the scriptures said. God was always true to His Word. But Jay argued that God was also sovereign and had the right to alter some aspects of Christ’s return. Jay admitted that he was not what they were expecting, but he reminded them that Jesus wasn’t what the Jews were expecting in the first century. God was full of surprises then. Could He not be the same now?
He reinforced this with a parable:
One day a website promised a free steak dinner to everyone who would visit each hour from seven in the morning to seven in the evening. Many people took advantage of the offer, logging on twelve times that day. Others tried but fell short. Some had commitments or emergencies that forced them to miss an hour or two. Some heard about it too late and started logging in around noon. A few procrastinated and did not visit the website until late in the afternoon.
At seven that evening, the winners of the steak dinners were posted. Included on the list was anyone who had visited the site at any time during the day! The people who had faithfully logged in every hour for twelve hours were furious. Had they known that one visit to the site was enough, they wouldn’t have wasted their time.
At seven that evening, the winners of the steak dinners were posted. Included on the list was anyone who had visited the site at any time during the day! The people who had faithfully logged in every hour for twelve hours were furious. Had they known that one visit to the site was enough, they wouldn’t have wasted their time.
The next day the website posted a response. “To those of you logged on for twelve hours and are upset that we changed the requirements, let us remind you that we did not break our promise to you. You received a free steak dinner, just as we said. And to those of you who argue that it’s not fair for us to change the rules in midstream, let us remind you that this is our website and not yours. We have the right to change our offer if we please.”
“You are like the twelve hour people,” Jay explained to his opponents. “God has promised you a triumphant second coming, and you have waited year after year for it. Your patience will be rewarded. God will do just what He predicted when the end comes. But now you are upset that He has changed the script by sending His Son once again in humility before the triumph. Again, let me remind you that God has not and will not break His original promise. But let me also remind you that it’s His return and not yours. He is sovereign and can change whatever pleases Him."
-Before the Trumpet Sounds:
When Jesus Came to the Tennessee River Valley (February, 2027)
No comments:
Post a Comment