So in today’s reading we have that wonderful remembrance of Jesus. He’s talking to His friends and others and says, “Do you know in the Kingdom of heaven, if one sheep leaves the fold, the shepherd goes after the one sheep, leaving the 99. And when he comes back with that sheep over his shoulder, he gathers his friend and rejoices. There’s a party.” And then Jesus said, “Do you know there is a party in heaven when even one sinner repents than over the 99 that didn’t need to?”
Well of course, I’m not sure there are 99 that didn’t need to. I think we all need to. But in heaven’s economy, in the economy of the new Kingdom of God, Jesus declares this great truth, that He, as the Great Shepherd of the sheep, will go after us. Even if we’re lost, even if we’re lost in sin, even if we do not know up from down, He will come and find us. And when He has found us, He will rejoice. Indeed, all of heaven will rejoice over us.
So as we go through this season of reading through the Gospel of Luke, as part of our Do Not Be Afraid time, maybe we should remember that no matter what is going on in our lives, that great truth of scripture that He promised never to leave us nor forsake us, indeed, as we come up to this season of Christmas, Emmanuel God with us.
If you feel lost today, cry out to the Shepherd, because He will surely find you. And once He has found you, once He has brought you to Himself, once He has placed Himself close to you, there will be a season of rejoicing in heaven that you too will hear. So please don’t be afraid. Call on the Shepherd and let us all rejoice when you are found in Him.
No, you can’t take anything with you to heaven. You can’t take your car, you can’t take your house. You can’t take that new computer gizmo that you got for Christmas to heaven. But there is one thing you actually can take to heaven: souls, people, human beings, by reaching them with the Gospel of Jesus. That’s all we care about here at GOD TV. We want to bring as many souls with us to heaven, to present them to Jesus as we can. And you can, too, by joining with us, giving a generous gift.
________
Read more on the GOD TV blog here
Watch GOD TV here