Wednesday: Who Has the Final Word?
WEEK 2
WEDNESDAY
WHO HAS THE FINAL WORD?
Matthew28:18-20
We have seen the fourth pillar upon which the Christian faith rests: the Word become triumphant. We now come to the fifth: the Word become final—“up to the day when he was taken up” (Acts 1:2). And Peter adds: “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God” (2:33 RSV). So his being taken up meant that he was taken to the right hand of God; in other words, to the place of final and absolute authority.
And this had to be. It is not enough for Jesus to be triumphant in an event like the resurrection; what we want to know is whether he will be triumphant in all events, everywhere? Has he the final word? If not, then his resurrection fades into insignificance; for it was an isolated event and not a part of a triumphant whole. If the end doesn’t spell out victory, then the resurrection must be spelled out as a victory and not as Victory! Unless it is a part of a larger Victory, the resurrection is not Victory! It is the winning of a battle but the losing of a war.
But just as the cross is guaranteed by the resurrection, so in turn the resurrection is guaranteed by the fact of Jesus being at the place of final authority—at the right hand of God. He is Alpha—the Jesus of initial victory, the resurrection—but he is also Omega—the Jesus of final victory. That makes us stand amid the flux of events with confidence that these events will not have final significance unless they fit into his mind and purpose. They will break themselves upon the fact of Jesus at the place of final authority. You cannot fight God without getting hurt. Saul of Tarsus tried it and found he was only hurting himself in kicking against the goads.
At the right hand of God means that Jesus is at the place from which the laws of the universe have their source and sanction. Therefore all the laws of the universe point to him as their source and end. They all work for him. They are the silent sentinels who stand guard over the universe on behalf of their Lord. And no one gets past these silent sentinels. If anyone or anything cannot give the password “Jesus is Lord,” then these silent guards apprehend them as alien intruders into the universe—a danger to themselves and others. He is the Christ of the final word.
O Christ, we thank you that you are where you are. Goodness is on the throne, and we are safe. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I will get away with nothing that is not truth and reality.