The Day That Changes Everything

[Sep. 29] This evening gathering took place on the festival that Jewish people call Rosh Hashana or the Festival of Trumpets. It has come to be called the Jewish New Year, because it is the day from which the rest of the Jewish year is calculated. While we do now necessarily know what significance it may have had in the days of Moses, we have come to have a few traditions of our own.

When Christians see the word “Trumpets” in a title, one of the early associations we might make is the many trumpet blasts in the book of Revelation. The one that catches our attention the most is the one that announces “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11:15 NRSV). For Wascana Fellowship, this ancient festival has become a symbol of the return of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

It is certainly true that Jesus’ first coming has completely secured our salvation. We must acknowledge, however, that there is still some unfinished business. This is why Paul’s exhortations about living a good Christian life are almost always made in the context of the “appearing” of the Lord. The world has not become a fair and just place, even in countries that claim a Christian foundation. Jesus’ return will bring to completion the salvation of humanity, eventually ushering in a “new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 22).

We human beings do not have what it takes to establish a completely fair and incorruptible society. We certainly are encouraged to do the best we can for as long as we can, but our success will be marginal. Jesus does have everything it takes. And for this reason we look forward to the day of his return: the day that will change everything.