Ten Attributes of Jesus Christ

It has been said that a pastor is not really a pastor until he has conducted a few funerals. It has also been said that a church is not really a church until it's had a few funerals, mainly because death punctuates our existence like a series of commas, reminding us that this life is not all we have, reminding us that there is an age to come. And although death comes and feels like the world stops, the fact is it doesn't. Death is not a period, it's a comma. And when it comes to our household, to our family, to our loved ones, we're reminded as we look outside that the rest of the world keeps going and that eventually, so too must we. We must continue to put one foot in front of the other and do those things that are required of us, and continue to live our lives, that is, until the comma comes for us. But the fact of the matter is these commas that punctuate our existence are merely a reminder that things are not always going to be as they are. One day. In fact, death won't be a comma. It won't even be a period. It will be an exclamation point at the end of the age, as all things things come to an end. There's going to come a day when no one wakes up the next day and looks outside and sees everything continuing on like it used to, when no one will merely have to remind themselves of the need to put one foot in front of the other and to continue to make it through the struggles and the difficulties of everyday life. There's going to come a day when everything ceases, when the world as we know it is no more, when we will face God. That's the reality, and that's what we see pictured at the end of Revelation chapter fourteen, this picture of the great harvest at the end of the Age, and the way that John depicts this picture is rather matter of fact and in some ways quite gruesome. It is not pretty, it is not pleasant, but it is real and it is true, and it is coming, and so we need to make ourselves aware and prepared. Look with me beginning at verse fourteen of Revelation chapter fourteen, and let's look here at the harvest of the Earth verse fourteen. Then I looked and behold a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, put in your sickle and reap. For the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe. So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped for seventeen Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are right. So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the wine press as high as a horse's bridle. For sixteen hundred stadium succinct. Matter of fact, to the point, there are so many things described here and as we go on in revelation, these things will be described in great detail. But remember what is happening in verses twelve through fourteen is really a summation. John is summarizing this picture of the judgment of God, of this great war of the false Trinity of the Dragon and the Beast and the false Prophet over against the Holy Trinity, the Unholy Trinity, over against the Holy Trinity of the Father and the Lamb and the Holy Spirit. Then there is this picture of Christ standing on Mount Zion and the one hundred and forty four thousand representing the fullness of the people of God standing there. And there is this worship that originates in heaven and impacts the earth. Beyond that, there is this picture of the judgment that is coming. As three angels come and make three different proclamations. But as these three angels make these three different proclamations, we're reminded that their proclamations come when it's almost the end, and that, in fact, it is merciful that these proclamations are made before the ind comes. There is this sense of swelling urgency as everything moves towards finality. And then here in these last two paragraphs, the finality comes. There are two parallel vignettes. And in these two parallel vignettes, and both of them there is one with a sickle, and both of them there is an angel coming from the temple, and both of them there is the command to reap with the sickle, and both of them there is the reaping. No fanfare, no sense of celebration with the one or weeping and wailing with the other. Simply a loud cry that says reap, not even a response that says okay, there is reap, and then the whush of the sickle and the reaping is done. As I pondered this picture, I began to ask myself what it was that I was seeing, what it was that was important here. In one sense, there really isn't all that much to it, because there's not a lot of detail, because there's not a great deal of explanation. So in the one sense, you could just look here and talk about these symbols and what these symbols represent, and the fact that once again we have seen the picture of the judgment of God. But everything continues to come back to the one who was on the white cloud, and ultimately when your focus goes there, you realize that the one that you have seen here on the white cloud is also the one who was standing on Mount Zion. If this is a picture of Christ, this is a picture of Christ at the end of the age. This is a picture of Him overseeing the consummation of all things. As I looked, there were several things that I saw about Jesus, and I had to pare these things down because I began to see more and more and more as I looked. So I pared them down to ten things that this harvest teaches us about Christ. Number one, it teaches us that Christ is righteous. There is a picture here of the righteousness of Christ, first of all, because he is on this white cloud. Now, there are many depictions of clouds in the Bible, depictions of clouds, even in Revelation. But what's distinct here is that this cloud is white. You don't find that anywhere else. There's a picture of this cloud being white. We've seen white a number of times in Revelation. We'll see white a number of more times in Revelation. But when we see it, what does it depict. Well, there are the saints who are in white robes. What are these white robes represent righteous deeds? Later on, we're going to see the bride who has made herself ready for the marriage of the lamb. What is she wearing. She's wearing a white gown. What does this white gown represent the righteous deeds of the saints. It is a picture of righteousness. So here is one who is seated not just on a cloud, but on a white cloud. There is a picture here of righteousness, which is incredibly important as you begin to talk about judgment, because judgment requires righteousness. In order to exact judgment, one must be righteous. And if Christ is anything, Christ is righteous. This is a picture that is brought forth from Daniel chapter seven. Listen to Daniel seven thirteen. I saw in the night visions and behold with the clouds of heaven. There came one like the son of Man, and he came to the Ancient of days and was presented before him. So there is this picture of the one who is on the white cloud. There is also a picture here of a distinction between the one who is on the white cloud, like the Son of Man and the Ancient of days. That's important. We're going to see that here in Revelation chapter fourteen as well. Jesus is associated elsewhere with clouds Matthew twenty six sixty four. Jesus said to him, you have said so, but I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Referring to the end Acts chapter one, verses nine through eleven. Remember Christ at his ascension, and when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up on and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. How on a cloud? And now what does John, who by the way, was there, tell us about Jesus at the end of the age. He looks and he sees him on a white cloud. Not just a cloud, but white cloud. This is a picture of the righteousness of Christ, and the righteousness of Christ is essential to understanding this passage. It's essential to understanding the Book of Revelation. This is all about the righteousness of Christ, his righteousness in that he is judged, but he also his righteousness in his redemption of his people, folks. Christ is righteous both objectively and subjectively. Objectively, he's righteous because of who he is, his very nature, his essence. He is God. In him, there is no shadow of turning. In fact, being God, he defines righteousness by his very existence. Righteousness can't be defined outside of God. In order for righteousness to be defined outside of God, that would have to be something more righteous than God. But there is nothing more righteous than God. So God defines righteous. What he does is right simply by virtue of him being the one who does it. He can only do right. He is objectively righteous. But then Christ is righteous because as the last Atom, he was completely obedient kepital law in full and was actively righteous, subjectively righteous. So not only objectively and intrinsically is he righteous by his nature, but in his life, in his incarnation, he personifies righteousness as he keeps the whole law for his people. Christ is righteous. This is important. Second thing that we see here is that Christ is incarnate. Notice the picture that he sees then I looked and behold a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of Man. There's a reference here to the son of Man. Christ took on a human nature at his incarnation, and although he is glorified and exalted, he remains forever theanthropos, the god man. Christ took on a whole other nature. God took on manhood. He took on humanity. He grew up, he hungered, he thirsted, he bled, he died. He has a body, and when he returned to glory, he returned with his body. Christ did not become disembodied, nor in the age to come will we be disembodied, but we will be reunited with our bodies. So Christ, the incarnate God, remains the incarnate God. His body is glorified, but he still has a body. You know. His favorite term for himself during his incarnation, during his time here on earth was the Son of Man. He referred to himself again and again and again as the Son of Man. He even uses the title when he describes his role in this very event. In John chapter five, Jesus says, beginning of verse twenty five, Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who here will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. That's a picture of what we see here in Revelation fourteen. This is that event at the end of the age. And when Jesus describes his role in the events of the end of the age, he uses this phrase, this term, this title the son of Man. And Daniel chapter seven there is a reference to him as the Son of Man. And here in Revelation chapter fourteen, borrowing from Daniel chapter seven and in keeping with what John would have heard from Jesus for three and a half years, he makes reference to one who is like the son of Man. This is the incarnate Christ. This is God, the Son who still has a body. We also see that Christ is King, a white cloud and seated on the cloud one like the son of Man with a golden crown on his head. Christ is the king. Earlier on, in Revelation One, verses four and five, John introduces us to the Jesus of the Apocalypse, and he writes, grace to you and peace from him who is and who was, and who is to come. There is the Father from the seventh spirits who were before his thrones, the reference to the Holy Spirit, the complete Spirit of God, and from Jesus Christ. And here's a trifold expression of who Jesus is, the faithful Witness, the firstborn from the dead, and then thirdly the ruler of the kings on the earth. He is the ruler of the kings on the earth. So here's the white cloud. Christ is righteous, here's the son of Man. Christ is God incarnate, and here's the throne on his head. Christ is king. So because he's righteous, he deserves this role that he has at the end of the age. Because he's the incarnate God, he is worthy of this role that he has at the end of the age. And because he is the exalted King, he deserves this role that he has at the end of the age. But remember, in the first of these three messages on Revelation fourteen, we referenced Psalm number two. Look at Psalm number two again, beginning of verse four, He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury, saying, as for me, I have set my king on Zion hill. Who's on Zion? Christ is on Zion at the beginning of chapter fourteen. Now Here at the end of chapter fourteen, he is seated on a white cloud, and he has a crown on his head. Why to reference the fact that he is king, that there is no authority higher than his authority. He is the sovereign, He is the ruler. That's who Christ is. He is the righteous incarnate God, and he is king. He is ruler. And if we are not thinking about Christ in these terms, we are not thinking about him rightly. If you're just thinking about Christ as your good buddy, you're not thinking about him rightly. Is he your friend? He's a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Amen, Hallelujah, Praise the Lord. But he's king, And don't you you ever forget that, it's easy to forget yourself. As we grow closer to Christ, it's easy to forget who he is. I love the way that this is captured by C. S. Lewis. Regardless of what you think about the Chronicles of Narnia, regardless of you know where you think theologically it's appropriate or inappropriate or whatever, none can deny the fact that there is this beautiful picture of Christ as the Lion in the Chronicles of Narnia. And I love when speaking of Aslan it is said, he's not a tame lion. Amen, He's not a tame lion. Christ is king, he's sovereign ruler. And just because he's kind and gracious to you, don't you dare forget that he is King of kings and Lord of lords. He's not to be toyed with. He's not a tamed lion. Fourthly, Christ is divine. He is the eternal son of God doing the will of his father. There's a question here, why is Christ receiving an order from an angel? Some have even argued that this is not Jesus, but it's a high ranking angel and it has to be Why, Well, go back with me they were fourteen. Then I looked and behold a white cloud, seated on the cloud, one like the son of Man, with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, put in your sickle and reap. If this is the son of God, why is he receiving orders? Because he always has? How many times did Jesus say to his disciples, he did nothing of his own accord, but in obedience to his father. He is the eternal son of God, doing his father's will, doing his father's bidding. This is who he's always been. Folks, Christ is superior to the angels. We know this in the book of Hebrews. We see again and again Hebrews, Chapter one, verse six, and again. When he brings the first born into the world, he says, let all God's angels worship him. He's superior to the angels. So the text heer can't be saying that this angel is superior. He's the second person of the Trinity. He is God the Son. So why then is the angel giving him the order to reap? He's pointing to the fact that although Christ is exalted, and although he has gone from his humiliation to his exaltation, although he is seated at the right hand of the throne of his Father, he is still the eternal son of God and does the bidding of his Father. In fact, here's the other thing that's interesting. You remember what Jesus said to his disciples, Mark chapter thirteen, verse thirty two. But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Remember when Jesus says it, it's striking that God. The son says, concerning that, the Father has that information. The angels don't know that, and the Son doesn't know that. Now here's the picture. He's seated on a white cloud with a crown on his head, and he's got his sickle in his hand because he knows what's going to happen. But notice where the angel comes from. The angel comes from the temple. What's in the temple, the throne who's on the temple, the one who was and is and is to come. So the Father says to his messenger, tell my boy, it's time. The angel comes from the temple and announces with a loud voice the word that has come from the temple, and the eternal Son of God, who was obedient even unto death, only reaps when the father says it's time to reap. Christ is the eternal son of God. He hasn't stopped being the son of God. Five, Christ is a redeemer. This is the distinction between these two vignettes. They're almost identical, but what separates them is the identity of the one seated on the cloud versus the other angel, and secondly, what it is they reap and consequently the results. But look at the first one. Another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud. By the way, first, let me answer a question that I didn't answer before. Because here's the question that comes. He says, here another angel, which again is why some argue that what we're seeing here on the cloud is not Christ but an angel, because John says another angel. Folks, when he says another angel, he's referring to the three angels who made proclamations. Then he says, after the proclam remember we have to do this in bite sized chunks. Week after week, but it was meant to be read altogether. Amen. So there's an angel who makes one proclamation of this eternal gospel. There's another angel who makes the proclamation about fall and falling his Babylon the Great. Then there's another angel who makes a proclamation about drinking the dregs of the judgment of God. And then he says, after he sees the one seated on the cloud and another angel, that's the reference to another angel, not that the one on the cloud is an angel, put in your sickle and reap for the houter. Reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe. So he sat in the cloud, swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped. This reaping is not a reaping for judgment. This reaping is a reaping of the harvest of the Redeemer, who is reaping his redeemed Every week when we pray, every week in our program, we pray for an unreached people group, and every week there's the same passage referenced as we pray for an unreached people group. Why why do we continue to put before ourselves the need to pray for people who haven't heard the gospel because in Matthew chapter nine we read then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest, to send out laborers into the harvest. Who's the lord of the harvest? Christ, who reaps the harvest at the end of the age Christ, because it's his harvest to reap. We work in the harvest, but He's the one who reaps the harvest. This is the harvest of the redeemer. This is the harvest of the redeem Christ will have the fullness of his reward. Matthew thirteen thirty. You remember the parable of the wheat and the tears. How does this resolve? Let both grow together until the harvest. And at harvest time, I will tell the reapers to gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned. But to gather the wheat into my barn. This is the wheat harvest. This is the wheat harvest. And Christ gathers in the wheat harvest. Because Christ is the redeemer, but six Christ is also judge. The sickle is symbolic of judgment, and Christ sits on this white cloud with a sickle in his hand and did his symbolic of judgment. But wait a minute, but he's the one who reaps the grain harvest. He's not the one who reaps the harvest of the grapes of wrath. So wouldn't the other one be judgment? No, folks, the salvation of God's elect is an act of judgment on the non elect. When Christ reaps those who are his and we enter into our eternal reward, that is part and parcel of the judgment on sinners that they're not part of that harvest. There is also a sense in which Christ is judged because Christ is the one who determines who's reaped in this first reaping, the command comes it's time to reap and reap. Notice that Christ doesn't reap everything. There's some that's left, and it's left for the wine press of God's wrath. How do you determine who is reaped as the weak harvest and who is reaped for the wine press of God's wrath? You determine that if you are a righteous judge, and that's who Christ is, and as the righteous judge, he determines who's part of the wheat harvest. He determines who's his. Because the Redeemer is the judge Matthew seventeen twenty nine to thirty one. Being God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, and image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance, God overlooked, But now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed. And of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. God's going to judge the world, and He's going to judge the world by a man who was raised from the dead. That's who we see seated on the white cloud with a sickle in his hand. He is the judge. But even in him being the judge, we see another picture. Seven. Christ is long suffering. Christ is long suffering. We have sort of the redemptive history mapped out before us in chapters twelve, thirteen, and fourteen. But folks, this is a depiction of thousands of years, not decades, not centuries, but millennia, thousands of years, thousands of years. Christ is long suffering. In Revelation chapter six, we get a picture of this here. Remember the cry of the martyrs. The martyrs cried out with a loud voice, Oh, Sovereign Lord, Holy and True, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth. Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. Do you grasp that there are martyrs who've been faithful to Christ and they've been killed because of their faithfulness to Christ? And they say, how long? How long before you avenge us? Jesus' answer is wait, because there's more of my people to be killed before I exact vengeance. God is long suffering. God is patient. And before you get upset with God for being patient, be very careful because every time you take a breath to say, God, why have you not judged sinners already? Please remind yourself that you too were in that very condition. And it was the patience of God and the long suffering of God that waited until the moment of your salvation, and you were able to come in to the a week harvest and not be counted in the other harvest because of the long suffering of God. He waited for you. He was patient with you. Every day of your life before you came to Christ was a day when you had heaped up condemnation and were worthy of the wine press of the wrath of God. Every day, every day since then, you have fought things, and said things, and done things that made you worthy of this same wine press of God's wrath. But God is patient. This is what is meant and two Peter three. Nine. The Lord does not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you. If you follow the pronouns in this whole chapter that you refers to the beloved, it's patient toward you, not willing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. Christ is lung suffering. And the reason that Christ is lung suffering is because the fullness of his reward has not yet been attained. Eight. Christ is faithful thousands of years, thousands of years, And they're in two Peter three the scoffers are asking, where's your God? Where's his justice? Where's his judgment? Where's his deliverance? Where is it? Where is it with the Lord? Days is a thousand years and a thousand years, this is a day. And no matter how long it takes, you rest assured. He's faithful. And if he says it, it will come to pass because what he says he will do. Why because he's righteous, He's the righteous incarnate God, and he is faithful. Remember that, saints, he is faithful. You remember that too, sinner. He is faithful. And just because you've gotten away with it up to this point, does it mean that you are going to get away with it period? Just because the justice of God has not come to you, does it mean that there is no justice of God? God is faithful, and that works both ways. It works on both harvests. God is faithful. Number nine, Christ is victorious. His enemies will be judged, folks. He is more than lowly Jesus meeking mild. He is not some sissified Christ. This is the God Man, a righteous judge with a sickle in his hand. Later on we're going to see him riding in on a white horse with fire in his eyes, and a thord on a sword on his thigh. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together, and he is the judge of all things. So though in the second vignette there is this picture of an angel coming with this sickle, look at the second vignette. Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, put in your sickle, and gather the clusters of the vines of the earth, for its grapes are ripe. So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the great harvest and the earth of the earth, and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the wine press as high as the horse's bridle. For sixteen hundred stadia. This is a picture from Joel three from thirteen. Put in the sickle for the harvest is ripe, Go in tread, for the wine press is full, the vats overflow, for their evil is great. There's also a picture here from Isaiah sixty three to three, the wine press alone and from the people's No one was with me. I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath. Their life blood spattered on my garments and stained all my apparel. This is a gruesome picture. It is a gruesome picture of the victorious Christ. This is God's victory over sin. This is God's righteousness poured out. Remember there are those two pictures of wine in judgment, and one is the dregs and the sort of hyper fermentation of the wine that leads to this drunken stupor on the wrath of God. And the other picture is the picture of the fresh grapes being crushed, and the picture of the blood running sixteen hundred stadium as high as a horse. It's like as high as a horse for almost two hundred miles. This is a gruesome picture of the victory over God. But remember where we started. This is a war. By the way, this also dispels a great myth. There is a great myth out there that things are actually in doubt. That there is God on one side doing the best he can, and the devil on the other side doing the best he can, and they duke it out, and sometimes God gets the other hand, and sometimes the devil gets the other hand, and sometimes, folks, the future is not in doubt. Christ will be victorious. In fact, Christ is victorious. We are merely waiting. The one seated there on the white cloud is not biting his fingernails. The one seated on the white cloud is merely waiting for the word to come from the throne room. He knows it's going to come. He is victorious. He's merely waiting for the fullness of the wheat harvest. But his victory is secured. Ten. Finally, we see here that Christ is worthy. Christ is worthy, worthy of what. Yes, Christ is worthy. Christ is worthy to judge the world because he's God. Because he's righteous. Christ is worthy to wear the crown because he's King of kings and Lord of lords. Christ is worthy to reap the wheat harvest because he is the redeemer of God's elect Christ is worthy to reap the harvest of the grapes and the wrath of God. Why, because vengeance is his But here's another thing. Christ is worthy of our worship. Why, why, oh, it was so hard to not deal with this a last week, but to wait until this week. He is in the garden. He's in the garden of gath Simony. Even the name gets simony, a place where the grapes are crushed. And here he is being crushed under the weight of sin and under the weight of god judgment. And he says something that you don't get unless you get this. Christ says, let this bitter cup pass from me? What cup? The cup of the wrath of God? Why is there a wheat harvest? Why am I not part of the harvest of the grapes of wrath? Why don't I get that because I deserve it? Why because there is another who drank the cup on my behalf. There is another who was crushed under the weight of God's wrath, whose blood was spilled on my behalf. There is another who died the death that I owed. He was completely righteous so that he might impute his righteousness to me, And he was completely obedient, so that he endured the wrath of God on my behalf, and took my sinfulness in himself and paid the price that I owe, so that the only reason that anyone is part of the first harvest and not the second is because Christ has tasted fully the last harvest. He directed the bitter cup that was prepared for me, and then turned around and gave me another cup, the cup of a new covenant. He takes the dregs and gives me the finest of the vine. His body is broken so that mine can be made new in the age to come. He fully endures the wrath of Almighty God so that I might experience the embrace of a long lost son. Christ is worthy. These two vignettes say at least these ten things about Jesus. But they also say a few things to us, and I'll leave you with these. First, it says to us that our redemption is secure. Our redemption is secured. Why because it's not in my hands. It is in the hands of the one seated on the white cloud, the one like the son of Man, with a crown on his head and a sickle in his hands. My redemption is secure, no matter how long it takes. Secondly, our number is not complete. Our number is not complete. Christ will have the fullness of his reward, the fullness of the reward for which he died. That fullness had not yet been achieved. Our number is not complete, our work is not done. Thirdly, this means our gospel will bear fruit. Our gospel will bear fruit. Why because our number is not complete, and the gospel is the power of God onto salvation. So our gospel will bear fruit. It will, it will. Our gospel will bear fruit. Why because it's not dependent upon us or our home is not here. These vignettes remind us, then our home is not here. We, like the patriarch sir, looking for a city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Finally, our hope is in Christ. Our hope is in Christ. Folks, if our hope was in anything else, we wouldn't have hope. We'd have despair. Our hope is in Christ. Our hope is in the Righteous, Redeemer and Judge. Our hope is in the one who is seated on the right hand of his Father forever making intercession for us. Our hope is in the one who says, I go to prepare a place for you, And if I go to prepare a place for you, I'll return and receive you under myself, so that where I am there you may be also, And where I am going you know? And the way you know? Then there's the question that comes from Thomas. Lord, we don't know where you're going. How can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Christ is our hope. Let's pray, Oh Lord, who who could have imagined that there could be so much hope in such a gruesome text? And yet there it is the hope that is ours because of the judgment and wrath of God poured out on his son, on behalf of his elect This picture of wrath that helps us to at least begin to grasp the magnitude of your grace towards us, to at least begin to grasp the magnitude of the mercy of Christ and his sacrifice. Lord, would you continue to call those under the sound of our voice as we proclaim the gospel, to continue to bring others to repentance and faith. Lord, even here, even now, even today, even to one listening to my voice, grant by your grace that they would see these two vignettes and find themselves, and that it's they find themselves. They wrestle with you and come to you in repentance and faith, in order that they might not be represented in the second vignette and the grapes of wrath, but in the first and the wheat harvest. Grant by your mercy that hearts would be softened, that sinners would come, and that Christ would be glorified and have the fullness of the reward for which he died. This we pray because we believe it to be in accordance with the will and the nature and the authority of the one seated on the white cloud, with a throne on his head and a sickle in his hand, and justice and mercy to mean out omen