Day 48: the Galvanizing Grace of Glancing Back

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 1:1–3

Long ago God spoke through super-smart prophet dudes like Isaiah and Elijah—who were incredibly engaging messengers even though they didn’t have the luxury of PowerPoint presentations or YouTube clips or fog machines. God also spoke through signs and dreams, which are effectively Insta-storied in the lives of Daniel and Job. He used a flaming topiary to communicate with Moses.

Some even thought God spoke through the “Urim and Thummim,” which were basically holy dice used to discern His will. Remember how the disciples “cast lots” to replace Judas at the beginning of Acts? Theological consensus is the disciples used Urim and Thummim in that situation. Which has a weird Vegas vibe, doesn’t it?

But after the author of Hebrews tells us that God spoke at different times (polymeros in the original language) and in different ways (polytropos), we get to the interesting and oh-so-significant phrase in verse 2: In these last days. Fun fact: When the last or latter days is specified in the New Testament, it’s referring to the time period between the first and second coming of Jesus Christ. It’s what Peter was preaching about at Pentecost when he quoted Joel and said God would pour out His Spirit in the last days (Acts 2:17).

So, just like the audience of the book of Hebrews and the audience of Peter’s sermon, we too are living in the “already but not yet” times—the times where humanity has already witnessed the first coming of Jesus Christ, but hasn’t yet seen the second one. So, if you’ve put your hope in His sacrificial death on the cross and subsequent resurrection, there are parts of your Christian walk that are a done deal. They’ve already happened. They are in the “already” phase. For example, you are already reconciled to God. The debt of your sin has been completely paid for.

However, here’s the “not yet” part. There are things still to come. For example, we are not yet glorified. This spinning planet is not our home. One day Jesus will come a second time; He’ll split the sky wide open while riding a white horse and He’ll escort us—His bride—to a new heaven and earth, where there will be no more dying and no more crying, and the world will run as it was always meant to!

Meanwhile, much like those Jewish Christians the book of Hebrews was originally written to in the first century (a time and place when Christ-followers were being severely persecuted), we find that there’s way too much dying and crying here on earth, don’t we? We find that our lives are sometimes super-hard. Family members might poke fun of us when we pray before the Thanksgiving meal. Coworkers might marginalize us as being narrow-minded hatemongers after they discover that we believe the Bible is true. Sometimes the fact that we stick out like sore thumbs in secular culture might make us feel like throwing in the Gospel towel, too. While these things aren’t the exact same persecution ancient believers had to endure, they are costs. And we feel them. Every single time.

The good news is that even though we’re living in a broken world instead of Eden, we do have the testimony of the Son during these last days. The one and only begotten Son of God the Father. The Lamb of God. The Bright Morning Star. The Lily of the Valley. JESUS! So why settle for prophets, burning shrubbery, or dice when you can have direct access to the Prince of Peace?

When the going gets tougher than usual, let’s make a pact to look back on what Jesus already accomplished for us on the cross and then lean fully into the supernatural reality of His outstretched arms. Those backward glances and lingering embraces are what will give us the grace we need to forge ahead with fresh faith. We will get to the “not yet” Jesus promises in due time. And the fuel we need to get there is in the “already” that He’s given us.

• How did your heart respond when you first believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and He loves YOU?
• How do you typically try to hear from God? How does this passage in Hebrews encourage or challenge that approach?
• How might your life look different if you prioritized time in your weekly schedule to “glance back” at what Christ has already done for you?