Rejoicing We are Worthy

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

REJOICING WE ARE WORTHY

Luke 20:27-40

27 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28 "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30 The second 31 and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?" 34 Jesus replied, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection. 37 But in the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'   38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."  39 Some of the teachers of the law responded, "Well said, teacher!" 40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

NIV

We have confirmation of two truths within the words of Jesus. First, there are two ages, which means this age that we live in now, and the age to come where we will live for all eternity. Second, there is a resurrection, but there is a qualification of being considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection. Thirdly, which is not something that we should even spend time on, is the fact we are not going to be married in the age to come. The current spouses we love and adore here in this age, will not continue to be our spouses in the resurrection and the age to come. Jesus makes it clear that because we will all be children of God, we then will all be brothers and sisters, members of one family. However, it is this being worthy of the resurrection that has some need for us to explore. We are of the understanding that all people, both believers and non-believers will be resurrected to stand before God for the final judgment. Per this final judgment, every knee will bow and confess before God, “Jesus Christ is Lord”. Still, those who never accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior in this age will never enter into His rest, for they will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur and be no more, for that is the second death. However, we think Jesus is talking about being able to partake in the age to come, that is to live for eternity, so that in the resurrection, we will stand before God in Christ, holy and blameless, and we will be given the keys to the kingdom of God, the new city of Jerusalem that will come down out of heaven and we will live in this paradise with God the Father and Jesus the Son, and although it is not mentioned in that revelation given to John, we would think the Spirit is also with us. Being worthy is being in Christ, that is the only worthiness we can ever have and will ever need. This belief that our only worthiness is in Christ does away with all pride, all boasting, all ego trips, and thinking we are more than we should be. Let us rejoice because we are in Jesus and He is in us, so we have the confidence of being worthy of the resurrection and the age to come. Let us always rejoice, and again we say, rejoice.