Redemption

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God --- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

1 Corinthians 1:30

To modern Americans redemption is little more than buying back a wedding ring or set of power tools from the pawn shop. There is not a lot of risk involved and losses are not disastrous. However, in past history, failure to pay off a debt could result in years in prison, a lifetime of slavery, or worse. 

In Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, Antonio, a cash-poor but wealthy ship owner cosigns a loan with a businessman who holds deep resentment towards him. The loan is without interest, but if the loan isn't paid back in full by a certain date, the adversary demands a "pound of flesh." Antonio loses his ships in a storm and has nothing with which to pay on the day of reckoning. Even when others offer double the original sum, the lender is not satisfied and demands that the contract be followed to the letter. 

Satan wants far more than a pound of flesh from every man, woman, and child. He wants their souls to suffer the torments of hell along with him forever. Sinful man is the property and the redemption price is unimaginable torment and suffering. When Christ was rejected by His nation, betrayed by a friend, mocked, and beaten by thugs, whipped until His back was raw and then nailed to a cross to die, He redeemed the whole human race. Our freedom from hell and the bondage of sin wasn't cheap.

People blame God for eternal judgment in the lake of fire, but He is not the one responsible. Sinners are debtors to Satan and he is the one that demands the wages of sin be paid in full. It is the Lord Jesus Christ, on the other hand, who offers to be their Redemption. 

He Who is to Come

John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne.
Revelation 1:4
And I heard the angel of the waters saying: "You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things”
Revelation 16:5

Jesus always was, always is, and always will be. That’s the main idea in these verses, but time lines are a little blurred when it comes to Him who is eternal. Christ existed before time was conceived and will be so even when every clock and calendar have melted away. Therefore things past and things future are written in the present tense in the book of Revelation.

The Apostle John had a vision of angels pouring out bowls of the wrath of God on planet Earth on the Day of Judgment and heard those same angels praising Him who is to be. This future event is so sure that it’s as if it already happened. It’s a done deal.

In the same way, the return of Christ is an absolute, because He said it would happen. “He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

The imminent return of Christ was constantly on the minds of the Apostles and the New Testament church. The church in Thessalonica even thought that they blinked and missed it. During each of the ten major persecutions of the Roman Empire, Christians expected the Lord to come at any moment. Then during the religious wars of the Reformation and now with Christians tortured and killed for their faith in the Middle East, true believers expect the King of kings to return soon and very soon.

In C.S. Lewis’ The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, there is a dialogue between Aslan and Lucy:
“Do not look sad. We shall soon meet again,” says Aslan.

“Please, Aslan,” said Lucy, “What do you call soon?”

“I call all times soon,” said Aslan; and instantly he vanished away.

The same Jesus who is to be is also the one who is to come. 

Light

This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

John 1:7-8*

One theme that is increasingly apparent in the genre of futuristic and fantasy literature is the theme of light verses darkness. It’s not just the idea of good guys against the bad guys, but about the vast power of darkness swallowing up actual light energy; it's about noble warriors fighting against overwhelming odds to restore light to the universe.

Something else is going on here; it’s the battle of science fiction versus science non-fiction. Imagination is often brought down by cold, hard facts. The fact is that darkness, just like silence and vacuums, doesn’t even exist. They are just the absence of something that does exist (light, sound, and matter).

If you were to go into a cave that hadn’t been exposed to light in 100 years and then light a match, the darkness would quickly dissipate. (When I say quickly, we’re talking about the speed of light). Darkness can’t hold a candle to it.

On the first day of creation, God made light energy; it hadn’t existed before. From that day forward darkness had to yield to light. They can’t co-exist together.

There’s no sun, moon, lamps, or flashlights in heaven, because Jesus is there and He is the source of all light (both physical and spiritual). “Darkness” is a word that will forever be dropped from the heavenly vocabulary.

Hell is described as a place of “outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12). Christ is not there, so there will be no light.

Jesus came to this world to be our source of light. “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (or overcome) it” (John 1:5).

  *Context John 1:1-9

He-who-shall-not-be-named

But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name. So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
Acts 4:17-18

The arch villain in J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” book series is an evil sorcerer called Lord Voldemort. So terrible and intimidating is this antagonist that most characters refer to him as “He-who-shall-not-be-named.”

After Christ’s crucifixion the Jewish Sanhedrin made the Savior’s name illegal. Peter and John were beaten and imprisoned for using it and Stephen was executed for preaching in that forbidden name. Throughout church history, believers have had their property seized and have been tortured, hanged, and burnt at the stake for mentioning “He-who-shall-not-be-named.” 

         Pakistan, March 12, 2014: the homes of over 200 Christian families and a number of churches burned to the ground by an angry mob. They were accused of testifying to their faith in Jesus Christ by going to church.

Palmelkh, Saudi Arabia, April 7, 2014: A young Filipino girl employed as a maid had her mouth and left eye sewn shut with fish line for the crime of saying that Christ Jesus was her Savior.

Islamic State occupied Iraq, December 27, 2014: A spokesman for ISIS announced to the remaining Iraqi Christians: “We will break your crosses and enslave your women.” Earlier in the year, hundreds of Christian men and boys were executed for not converting to Islam and 3,500 Christian women were sold as slaves.

         China, July 14, 2015: The Communist government continued its program to remove crosses from government licensed churches. Those who refuse have their churches bulldozed and their pastors imprisoned.

Soon and very soon, the Anti-Christ will set up his world kingdom and then for a very short time, the name that is above every name will become He-who-shall-not-be-named.

         Oh Lord, how long!!? How Long!!?

Even so come Lord Jesus!