Sunday: The Hope For Eternity

Dr. Thamsing Lamkang *

Easter Sunday at MBC Church, Chingmeirong, Imphal on April 8 2012 :: Pix - Phurailatpam Banti

What is the significance of Sunday that influences the world to observe? Is it because Sunday is declared as holiday universally, or what do you understand the true meaning and its significance?

"Sunday is not a holiday: as many understood, but it's a 'HOLY DAY', the 'Resurrection Day' of our Lord Jesus. Christians called it as 'Easter Sunday'. It was one the most significant day in the world history, especially to the Christianity. And "Christmas Day and the Good Friday are also the 2 most important Holy Days! It has a spiritual significance to keep the day Holy, as believers and followers of the living God. It is meant for the spiritual renewal unto the Lord. Celebrate Jesus and HIM alone!

Men's life before the coming of Christ was hopeless. But men began to see hope after the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day. Jesus was sent from God and by God, to restore and redeem back the broken relationship between God and men. He came to show men the way to God.

"I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me" John 14: 6. And "For God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not parish but have Eternal Life" John 3: 16

Jesus lived on earth for 33 years. He died for us on 'Good Friday' but rose again on the 'Easter Sunday' …the victorious, wow to JESUS!!!

Jesus was crucified to claimed as the king of the Jews, but rose after 3 days, as the Savior of the whole world. Jesus is indeed the "KING of kings and LORD of lords". The word B-I-B-L-E: Behold - I – Bring – Life – Eternal, has the meaning of the Resurrection. "He came to live, He live to die, and He die to live again, according to scripture.

"Knowing Jesus died and rose again is just like knowing a history, but believing and accepting His death and resurrection is our Salvation" – Dr. Lamkang

Sunday become the most significant day to Christianity and also for the world! It is a 'HOLY DAY' to renew and revive our spiritual wellbeing. It always had been a Holy Day because it is the weekly reminder of Christ Resurrection from the dead on the first day of the week. The practice of Christians assembling to praise and worship the risen Lord on Sunday dates back to the beginning of the Christian era!

However, it was only in 321 A.D. that, Constantine, the Great Roman Emperor issued a decree that all works should cease on Sundays. It become more widespread and practice to other nations when the European countries conquered the other nations of the world. Especially, the British ruled nations (the Common Wealth countries) in the world. No matter what you are God must be your first priority on Sunday!

The Hope for Eternity! The late Canon who dies of cancer at 51 years said, 'No one can live well until he can die well.' Paul wrote letter to the Thessalonians people who were worried about death. They were worried about their relatives and friends who had died and also presumably about themselves. What happens to them and us when we die?

So many people would say that no-one knows the answers to these questions but Paul writes, 'We do not want you to be ignorant' but we can find out the answers. Our hope lies in the return of Jesus Christ: there are over 300 references to the Second Coming in the New Testament. This is not a pie in the sky when you die but rather the center of our Christian hope and it is fundamental to our thinking. It involves everything!

A UNIQUE HOPE (1 THES. 4: 13): Christians have a unique hope. Paul writes, 'we do not want you… to grieve like the rest, who have no hope.' It is not wrong to grieve. Grief is important, and we should not suppress it, but the grief of the Christian is totally unlike that experienced by those who have no hope. It has been said that 'other people see only a hopeless end, but the Christian rejoices in an endless hope.'

A CERTAIN FUTURE (1 THES. 4: 14): Hope in the Christian sense is no more human wishful thinking. It is not a pious hope, theoretical or speculative. It is not based on emotion, not is it a crutch. It is built on historical events. Jesus removes the sting of death on the cross as He bore the full horror of death on our behalf. We don't have to face what He has already faced for us. Paul speaks of death as falling asleep and falling asleep is something to look forward to. We need not dread death because the next thing we will experience is waking up, and waking up in the presence of God and all those who have died in faith.

Jesus rose again and demonstrated conclusively that death is conquered. The resurrection is the guarantee of Christian hope. This total certainty is not arrogant because it is based not on anything we have done or will do but on what Jesus did and said.

A GLORIOUS ETERNITY (1 THES. 4: 16-17): We will be 'with the Lord forever', which is the Christian's idea of bliss. There will be no illness, no crying or pain but only pure joy. This gives a new perspective to this life with all its trails, temptations and disappointments. We shall never again be parted from the Lord or from those we love. We will be caught up together with them. Paul writes, therefore, encourage each other with these words.

A SUDDEN JUDGEMENT (1 THES. 5: 1-3): Various groups have tried to predict the timing of the Lord's return. But Jesus, Peter, John, and Paul all tell us that He will come back like a thief 1 Thes. 5: 5. We don't know when this will be. But we do know that He will return. The point is that we must always be ready.

There is a warning in this passage for those who reject Jesus. There is a dark side of our hope.

Paul speaks of destruction, no escape and wrath. These are solemn and serious words. But he writes to assure the Thessalonians that they have nothing to fear; but you are not in darkness. He assures them that they will not suffer wrath but will receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

A TRANSFORMED LIFE (1 THES. 5: 4-11): Not only do we have a 'unique Hope, a certain future and a Glorious Eternity' but we are enjoying a foretaste of it now. We are 'children of the light and the children of the day', because God has already broken into history. There is life before death as well as after death: Jesus died for us so that whether we wake or sleep we may live together with Jesus.

We are already enjoying the relationship with God through Jesus, which assures us eternal life. Yet we cannot simply sit back and enjoy it. If we are aware that others are missing out now and will miss out even more in future, we must do all we can now to give others hope. As David Watson put it, 'Christ wants disciples who not only have hope but also give hope to those hopeless.'

Thank God for rescuing you from the coming Judgment. Thank God for the glorious eternity with the Lord and with those we love who have died in Christ. Let's put on 'faith and love' as a Breastplate, and the hope of Salvation as our helmet! HE LIVES! Jesus is coming soon!