Victorious Lamb And End Of An Abomination

The Lamb and the End of an Abomination

On this Sunday of the Good Shepherd, we are reminded that Jesus Christ, the Lamb of Revelation, standing as if slain, is also the shepherd of the flock of God. He reigns triumphant on the throne of Justice and Judgement at the right hand of the Father, in the eternal banquet which we make present every time we gather, every Lord’s Day.

Today there is special reason to celebrate, those of us who for nearly a half-century in this country have fought for the dignity of human life from conception to natural death. By the hands of a pro-abortion leaker, who probably violated Federal law doing so, we have the draft text of an opinion striking down the abomination of Roe v. Wade. That twisted decision effectively took away the right to life of all children in their first month. Now we have the end of that injustice in sight. We know that all the forces of hell will be mustered to intimidate the justices of the Supreme Court to reverse that vote and bring back legal murder, so we really have to pray for their safety and resolute determination. And pray for those who for whatever reason want to continue this horrible enterprise of death.

But God’s purposes don’t end with purging evil from our laws. They don’t even begin there. They begin with the promise as Adam and Eve were expelled from Paradise: I will put enmity between you, Satan, and the Woman, between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head while he injures your heel. That drama was completed on Calvary when the minions of Satan killed the God-man, who then drove the cross through Satan’s heart and destroyed the power of death. The Spirit of God works today to apply the saving benefits of that sacrifice to all those who turn to Christ in faith, and determine to live in love of God and neighbor for life.

It is our privilege as Christians of the 21st century to carry that message to everyone we meet, with whom we work and study and play, so that they, too, can enjoy the blessings of grace from the Spirit of God. That is possible because the Father is greater than all, and He keeps us in His hand even when we stray from His way. His Holy Spirit acts in our hearts to remind us of His love and our need for Him, and draws us back to His flock. Even when we are persecuted or reviled for our belief in God and our determination to do good, we can persevere. The martyrs in heaven did so by the grace of God, and by His grace, so can we.

Thus, as the psalmist sings, we can make a joyful noise to the Lord. We can serve Him, not with a grumpy face, but with gladness. We are the people of God, living as the flock of God, following the voice of the Lamb, the Good Shepherd, the Savior, Jesus Christ.