The Glorious City

December 21

Many immigrants to the United States at the turn of the Twentieth Century came to this country with visions of the splendor of the nation’s cities dancing in their imaginations. Their disappointment must have been great upon their arrival when they found the sprawling urban poverty where they would live.

Oh, yes, they found opportunity here and many of them rose, through their own hard work and ingenuity, to attain the wealth they thought would be available for the taking upon their arrival. But many of their number did not realize the dream—at least not to the degree they’d anticipated.

There is another City whose appearance is described in superlatives. It is the place John saw (Revelation 21:2), of which he said, “I saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.”

There won’t be disappointment upon our arrival to that wondrous place where Christ dwells. There won’t be any ghetto neighborhoods. The Word tells us that the beauty of the place is staggering. The wonder of it pales only by comparison to the glory we will behold when we see Jesus—face to face—in all His royal majesty!

May each of us lay aside anything that would hinder our arrival there at the day He has appointed for us, for we know that sin cannot dwell there. May we rid ourselves of the overt sins of lying and cheating and hating; may we empty ourselves of the covert sins of bitterness and jealousy and self-righteous condemnation of others that we may be filled instead with the love our God manifested to the world when HE emptied HIMSELF of HIS DEITY to become a mere man and dwell among us.

May Philippians 2:6-11 become fully alive to our finite minds and hearts. It says, "Jesus, Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

As Jesus emptied Himself of all glory to save us and give us joy and peace and truth and love in this life and in eternity, may we empty ourselves of all malice of spirit that separates us from Him and keeps us from being full of His blessings. As this season of giving is upon us, let us claim the gift of love, the unspeakable gift of salvation (II Corinthians 9:15) that our Lord purchased for us at so great a cost in order that we might allow Him to lavish it upon a needy world through the vessel of our surrendered lives.

And then, we will surely dwell together with Him forever in the glorious New Jerusalem.