Category: Devotions

WITH GOD THINGS ARE NEVER AS THEY SEEM.

Mark 16: 4-8

“But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. ⁵ As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

⁶ “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

⁸ Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.”

 

All that they were hoping for was to enter a tomb, but on that day they entered a resurrection experience!

Do you remember that day when all you were doing was entering a resurrection experience? It was just a conversation with a Christian. You may not have expected what would happen to you.

The women had come to the tomb to honour the past, to share their memories of what had been and what could have been. Their walk was a walk of defeat.

BUT WITH GOD THINGS ARE NEVER AS THEY SEEM.

There was a time when all we knew was defeat and sin, but “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:1).

When you have been raised to a new life you no longer want to be dead again.

When Jesus has rescued us from the trauma of the grave there is a new reckless love for Him.

Women and men of the resurrection are unstoppable.

We know:

Whatever has hindered in the past need not hinder anymore.

The broken-hearted can find healing.

Those locked in a prison sentence of the past can find joy again.

Those who mourn can find comfort.

Those living in darkness can come into the light.

Why?

BECAUSE WITH GOD THINGS ARE NEVER AS THEY SEEM.

The costly new tomb was given for a costly life.

The rock that was cut held the solid rock.

The big stone sealed the living stone.

The question ‘who will?’ was answered by a God who rolls stones.

They ran to the rock but by the end of the day the rock was sending them out.

They had hoped to enter the tomb but on that day they entered into a resurrection experience.

Alarmed … Terrified … Bewildered … Fleeing … Silent … Afraid.

Is this the enemy?

No, it is the effect after God has done the greatest miracle in history!

God disturbs everything because He loves everyone.

BECAUSE WITH GOD THINGS ARE NEVER AS THEY SEEM.

 

Don’t worry God moves stones!

Mark 16:1-3

“When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. ² Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb ³ and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

On Friday at 3pm they had courageously witnessed Jesus’ death, it was real, it actually happened, there was going to be no recovery. Your Good Friday could contain the results of Jesus’ Friday. Your career over, marriage ended, health will never recover.

Look again through the window of the empty tomb and you will see it in a different light. The empty tomb brings a new perspective on life that says everything will be alright. It will be okay.

Man and nature possess the power to put people to their death. Powerful that we are it is limited – we do not have the power to raise anyone from the dead. You may know the frustration of limitation. You are trying your best, giving your hours and energy to make everything right, repair that relationship, manage your budget, get healthy, recover from bereavement, but you just never seem to break through. It can be done. You can do it by believing in a God who is all-powerful. He can do what cannot be done.

Who will roll the stone away?

How will we cope?

When we get there who will help us?

How will we get in?

What they didn’t realise was that there was still a way for someone to get out!

When asking the question they had no inkling that the stone had already been rolled away, that God did it and He did it so that they could enter the tomb and discover that Jesus had risen.

That stone says:

You will never do anything again. You will never recover. You will always remember what you once had is gone.

At the right time God rolls the stone away.

God always does more than what you were worried about.

Descent from the Cross

Mark 15: 42-47

“It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. ⁴⁴ Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. ⁴⁵ When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶ So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.”

 

There are no details, except that Joseph and Nicodemus (according to John) took the body down from the cross.

How did they do this?

Nails had to be pulled from his feet and his hands. They would have needed ladders. Ropes would have to be untied. The thorns removed from his head. Blood wiped away.

We don’t know how they went about it. Christian icons and art forms have emerged throughout the centuries exploring what might have happened, for example, the early 17^th century Rubens painting, ‘Descent from the Cross’ which you can see online.

Joseph was a disciple (according to Matthew), a secret one (John), a prominent member of the Jewish Council (Mark) but who had not consented to their decision and actions with Jesus (Luke). Nicodemus (John) was the one who had encountered Jesus at night and had been taught on being ‘born again’ (John 3). John the closest disciple was there and so were the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee (Luke) including the 2 Mary’s mentioned in what we have just read.

These disciples led by Joseph and Nicodemus all help in some way with the descent of Jesus’ body from the cross. They would all have their own thoughts and emotions. Grief was obviously there but numbed after all the wailing and tears. A poignancy based on the realisation that this is the last time they will see Jesus before he is placed in the tomb forever. Thankfulness for how he had changed their lives even for a short time. Awe and wonder at his determined self-sacrifice which none of them could have prevented even though they had longed to do so.

If you pause and look at any of the paintings or even if you meditate on the words, “So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen …” then you will see an amazing truth.

It will cost you (bought some linen). You will have to act (took down the body). You will have to go carefully (wrapped it in linen).

Your journey to the cross can be one of struggle as you surrender and learn obedience. Your journey from the cross has to be worship, you have nothing left; there is no other way.

Authentic worship is when you have nothing to gain.

Maybe you can describe your situation today as descending from the cross. Death and disappointment are in your hands. However, you still have choices. Dignity is still in your grasp. Worship is still in your heart. Love is still consuming you. Jesus may be silent. It may feel like He has gone from you. But don’t forget, He always returns! So descend well, choose right; don’t give up.

Women and tea-making

Mark 15: 38-41

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹ And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” ⁴⁰ Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. ⁴¹ In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

 

Each Gospel writer mentions different women (though there is overlap) depending on who their readers know. Mark says there were many women, they had been followers of Jesus and had cared for his needs.

Apart from John, all the men were gone.

If I needed someone to teach me endurance, who would I ask? Would I ask the official disciples? No. I would ask these women who had endured watching 6 hours of the most cruel and horrific deaths imaginable, this was no place for a woman, but they were there out of their love for Jesus.

If I needed someone to teach me to have the courage to keep near to the cross of Jesus even risking my very life, who would I ask? Would I ask the official disciples? No. I would ask these women who endangered their own lives knowing that women along with men were crucified.

If I needed someone to teach me how to move ‘from a distance’ to as John would write ‘near the cross stood his mother …’ then who would I ask? Would I ask Peter? No. I would ask these women.

If I needed someone to teach me about the cross but restricted that to only men then I would know nothing of the cross (or even the Resurrection for that matter!).

Before we start complaining that there are no men in the church let us be extremely grateful that women are leading the way in church commitment.

In the early 1980’s my parents began to lead a church which had been wrecked by the Pastor leading the church out of its denomination ties into a new network. There were 4 people left behind when my parents took on the leadership of it. Guess who they were? Yes, women and all the men had left the Church and there were just 4 women who believed God had plans for that Church, they were right.

Of course not every women in the church are ardent followers of Christ. However, maybe today we can be thankful for every woman who shows us how to walk with God, how to hold up our faith at a time of church decline and how to be committed in the place of surrender.

Maybe also men should do more to protect them from those who want to side-line them, cut their ministry opportunities to tea-making and to have them as pew-filling listeners not leaders.

The power of the Bible

Mark 13: 33-37

At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). ³⁵ When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” ³⁶ Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. ³⁷ With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

 

All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!

 

The above was what was in the mind of Christ as he hung on the cross.

We have just read how Jesus said the following:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?

He wasn’t calling upon Elijah obviously. And in a sense though the pain of the judgment was the wrath of the Father he wasn’t even calling upon Him.

So why did Jesus say what he did?

 

It is because as he went through hell the power of the Word of God held him.

Just as he had done on many occasions where he would quote one verse from an Old Testament passage and the lesson wasn’t in what he quoted but the rest of the passage that he had been silent on. The religious people knew their Scriptures better than some of us know our Bibles.

What was Jesus saying? Maybe this:

“Though I feel abandoned and am going through hell, I still trust Him. And I know later in this Psalm that I am quoting, a Psalm that speaks of me, that vindication will come after the suffering.”

God’s written Word is at the centre of the cross.

Psalm 22, the Messianic Psalm, was in the mind of Christ. He was being held together by the Word.

Maybe someone today is going through their own personal hell or you know someone who is. Let the Bible speak at these times. Memorise, meditate and speak it out. Jesus needed the Word and so do we.

 

9AM

Mark 15: 25-32

“25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the Jews. 27 They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left.  29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!’ 31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.’ Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.”

 

Do you remember the time?

That moment when your dream was nailed to the cross. When it ended. When God didn’t step in and the whole world saw what you had given your life to was now fading away.

Do you remember the time?

That exact moment when the enemy of your soul mocked and insulted you time and again. There was nothing you could do about it.

Do you remember the time?

You will never forget.

It was 9 in the morning.

 

Peter is believed to have influenced Mark in his writing. He would surely realise in the writing of the gospel what he would say several weeks later after this 9am event, to those who were scoffing at the outpouring on the day of Pentecost, “These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!” Acts 2:15.

Do you remember the time?

When God moved extraordinary upon you with grace after grace.

You may remember the 9am crucifixion. Make sure you also remember the 9am outpouring of the Spirit of God.

Your memory carries both.

Don’t let the negative memory dominate the other.

 

 

How are you carrying the cross?

Mark 15: 21-24

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. ²² They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ²³ Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. ²⁴ And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

 

Both Matthew and Mark say Simon was forced to carry the cross and Luke says he was made to.

This father with his sons were Jews living in what we know as Libya and the reason for being in Jerusalem was the same as all the others in this crowded city, the Passover celebration. Mark, the earliest Gospel writer names his sons, most probably because the Christians he was writing to knew of these men.

Paul wrote in Romans 16:13 “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.” Maybe this is the same Rufus? It is certainly a nice thought that both sons went on to serve Jesus in some way. That the impact of seeing what their father was forced to do on that day inspired them to become men of God.

The flagellation of Jesus had been too much. The soldiers were concerned that Jesus would die before they got to the execution site. Pilate had ordered the crucifixion and now they were close to not carrying out these instructions. This was no willing volunteer, this was a man seized from the crowd, in the wrong place at the wrong time and there was nothing he could do but carry the cross behind Jesus.

Isn’t that still true today?

Yesterday in one of the churches I visited I spoke with 2 individuals who had received news of terminal cancers.

This was their cross they were carrying and it looks like there is only one way it will end.

Whilst we prayed for healing and have faith that they be healed I was impressed with how they were handling this news. They were both pragmatic and hopeful for their eternal home.

Simon was forced. How may he have reacted do you think at that?

Why me?

What about my sons? We have plans.

I can’t do this. I don’t want to do this.

What will people think of me?

 

Today maybe you are being forced to carry something that was unexpected and you have not been able to refuse it, you could do nothing about it, it seemed it was chosen for you. Some would say it was fate and an unlucky roll of the dice. However you describe it, one day you woke up and your life changed forever. You are now carrying the cross behind Jesus (as Luke describes it). You are walking in His footsteps. You are following the road to death.

You may have many questions revealing your deep reluctance and anxiety. However, your sons are watching you. Your family and friends are around you. There is a generation in wonder at you. How will you do? What will you say?

Will your family be able to say when you are long gone, my father carried the cross of Jesus?

“Even when he didn’t want to he surrendered his life to follow Jesus.”

What is the cross for you today that you are carrying? Luke says “And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27). How you carry it impacts and inspires those who are watching you. You can change lives by carrying your cross. Make sure you carry it well.

 

 

The foolish only serves for the truth of Jesus

Mark 15: 16-20

“The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷ They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.¹⁸ And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” ¹⁹ Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. ²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.”

How foolish they were!

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace, this is Pilate’s or Herod’s intimidating palace: yet Jesus was from a place of greater authority. After his baptism, “a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” and shortly before his arrest Jesus had said, “I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

They called together the whole company of soldiers, these would be the ones who committed the brutal and violent death sentences: yet Jesus was guarded by a greater power, during his arrest he said, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”

They put a purple robe on him, it represented his royalty: yet the whole world will see Jesus clothed “with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.” Just as John would see in his Revelation.

They twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him: yet Jesus will one day receive the crowns of our lives, again John sees in his revelation, “They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.'”

They began to call out to him, “Hail King of the Jews”: yet Jesus is more than an earthly king of the Jews isn’t he? “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords”.

They struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him: yet Jesus was the good shepherd who lays his life down for his sheep and his spit is used in the healing of blind people not in offensive ways.

Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And … mocked him: yet one day will come when Jesus will be worshipped by every one, as Paul says, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

How foolish they were!

Yet in what they did and whatever the enemy always does we simply see the mirror of the truth of Jesus Christ.

I hope these words cause your eyes to lift on Him today for who He really is and not what man has said and done regarding Him. One day, we will see Him and the foolish days will be over.

Who are you? What do people think? What do you want?

Mark 15: 1-15

Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. ² “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “You have said so,” Jesus replied. ³ The chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.” ⁵ But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. ⁶ Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. ⁷ A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. ⁸ The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. ⁹ “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate,¹⁰ knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

¹² “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them. ¹³ “Crucify him!” they shouted. ¹⁴ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” ¹⁵ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

 

Who are you?

The guilty one?

Barabbas was in prison for being a rebel, maybe even a rebel leader against the Roman authorities. Maybe that is why the crowd called for his release, he was their hero perhaps? Barabbas was facing a death sentence for sure. He was guilty and Jesus was innocent. The gospel writers all agree in contrasting the innocent Jesus with the guilty Barabbas. Jesus came and Barabbas was set free. We know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Barabbas should have been on the cross but he was set free. We should be condemned but we are also set free into a life of no condemnation (Romans 8:1). We are guilty but Jesus took our place.

What do people think of you?

The crowd-pleaser?

Pilate is portrayed by Mark as someone who is pro-Jesus. He realises that the charges against Jesus are ludicrous and that he is innocent. He is not like Herod or certainly not like the Pharisees nevertheless, Pilate’s character is shown as being weak and his decisions are blowing in the wind, gaining favour is more important than good decisions. He wanted to satisfy the crowd. He wanted to be well-liked, a people-pleaser and thought well of. How many ‘likes’ on facebook is certainly not the concern of a leader who wants to do what God wants him to do. Pilate wouldn’t go against the norm of what people wanted and failed.

What do you want?

The follower of an easy Jesus?

According to Matthew (26 v 17) Barabbas’ full name is Jesus Barabbas. Saviour (Jesus) son of the father (Bar abba = Barabbas). So before us in this amazing story are 2 Saviours who are sons of the father. But there is only one Saviour and only one Son of the Father. The crowd choose the easy option and they still do. Not liking the Jesus of Nazareth that was being portrayed to them, they choose an easier option. Jesus of Nazareth will disappoint our pre-conceived ideas of what he can do for us and what is expected from us. We cannot follow that Jesus, so we create a different Jesus in our mind, one that isn’t too costly for us, not as demanding. We want a Jesus who is a rebel not a Jesus who surrenders and submits.

You may wonder if you are more like Barabbas, or Pilate or the crowd today. What is true is the questions can often reveal where we are.

Who are you?

What do people think of you?

What do you want?

If these 3 questions become all-consuming then it can lead to a place of guilt.

The truth is we have been all 3 and we are so grateful today for the Saviour, Son of Almighty Father, who went to the cross for us.

It will all be okay!

Mark 14: 55 – 65

⁵⁵ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. ⁵⁶ Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. ⁵⁷ Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: ⁵⁸ “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’” ⁵⁹ Yet even then their testimony did not agree. ⁶⁰ Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶¹ But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” ⁶² “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”  ⁶³ The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. ⁶⁴ “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death. ⁶⁵ Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.

 

Think on this:

Peter is approached by a servant girl and under a small threat to his life he denies ever knowing Jesus.  Yet … Jesus is before the most powerful Jewish rulers at the time and at risk of his life, knowing it would lead to his death and he declares who he is.

As today begins once more I am reminded of how my hope is not in people or leaders, it is not in whether I will succeed or fail in this life and it is not even in the Church. My hope is in Jesus Christ.

Who he is determines my life.

My hope is not in what he has done or his sayings, Jesus doesn’t defend himself over those things. But it is in who He is. This is when Jesus spoke to defend His identity.

⁶² “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Why did he say this?

He is definitely referring to Daniels vision of a heavenly being in the likeness of a man who comes to rule forever and lead the people of God to share in His rule. He is who Daniel saw 600 years previously, the Son of Man.

Daniel is clear that the Son of Man was human and distinct from God but he is also fully God himself. Jesus is being tried for blasphemy and yet those who stand before him will stand with the nations of the world before Him when he comes back to this earth.

Let me quote here chapter 7 of Daniel:

⁹ “As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
¹⁰ A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened…

¹³ “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.

¹⁴ He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

What does Daniel’s vision tell us?

• His clothing is as white as snow; unlike the kingdoms of this world he is clothed in righteousness.
• The kingdoms of this world are caught up with fighting for power, authority and activity of all kinds but the Ancient of Days is seated and in control.
• Daniel who so often is a figure isolated, standing for God in the midst of evil society – God has an army.
• 1000’s upon 1000’s ministering before Him.
• 10,000 x 10,000 standing before Him.

 

Some will be facing trials today fearing what may happen to them.

Some will be feeling a failure of what has happened.

Some will feel lonely having seen their friends desert them at the crucial hour.

So what is the message I am seeing this morning?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Ultimate victory is not only God’s but in Christ it is ours too.  v27 “the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.”

And so the purpose of our life is not here, it is where the Ancient of Days is on his throne.

We don’t need to fear this life.

These are uncertain days but Christ is coming back, the Son of Man, and we will see him, the Ancient of Days on his throne.