The Prodigal Life

"When evening came, Jesus was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. 'It's a ghost!' they said and cried out in fear.  But Jesus immediately said to them: 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.' 'Lord, if it is you,' Peter replied, 'tell me to come to you on the water.' 'Come,' Jesus said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!' Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?' And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worsh...

In the Old Testament there is a sense of looking forward... to deliverance, to the Messiah. Prophets called Israel to look for the One who would redeem. Isaiah didn't just call the people to repentance, he also called them to look for the Deliverer. He looked to the end... to the promise of complete redemption. Jesus was the One they all looked to... and when He arrived, he continued the call to look forward, but not to a Redeemer... to the end. The End... when restoration is complete... the new heaven and the new earth. When all the pain and evil and brokenness has been undone. When death itself has worked backwards and the Author of Life has restored glory and order to His creation.  As Christians, the end is where we begin. We get to know how it all turns out. We are invited to live in confidence of that ending. We aren't just called out of darkness... we are called INTO light, into hope, into a new life. We aren't just called out of this world, we're invited to ...