Last year a few of us did a Bible reading plan to read through the whole Bible in a year. It was a great thing to do – in fact I’m doing a similar plan this year.

But there are parts of the Bible that are hard going! Particularly in the prophets where there’s much gloom and doom. They’re continually pronouncing ‘woe’ – mostly on Israel and Judah – but, interestingly, on other nations as well.

Then – I’d been thinking about Jesus’ words in the Upper Room where he was explaining that he would be departing but would send the Holy Spirit (John 16:7). The disciples hadn’t fully understood what he was saying, but the fact that he’d said he was going had clearly upset them. Jesus said that unless he went, the Holy Spirit would not come, so it was to their ‘advantage’ that he went. He then went on to explain more about the Holy Spirit, most likely because they were not very familiar with the Spirit and his work.

There’s a very human concern here about someone going away, apparently permanently. But when it actually happened, the disciples’ attitude had changed. Luke briefly describes Jesus’ ascension at the end of his gospel (Luke 24:50-53). Rather than being sad, they worshipped him (after he’d gone!) and returned to Jerusalem ‘with great joy’. By then they’d understood what Jesus meant, even though the Holy Spirit had not yet come in his place.

I wondered why that was – maybe Jesus had explained more on the Emmaus Road? Jesus had explained about the Holy Spirit – but what about Jesus himself? What happened to him?

In the Old Testament the prophet Daniel is given a vision of heaven – the language is ‘apocalyptic’ in style, but in the middle, there is a description of a son of man coming out of the clouds and being given all authority (Daniel 7:13-14). It’s like seeing the other side of Jesus’ ascension as he arrives into heaven for his coronation. He is given an everlasting kingdom to which all other kingdoms are subject. (See also Ephesians 1:20-23 and Philippians 2:9-11)

Jesus went into heaven to a place of the highest authority, from where he is currently ruling this world. 

His rule, though, is not like an earthly ruler. He is building his kingdom. He is building his church. 

Back to the Bible in a Year. The ‘woes’ that the prophets pronounce are on the people of God for their disobedience, and the other nations for their treatment of the people of God. At that time God was preparing the world for the arrival of the Messiah, so ‘when the fulness of time had come’ (Galatians 4:4) he sent his Son.

In the same way, Jesus’ rule over the nations is to prepare for his return. He warns of ‘wars and rumours of wars’, and nation rising against nation (Mark 13:7-8). We’re not to be surprised when the world cannot find peace.

All this is at a global level. But Jesus has all authority and rules over everything and everyone. That includes you and me. Jesus’ building up his church means adding more people to it – but also transforming Christians into his likeness (see 2 Corinthians 2:18 and Colossians 3:10). 

He’s given us a great promise to say that he’s working out everything for our good.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

The story of Joseph in the Old Testament is a great example of this. Sold into slavery by his brothers at a young age, falsely accused, imprisoned. These events took place over many years. But God was using these things. Eventually Joseph was given authority second only to that of Pharoah. Later, after reconciling with his brothers, he told them, ‘you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good’ (Genesis 50:20). The good that Jospeh saw was the preservation of his family (people) from the famine. In the bigger scheme of things this was God keeping the promise he’d made to Abraham which ultimately led to Jesus’ birth.

All things working together for the good of God’s people as well as furthering his purposes.

There’s much more to say about this – but for now we can be confident that whatever is going on in our lives is God working things out in us and for us. That confidence is a response of faith and trust.

It truly is to our advantage that Jesus left this world – for one, he’s ruling the world and our lives to work out his good purposes; and he’s sent his Holy Spirit, to live and work in us, as a guarantee of our promised inheritance.

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:13-14

To the praise of his glory!