keys of death

Christmas is almost here. We’ve walked again with God’s ancient people through that time of anticipation, of longing, of light in the darkness. Our wait is almost over. The next time I write will be on Christmas Day.

This year Advent has been personally impactful. Our country is heading down the moral slippery slope, and the world is so turbulent, that I find myself longing for Jesus return. I feel like we are increasingly entering a time of darkness, and I long for the light.

This morning, as I began my annual read through Revelation, I was reassured, and reminded of the entire point of Christmas, as I read this about John’s vision as recorded in Revelation 1:17-18: “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.’”

Here’s the most completely awesome thing about Christmas: Jesus came, Jesus lived, Jesus died. And by doing all of that, Jesus won.

So guess what? Jesus defeated my most lethal enemy. Jesus now has the keys to death and Hades! Jesus, my Lord, who loved me enough to debase himself as a man and die in my place, has the keys. He’s not going to open Hades for me. And the only way I can go through death is if Jesus unlocks it - and at that point he’ll be there to walk me through.

I don’t have the words to communicate how much comfort I find in that. But it’s why Christmas is a big deal.