The Coming Savior

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:1-6 ESV). I read the following story recently. While it purports to be true, it may only be another urban legend that has come to carry a significant truth. Darrell Loomis was a truck driver. Each week he hauled goods from Cincinnati to Atlanta. Joe's Diner was his favorite eating spot on the route. Darrell always stopped for meals at Joe's. One summer afternoon, Darrell parked his truck and walked into the diner. Sitting down in his favorite seat--the third counter stool--he ordered the usual--hot meat loaf sandwich, mashed potatoes, and iced tea. In the distance came a roar and a cloud of dust, followed by the arrival into the parking lot of twelve members of a motorcycle gang, riding Harley Davidsons with extended forks. These were fine bikes, quite a sight to see as the gang parked them next to Darrell's Peterbilt truck and set down the kickstands. As the gang stomped into the diner, the leader immediately spotted Darrell. "Well, who is this little sissy at the counter?" he sneered. Darrell merely remained silent and continued eating his lunch. Forming a semicircle around Darrell, the gang members started snapping their fingers in rhythmic cadence. Unperturbed, Darrell just sat and ate his lunch. One of the gang members picked up Darrell's iced tea and poured it over his head. The others watched, still snapping their fingers in unison. With his napkin Darrell quietly dried his face, but said nothing. Another gang member picked up Darrell's mashed potatoes and stuck a handful into Darrell's ear, wiping his hand on Darrell's back. Darrell remained calm and didn't respond. He simply continued to eat his lunch. Although the gang continued to harass and taunt Darrell, he never responded to any of it. Even when Darrell finished his lunch, he only stood up, turned to Joe, and silently paid his bill. He left the diner without saying a word. The leader of the gang laughed and said to Joe, "What a wimp! That guy sure ain't much of a man!" Joe, looking out the window of the diner said, "And he ain't much of a driver either. He just ran over twelve Harleys." When Jesus came as the Messiah, He wasn't at all what people expected. Many looked at Jesus and said, "What a sissy! He sure ain't much of a man! What kind of a Messiah is this?" Jesus never said a word, though. He took all the abuse that the world could throw at Him. He was ridiculed, humiliated, spat upon, whipped, crowned with thorns, and hung on a cruel cross. Satan did everything he could to destroy Jesus and to make Him the laughing stock of the world. Some still ridicule Him and His followers today. But Jesus never opened His mouth. He willingly accepted it because He knew that in the end, Satan and all of his followers would be defeated. Which side are you on?