“It was a dark and stormy night… in Cleveland!” The Cubs were playing the Indians in a baseball game. The score was tied after nine innings but before the game could go into extra innings, there was a rain delay. The team was a little discouraged. During the rain delay one of the Cub’s players, Jason Heyward, called the team together and had a pep talk. He encouraged his teammates and said that they were going to win the game! Sure enough, the Cubs scored two runs in the 10th inning and went on to win the 2016 World Series! It had been 108 years since the Cubs had won a World Series and what followed was a party that Chicagoans had never seen before!

The celebration that followed was spectacular! 108 years of pent up frustration had turned to jubilation! Years of defeat had been rewarded with victory. Over five million fans gathered for the victory parade to celebrate! Do you remember watching the events on TV? Were you there? I kind wish I had been there!

In the book of Revelation chapter 5, the Apostle John writes of a celebration like no other! John receives a special viewing of the victory party in heaven! John has a vision of the room in heaven and witnesses the entry of the victorious King! All the host of angels, thousands upon thousands and every living creature in heaven and on earth were singing a new song, “Holy! Holy! Holy! Is the Lord God Almighty! You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power!”

And then the King enters… John sees a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain. And everyone is singing the victory song, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” What seemed like defeat with the death of Jesus on the cross has turned to victory over sin death and the devil! Sorrow has tuned to joy! Death has turned to New Life in Christ! This is the greatest song ever! Take the jubilation of the Cubs victory celebration in 2016 and multiply it by a million and it would only be a glimpse of the jubilation that John is participating in.

Wouldn’t it be great to experience that jubilation? Wouldn’t it be great to be there? To join in the celebration? Maybe we haven’t enjoyed the vision John had as he saw the victorious king Jesus face to face. We may not hear the millions upon millions of angels as they sing, “Holy! Holy! Holy!” But, in fact every time as we gather in worship, we join with that triumphant celebration! As we sing our praises to Jesus we join our voices with the angel throng praising our King Jesus as we celebrate His Easter Resurrection victory! As Christians, we gather around the Lamb Jesus every moment of our life. Every word we speak to honor Jesus, we join our voice with the jubilation in heaven as we too celebrate the victory of Jesus Christ!

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Pastor Maske