#DailyDevotion Will you experience God’s wrath or redemption on the day of the Lord Jesus?
January 3rd
Read Is 63:1–14
Isaiah 63:3-7 “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel. (4) For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come. (5) I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold; so my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath upheld me. (6) I trampled down the peoples in my anger; I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.” (7) I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
We see here God’s wrath and His redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Jesus is not some soft, cute, lovable puffball. He is God Almighty, great to save and great is his wrath. Isaiah here sees pictures of the last day as seen by John’s Revelation chapter nineteen. It is a day of judgment where all the world who rejected him as their Savior, who would not repent of their sins and look to him alone as their Redeemer, will get the only other type of God that is left, a vengeful God. On that day, all the people, great and small, young and old will be wipe out and Jesus will stomp them out like grapes in a wine press. They will all drink the wine of his wrath and enter perdition where they will suffer for all eternity. Not a pretty sight.
Yet there is the year of redemption. For by his own arm Jesus has won salvation. By the shedding of his own blood, he has made atonement for all the people of the world. On the cross, Jesus has suffered the wrath of God and made peace between God and men. Yet many people will not accept this peace. But for those who do believe, they shall experience the steadfast love of the Lord. God does not want mankind to suffer but they spurn His great love. On that day, all of us who have been called by God to be His holy people by being baptized in Jesus will experience that love for all eternity.
We shall praise the Lord Jesus Christ on that day and we shall experience his praise for trusting in him. You may remember earlier in Isaiah, the Lord will be singing over us. Our reward shall be a new heavens and a new earth where righteousness reigns. We, ourselves, will be totally regenerated no longer having the effects of a sinful flesh tormenting us. We will be like Jesus resurrected on the third day, bodily. The universe will be right and we will be righteous. Jesus even now pours out his compassion upon us by his blood by quieting our consciences as we confess our sins and here the words of absolution. On that day we shall see his compassion with our own eyes in our own flesh. So what will we experience on that day? His wrath or redemption? Trust in the one of died for you and receive Jesus’ salvation.
Lord God, Heavenly Father, your Holiness demands retribution for all those who sinned against you, yet your great compassion sent your Son Jesus Christ to receive your wrath in his own flesh and soul, that we might be saved. Grant us your Holy Spirit that we may believe this and always experience your steadfast love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.