What a glorious day that will be! That is the day in which Jesus returns to reward His faithful disciples and “to be glorified in His saints” (2 Thessalonians 1:10). John tells us “every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7), and Paul writes that “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord...” Those who love the Lord are looking forward to that day. Everyone else either thinks it’s a fairy tale, or is simply ignoring the words of Jesus, or is defiantly daring Jesus to return.
In considering these things, we get a glimpse at one characteristic of the God we serve and have one of His ultimate purposes revealed. There are two ways in which people can bow the knee before Jesus: willingly or unwillingly. We have a choice.
On the night He was arrested, Jesus struggled in Gethsemane as He faced the cross. He pleaded with His Father that the cup of the crucifixion might pass from Him without His having to drink it. But His Father refused because the sacrifice of Jesus would prove to all the world the love of God (1 John 3:16; 4:10). Thus people would come willingly, bow the knee, confess, and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. This is God’s desire and one of His purposes in the cross of Christ. When people begin to comprehend the Love that God has for them, they come humbly, in awe, and willingly accept His gift of salvation and the rule of the Christ. Jesus is glorified.
On the other hand, those who turn away from God’s love and pursue their own course in life are rejecting the rule of Jesus. He is still their king even though they do not acknowledge Him. It is God’s desire that individuals come freely and willingly to accept the salvation that is in Christ Jesus along with His lordship.
But on that last day, those who have rejected Him during their lives will be forced to bow the knee and confess that “Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” What a day that will be!
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