The New Year is coming soon, and probably many of us are wondering how we should celebrate it. Will we celebrate it with a party? With fireworks? A reunion? A sumptuous dinner feast? Or will we just sit on the couch and watch shows on NetFlix hoping that the noise will fade away?
Well, many of us have ideas on how to celebrate it. But have we ever wondered how Jesus would spend His New Year's Eve? Now this is worth talking about.
How would He?
We all read in the Bible that the Lord Jesus, before coming as a human subject to time, lived with no time constraints. A thousand years on earth could be just one day with Him, and vice-versa. Time never was and never will be an issue to Him, but His purpose is.
Knowing this, we must understand that the Lord Jesus always acts on purpose. He never does anything the Father doesn't tell to do. What He does, He does because God told Him to. And what He did during His stay on earth for His earthly ministry, He did in obedience to God's will:
"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:38-40)
If all that He did centered on the Father's will, here's what He'd probably be doing if He were here on earth in the flesh today:
1) Praying for people and healing the sick
We could very well picture Jesus praying for people and healing the sick during New Year's Eve. We'd probably see Him making the lame walk with their families, making the blind see the beauty of fireworks, and letting the mute speak and shout of God's goodness to them.
He just can't stop doing the will of God, because He's that obedient to the Father.
2) Preaching the Kingdom of God
Next, we'd probably hear Him preaching the Kingdom of God. New Year's Eve is a great time to be with people and share stories with them, particularly what happened in the past twelve months and what they hope to happen in the coming year.
Jesus, for His part, would probably say to those who are genuinely repentant, "your sins during the past twelve months are forgiven." Or perhaps, He would say to those who making goals for the coming year, "the Kingdom is at hand. Repent!" Well, whatever He would say, it would be a message of God's love to all mankind, and the need for mankind to return to God.
3) Loving the unloved
Most likely, we'd see Jesus being invited left and right to the homes of the unwanted, the discriminated, and the poor - and He'd likely visit and dine with those who were repentant and are longing for God, regardless of race, gender, profession, and status.
Jesus spent time with sinners and tax collectors while He was about His earthly ministry before the cross, which earned the ire of the Pharisees. Perhaps today He'd do the same, since He doesn't change: He'd reach out to the repentant sinner, heal the hopeless, ill and disabled, set the captives free, and show the love of God to all men.
It's also very likely that He'd visit those who left the church for some reason. He did say afterall that He would rejoice when He finds that one lost sheep - the sheep that once belonged to His fold (see Luke 15:1-7). That I'm sure.
The likeliest of all
Well, here's one thing that I'm sure Jesus would be doing during New Year's Eve this year if He were here in the flesh: telling all of us who profess to follow Him to do what He commanded us to do (see Matthew 28:18-20). To be honest, we should be the ones doing what I outlined above.
Christ is now seated at the right hand of God, and has commissioned us to do God's will. Christ has already died on the cross and has already risen from the grave. If we think He'll come here to do the same old things that He did before the cross, we are mistaken: He is now Lord of all, and we are expected to obey and honor Him and answer His call to take the Gospel to the ends of the Earth.
So what will Jesus be doing this New Year's Eve? He should be receiving our praises and being enthroned as we worship, drawing all men to Himself as we exalt Him. Whatever you do this New Year's Eve, don't forget your part in Christ's body and Christ's calling.
"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." (John 12:32)
