Yes, truly, as we read these Holy Scriptures we who know Jesus as our Savior should praise Him and leap for joy at the thought of such a glorious forever. John saw in his vision the glory of heaven and recorded it:
Then he showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There shall no more be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall worship him; they shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads. And night shall be no more; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever (Rev. 22:1–5).
Isn’t there something to it? Doesn’t it change our perspective? Measured on these giant truths, don’t our petty daily troubles shrink into mere insignificance? Let us never forget that we owe it all to Him who became partaker of our humanity that we might “become partakers of [His] divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4), our changeless friend, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and yes, forever.
Endnotes
Preface
1. Maurice Meschler, The Life of Our Lord Jesus (St. Louis, MO: Herder, 1950); Francois Mauriac, Life of Jesus (New York: David McKay Co., 1951).
Chapter 7
1. Alfred Edersheim, The Temple: Its Ministry and Services (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ. Co., 1978); Denis O'Shea, Mary and Joseph, Their Life and Times (Milwaukee, WI: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1949).
Chapter 9
1. James Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible (New York: Scribner, 1963).
Chapter 10
1. Franz M. William, Mary the Mother of Jesus (St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co., 1938); Denis O'Shea, The Holy Family (Dublin: M.H. Gill & Son, Ltd., 1944); O'Shea, Mary and Joseph, Their Life and Times.
Chapter 11
1. Josephus Flavius, Paul L. Meier, Josephus: The Essential Writings (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1988).
A Word in Between
1. Léonce de Grandmaison, Jesus Christ (New York: Sheed & Ward, 1961); Marie Joseph LaGrange, The Gospel of Jesus Christ (London: Burns, Oates & Washbourne, Ltd., 1938); Archbishop Alban Goodier, The Public Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ (London: Burns, Oates & Washbourne, Ltd., 1936); Meschler, The Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ; Mauriac, Life of Jesus; Guiseppe Ricciotti, The Life of Christ (Milwaukee, WI: Bruce Publishing Co., 1947); Ferdinand Prat, Jesus Christ: His Life, His Teaching, and His Work (Milwaukee, WI: Bruce Publishing Co., 1950); William, Mary the Mother of Jesus; O'Shea, Mary and Joseph, Their Life and Times; O'Shea, The Holy Family.
Chapter 15
1. Alfred Barret, Mint by Night (New York: America Press, 1938).
Chapter 21
1. Father Blot, In Heaven We Know Our Own (New York: Benziger, 1866); John Peter Arendzen, What Becomes of the Dead? (New York: Sheed & Ward, 1951); Dr. Robert Klimsch, Leben die Toten (Do the Dead Live?).
Yesterday, Today, and Forever Page 16