Kingdom Blockbuster

On December 18th “The Force Awakens.”  Fans will flock to theaters to see the newest Star Wars film.  The first Star Wars movie was released when Jane and I were college students.  Since then, both of our children have graduated from college, we have our first grandchild, and Star Wars is as popular as ever.

We call big movies “blockbusters.”  Out of curiosity, I researched the meaning of a “blockbuster” and was surprised at what I found.  If you served in World War II you probably already know.  A blockbuster was a huge bomb capable of taking out a whole city block.  I couldn’t help but wonder what someone at that time would think of our use of the term.  A bomb capable of taking out an entire city block seems much different from a great movie everyone wants to go see.  If we were faced with the first, we would knock each other over trying to escape.  Now we knock each other over to be the first to arrive at a blockbuster.

I have been thinking about some famous kingdom blockbusters.  The general definition of a blockbuster is something that is highly successful, and often expensive.  Several events came to mind.  There was the flood that destroyed mankind, save Noah and his family.  That was big!  It was also horrible for the wicked.  Then there was the Exodus, when over a million Hebrew children left Egypt after more than four hundred years of oppression.  And yes, the movie “The Ten Commandments,” which depicted the plagues of Egypt and the Exodus, crossed over to the Hollywood kind of blockbuster.

I could add several examples to this list, but I should make my point: sometimes people ran away from God’s blockbusters and sometimes they rushed to be in them.  This doesn’t mean everything big God has done in history has been safe.  Thousands of people were washed clean by Jesus and joined with the church in its early days, but by doing so they put themselves in grave danger.  Strangely, though, the early persecution of Christians only fired them up and made the first disciples more determined than ever to share the good news of Jesus with the world.

The same thing will be true when God brings history as we know it to a close.  Some will want to run away from God’s wrath, and others will want to run into His presence.  It will all depend on whether one is an enemy or friend of God.

The cross is the biggest blockbuster of all time!  I hope you don’t mind me using this term in conjunction with our Lord’s suffering.  The cross turned the universe upside down and changed the course of history.  Sin was dealt a fatal blow, and three days later death followed.  Jesus’ resurrection brought down Satan’s empire.  It was big.  Really big!  Blockbusters in the 40s took out city blocks.  The cross crushed the head of Satan and served notice to his evil entourage its day was coming.

I don’t know how many years will pass before the end of human history.  I’m not really worried, to be honest, with the exception of my concern for those who need to know Jesus before that day comes.  I hope you aren’t afraid of the last day.  Remember, all of God’s blockbusters have been a blessing for those who have chosen to walk with Him.

So give your life wholeheartedly to the purpose and plan of God and don’t fear tomorrow.  I can tell you now, whatever He does is going to be really big!

And big is a good thing, as long as one is on the right side.