Some
members of the Christian ‘Hall of Fame’ or rather ‘Hall of Faith’ are listed by
the author to the Hebrews in Hebrews 11, people like Abel, Enoch, Noah,
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson,
Jephthah, David, Samuel etc. Then he writes, ‘Therefore we also, since we are
surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and
the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race
that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God’ Hebrews 12:1-2.
The
Apostle Paul was able to write the following, ‘For I am being poured out like a
drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good
fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid
up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will
give to me on the Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His
appearing’ 2 Timothy 4:6-8. Notice that Paul is saying that all true Christians
will receive a crown. The Lord says, ‘Hold fast what you have, that no one may
take your crown’ Revelation 3:11. Therefore for the Christian ‘curtain call’ is
actually ‘coronation call’. But, let’s not be too hasty! As Christians even our
swan song is about glorifying God! We need to be like the twenty four crowned
elders in John’s vision sitting on thrones surrounding the Lord’s throne, ‘clothed
in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads’ Revelation 4:4.
These, ‘cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “you are worthy, O Lord,
to receive glory and honour and power; for You created all things, and by Your
will they exist and were created’ Revelation 4:10-11. The idea then is that any
glory for any worthy thing you may have done in life belongs to the risen Lord.
But never mind that. So does every unworthy thing! And that is the real beauty
of the whole thing. As John the Baptiser said of Jesus, ‘Behold! The Lamb of
God who takes away the sin of the world!’ John 1:29.
The
curtain call for the Christian is all about preparing for court acquittal
before the Judge of all the earth. ‘If anyone sins we have an Advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous’ 1 John 2:1b. Therefore, our final bow is
not about how well we have done in life. Rather it is about how well Jesus
Christ has done to make us right with God. He is the Judge, but for the
Christian He is also our Defence Attorney. In Him the Christian has been
justified, i.e., declared righteous on account of Christ’s righteousness. Jesus
has already taken the place of the one being acquitted and has already paid the
price for the Christian’s sin against God. Thus the acquittal.
If we
understand a curtain call to mean a final bow at the end of life in which we
return to the stage to be recognized by the audience for our performance, then
what will you be met with? Applause? Will people rise to their feet and give
you a standing ovation? Yes, some may stand and applaud you for some of the
things you have done, but the difference between Jesus and us is that when He
enters every knee bows! He is magnificent! He is glorious! He is beautiful! He
is perfect! He is King of kings and Lord of Lords! Praise Him! After His
resurrection He was seen by over five hundred Christians at once (1 Corinthians
15:6). He was worshiped by His Disciples (Luke 24:52). Why such praise for
Jesus at His ‘curtain call’? ‘Being found in the appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of
the cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name
which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the
Father’ Philippians 2:8-11.
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