Twelve: It is Finished . . . in a Good Way

Last updated on: January 5, 2017 at 7:33 am by John Mark N. Reynolds

Twelve: It is Finished . . . in a Good Way 2017-01-04T03:06:32-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Christmas has one more glorious day: the Twelfth Day. Jesus is born, angels have appeared, shepherds come to Bethlehem, and now the wise make it to worship the new King.

The creche is complete at last as is our feast. We end in twelve . . . and that is fitting. We will, after all, end history with Twelve Patriarchs and Twelve Apostles and end this holy season after twelve full days of celebration. Yet a glorious, super-abundant God finishes one good thing just to start the next. All the way to Candlemas after the feast of Epiphany, the churches of the world encourage jollification.

We work and play in holiday times. We turn our minds to the triumph of the Church, victory in Jesus, and the beauties of the cosmos and the paradise to come.

If times of Advent and Lent must come before Jesus shows us the entire finished work, the Church reminds us that the fast is for the feast. The Church, after all, gave us more holidays than most of our workplaces or the state!

Yet still this feast, my personal favorite, is finishing up and that is bittersweet. It makes me thirsty for more, though I know that I cannot stay here. There is good to cleaning up the decorations and doing some deep cleaning. Yet still it would be the greatest wonder if having gained Twelve, we can stay under the rule of the wise: apostles, patriarchs, and King Jesus on the throne. That would be the best finish and it is surely coming.

Jesus says: “It is finished” on the Cross, but the phrase also occurs in Revelation:

6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Jesus completed His work on Earth by giving up His life on the Cross, but the day is coming when we will all see the total work Jesus finished.

As my dad says at the end of a visit or any party: “All good things . . . ” and we know to fill in “must come to an end.” This is true in time. Jesus came and then He finished His work. All good things . . . but Jesus was not just man (though Jesus was fully human), Jesus was God. When He finished His work, Jesus made possible this hope: we can inherit blessings that will never end.

God will be our God and we will be God’s children!

He has taught us to thirst and will provide springs of waters of life.

Note, however, that if we sate ourselves, then we will never be thirsty for that good water. Cowards save their lives and so lose the life to come. The corrupt sell their morals for money and so get their reward now and have none in the Kingdom. Every vice we use to avoid the real world, finding false gods, doing tricks, refusing reality for our fantasies, will damn us.

If we will not thirst, then the living water of life will be to us a fiery lake of burning sulfur. To the sated man even honey is bitter and the water that should give life will give death if we demand it. Everyone can say “no” and God is good, so “no” means “no.”

The best news is that reason, experience, and beauty can unite now and we can avoid such a fate. If we have spent our lives refusing to feast or fast, refusing to become thirsty and drink the living water, there is still time. As I write this, there is still time for me. As you read, there is time for you. Let’s keep the feast one time well and like the wise men bow to reality and find His rule, given to us by Twelve, this blessed Twelfth Night.

Spiritual Reflections

Previous Post

January 4, 2017

Elevens: Being Right Without Everyone Else Being Totally Wrong (Eleventh Day)

Next Post

January 6, 2017 Water First, Lecture Later: Let's Give Water and then Preach

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which continent is experiencing the fastest growth in Christianity?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Asia Africa Oceania Europe

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »