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Heaven is a snow day

Nov 24, 2010

The snow has fallen here in Newcastle and covered the world in a blanket of white. Everything looks peaceful, quiet and clean. Isaiah thought that snow was a great display of the gospel and I agree.

“Come now let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be white as snow, though they are red as crimson they shall be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18). God promises to cover our offenses in his sight with his purity and righteousness just like snow covers the dirty ground. The snow covered ground reminds us of God’s gracious provision: purity for the impure.

The New Testament embraces this surprising gift and focuses it through the cross of Christ. It was on the cross that God gave himself up to make us pure.

Ephesians 5 explains, “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” This purity that Christ provides is compared to the purity of a bride on her wedding day.

It fills us with peace to know that when we stand before Judge Jesus on judgment day that we who have trusted in his purifying work on the cross will be clothed with purity as white as his great throne. He will present us to himself without spot or wrinkle. Like a bride is presented to her husband on their wedding day.

A couple of years ago Ellie, our oldest, colored on the wall of our den with a blue marker. The only way to clean the wall was to paint over it. While we were painting, Ellie spoke up and said, "mom this is just like how Jesus paints over our sin with his blood...." Profound truth from a small child!

The snow will melt, but the purity that Jesus graciously provides us is part of our "inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade." (1 Peter 1:4) This is good news, and it's made even sweeter by the fact that today is a snow day!

Wouldn't it be ludicrous for the kids of the school to think that it was their hard work that earned them a snow day. Rather I think they realize, and we will do well to realize it too, that its simply a wonderful and unmerited gift of God's grace. So today, I call you to believe in Jesus, and if you believe, I call you to rest in the gospel of grace. Isaiah proclaimed it and Peter and Paul echoed and confirmed it: God is a gracious God who caught us red handed and, in Jesus, made us white as snow.

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