There is a somewhat unknown holy day that many Christians observe, but which does not get the attention of most people like Christmas and Easter do. It's celebrated every November 1 as a day called All Saints' Day. This is a day where Christians remember those who have lived before them, who shared their faith, and who have now gone on to receive their eternal inheritance from God through Jesus' sacrifice for them.
In some respects, this is a rather solemn day. After all, on it, we give thought to those who have died before us, especially when we remember people who were close to us. This may even give us pause to remember the grief of their loss in our lives, as we think about how much we miss them.
Yet, this special holy day is also one that demonstrates the distinctiveness of the Christian faith. We may mourn their loss, and we may miss them, but the assurance that we have is that our faith and theirs guarantees that we will see each other again, when Jesus raises all the dead, and gives eternal life to all who believe in what He has done for them. It is a sad occasion, and yet, it is one that is filled with hope and future joy.
While we may be reminded of that every year on November 1, one of the great realities for us Christians is that we have that same hope every day of our lives. We have a future with our God! We will see those loved ones who have gone before us in faith! That is why we can have joy even in the midst of our sorrow and grief. And that is all possible because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead. Thanks be to God, through Jesus!
In some respects, this is a rather solemn day. After all, on it, we give thought to those who have died before us, especially when we remember people who were close to us. This may even give us pause to remember the grief of their loss in our lives, as we think about how much we miss them.
Yet, this special holy day is also one that demonstrates the distinctiveness of the Christian faith. We may mourn their loss, and we may miss them, but the assurance that we have is that our faith and theirs guarantees that we will see each other again, when Jesus raises all the dead, and gives eternal life to all who believe in what He has done for them. It is a sad occasion, and yet, it is one that is filled with hope and future joy.
While we may be reminded of that every year on November 1, one of the great realities for us Christians is that we have that same hope every day of our lives. We have a future with our God! We will see those loved ones who have gone before us in faith! That is why we can have joy even in the midst of our sorrow and grief. And that is all possible because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead. Thanks be to God, through Jesus!
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