Martin Copenhaver: Yes

"In Jesus every one of God's promises is a 'Yes.'  For this reason it is through him that we say the 'Amen,' to the glory of God." Excerpt from 2 Corinthians 1:15-22



A while back I was asked to summarize the Gospel in seven words or less.  Here is what I came up with:  "God gets the last word."

If I were asked to summarize the Gospel in just one word, however, it would be the word "Yes."   The Apostle Paul affirmed that, in Jesus, "it is always 'Yes.'  For in him every one of God's promises is a 'Yes.'"

There is a famous book on negotiation called, Getting to Yes.  That could be the title for the Gospel story as well because, in Jesus, God always gets to yes.

During his lifetime the human family used every way we knew to say "No" to Jesus.  We rejected him, betrayed him, denied him, killed him.  And yet, in the resurrection, God would not take our "No" for an answer.  Before and after and under our definite "No" is God's triumphant "Yes."

Or as poet Wallace Stevens wrote, "After the final no there comes a yes, and on that yes the future world depends."

So, God gets the last word.  And that last word is "Yes."

Prayer

I thank you God for most this amazing

day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky;

and for everything

which is natural

which is infinite which is yes.

(e.e. cummings)

Taken with permission from the UCC's StillSpeaking Devotional