By Ps Ho Wei Liang
Then the angel said to me,
“Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”
And he added, “These are the true words of God” (Rev. 19:9).
The Lunar New Year is fast approaching. It is a wonderful time of catching up with family and loved ones. The eve of Lunar New Year specifically is a time of family reunion, especially precious for families whose members are scattered all over the globalised world. However, as with all festive holidays with a relational focus, the Lunar New Year is a season when we are reminded once again of the faces who were once present but no longer with us. Death has torn them from us and robbed us of the full joy of reunion.
But praise be to God—death is not the final word! Our risen Lord and Saviour has defeated the grave and we who are in Christ shall one day be raised. The Chinese fear death and regard it as a taboo, not to be even mentioned during the Lunar New Year period, but Christians need not fear. For death will be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26); it shall be swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:54). The word of God tells us that at that wedding supper of the Lamb, there will be the grandest and truest reunion ever.
At that time, we shall enjoy full and unhindered communion with God. We shall also be reunited with the saints who have passed on before us—we shall see our spouses who have walked so closely with us in this life; we shall see our parents and grandparents, our siblings, our children and grandchildren. In Christ and by Christ, we shall be reunited both with God and people.
This reunion is possible only because Christ left his home that he may come into our world and invite us into the divine family. We have a home and family to go back to because the incarnate Christ “made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). In the midst of our busy Lunar New Year visitation schedules, let us remember this, that we may live out Christ to the world. As we visit homes and invite others to our homes, let us by our actions and our words invite them to that grandest and truest reunion.