Read
“Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Revelation 1:17b-18
Reflect
Keys are a vital part of our everyday life. What would we do without them? Somewhere nearby or in your pocket right now is probably a set of keys to your house, your car and maybe your office. I have a house key, some keys to a friend’s house, the key fob to my car and several keys to file cabinets in my classroom.
And how often have you not been able to find them? We usually find out that our keys are misplaced when we’re pressed for time, which leads to a frenzy with us asking, “Who has my keys? Where are my keys? Has anyone seen my keys?!” It’s hard to believe that such a small thing could result in such feelings of panic, frustration and outright anger.
Another key leads to a completely different range of feelings. Hopefully you’ve never experienced this, but when the casket of a loved one is closed for the last time, a special key is used to ensure the casket is locked in place and completely sealed. Often, that key is then given to a loved one as a remembrance. The feelings at this moment are far from frenzied, but are generally sad and even heartbreaking. But the same question could be asked: “Who has the keys?”
The key to our broken world is eternal life, but who holds that key?
The answer to that question is obviously Jesus. The casket key may seal in the body, but Jesus holds the key that unlocks the spirit for eternity. He holds the keys to death, Hell and the grave, and He will use them at the resurrection for everyone who put their full faith in Him.
If you already know Him, then you know who holds the keys. But have you shared their location with those you care about? Don’t keep the keys to eternity a secret — share the Good News that those keys are available to everyone!
Reflection copyright © 2021 Doug DeBolt and Charles Fulton.
