“Good New Days”

Many years ago Karen’s grandmother (known affectionately as Tweet) had an article about her memories as a young girl published in a magazine called “Good Old Days.” While almost all of us have fond recollections of years gone by were they all good? Ask the members of a British family who agreed to live under conditions of 100 years ago for a PBS special. They found the old days anything but good because they’d become accustomed to modern life and conveniences. So it can be tough returning to “those thrilling days of yesteryear.”

The first century Jewish Christians saw things differently. Because of the difficulties brought about by persecution from their own countrymen as well as the Roman government they were thinking about going back to their former ways of worship in the temple (the “good old days”). But the writer of Hebrews said they couldn’t (“We must pay more perfect attention…to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.”—2:1). And even if they could go back, he counsels his readers that it would be foolish to do so because of all they’d received as a result of Christ’s death (“…We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”—10:10). So the good new days were far better than the good old days. To reinforce this point the Holy Spirit moved the author of Hebrews to use the word “better” 11 times and “superior” 4 times.

Our good new days with Christ are much better than the bad old days without Him. Peter (who wrote about the same time as did Hebrews’ author) described his fellow believers as those “…called out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9). Whatever our circumstances, God tells us, “’Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5). Let’s be thankful for these good new days Jesus has given us and live them out to honor Him.

Blessings!

Jim McMillan