Jesus Shall Reign Wheree’r the Sun
Lyrics by Isaac Watts
My daughter loves to ask questions that begin “how many days till...” Like many children, she is constantly anticipating the next exciting event. Sometimes it is a trip that she is looking forward to. Often she wants to know how long it will be until a holiday, especially those holidays that involve large amounts of candy. These daily calendar math problems hurt my tired brain, and I generally encourage her to get out her planner and count down the weeks, months, or days herself.
Advent is the time of the year when we anticipate both our celebration of Jesus’ coming into the world as a baby but also his second coming. Through Jesus, God began reclaiming his creation, and Jesus has promised that on his return, he will reign over a new heaven and a new earth.
The bright “Jesus Shall Reign,” celebrates the day that Jesus will return. The words of this hymn remind us that God intends to transform all of creation, the entire cosmos, upon Jesus’ return. The entire cosmos, from moons, the earth, and other celestial bodies, will rejoice. Angels will rejoice.
We cannot count down the days until Jesus will return, as the Bible assures us that no one but the father knows when this event will occur. However, we are to live as though Jesus could return at any moment. To me, that means prioritizing life in the present over long-term plans, focusing on making faithful decisions in each moment.
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