Eucatastrophe

"Mrs. Willowkins"
by talented artist, Dawn Copeland
illustration from Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer

"When the people heard the sound of the rams' horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it." (Joshua 6:20)


Listening to radio host Chris Fabry and his guest, Andrew Peterson,  yesterday, I learned a new word: eucatastrophe - a term coined by English writer J. R. R. Tolkien referring to a sudden turn of events at the end of a story, i.e. a happy ending. 

Like the sudden turn of events in Joshua 6:20, the Bible is filled with eucatastrophes at the mighty hand of God. The resurrection of Jesus Christ, moreover, is the greatest eucatastrophe in the history of mankind! 

One black Friday, with a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last on a cross and was laid in a tomb carved out of the rock. (Mark 15:37-46) THEN early Sunday morning, an angel in a dazzling white declared, "Jesus is not here. He is risen from the dead!"  (Luke 24:6)

We were hopelessly dead in our sins; THEN God suddenly raised us to new life in Christ, because we trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. (Colossians 2:12-13)

Therefore, beloved, don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Jesus Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is head over every ruler and authority. (Col. 2:8-10) 

No matter what's happens today or tomorrow, be encouraged. God has written a happy ending to every believer's story!