Nathan Busenitz, in his book Living a Life of Hope, said, "The hope of Christ's coming was of paramount importance for the early church. In fact, its certainty was so real that first-century believers would greet one another with the term "Maranatha," meaning "Lord, come quickly." Instead of being frightened by the possibility, they clung to it as the culmination of everything they believed. Not surprisingly, the New Testament reflects this intense anticipation by referencing Jesus' return, whether directly or indirectly, in every New Testament book except Philemon and 3 John. (Nathan Busenitz, Living a Life of Hope [Barbour Books: Ulrichsville, Ohio, 2003], 122)
Is it any wonder that the early church found great comfort in the Second Coming of Christ? The recipients of Peter's second letter had been run out of Rome under severe persecution from outside the church. Now they were facing problems with false teachers inside the church. Oh, how they longed for the return of the Savior! He would make everything right!
The truth is, Jesus is coming again! He has promised! "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works" (Matt. 16:27). "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels" (Luke 9:26).
No one knows the day or hour, but Jesus will return! He has promised! "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming" (Matt. 26:36-42).
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus promises to return and gather His people to Himself to spend eternity with Him, but does not give a specific day or time. He intends this promise to give us hope, but makes it clear that it should also cause us to live our lives in such a way that shows we are ready to meet the Lord.
Watch therefore, and be alert! Keep one eye looking straight ahead, making sure you stay on the straight and narrow path, but keep the other eye toward the sky, watching and waiting with great expectation for the Lord's return in glory.
Jesus said, "It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning—lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping" (Mark 13:34-36).
He also said, "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:34-36).
"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:15-17).
We do not know when He is coming: "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape" (1 Thess. 5:2-3).
But we do know that He is coming! "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work" (Rev. 22:12). "He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming quickly'" (Rev. 22:20a). To which John adds his exclamation point: "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:20b).
Billy Graham summarized it well: "The end will come with the return of Jesus Christ... That is why a Christian can be an optimist. That is why a Christian can smile in the midst of all that is happening... We know what the end will be: the triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ!" (Franklin Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes, [Thomas Nelson: Nashville, 2011], 119)
The truth of this promise that Jesus is coming again, is the centerpiece of the Christian's blessed hope and great expectation. When we live with one eye on the sky, in anticipation of the promised return of Christ, we live with a certain spiritual zeal and enthusiasm for Christ. John calls it a purifying hope: "And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:3).
But, when believers forget about this promise, or no longer believe in the Second Coming at all, and instead, begin focusing on the things of this world, rather than the things of Christ, they soon grow apathetic toward Christ and lose interest in the things of God. Satan knows this quite well. That is why the false teachers work so hard at getting the church to downplay the importance of the return of Christ, or even to deny its truth altogether. When that happens, Christians lose a significant source of hope and motivation in living for Christ.
The return of Christ is yet another core doctrine of the church that is under attack. The Book of Second Peter fights back by encouraging us in our walk with Jesus Christ. Keep one eye on that straight and narrow path. Keep the other eye on the sky, in great anticipation of that glorious day when Jesus comes back again. Amen.
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus promises to return and gather His people to Himself to spend eternity with Him, but does not give a specific day or time. He intends this promise to give us hope, but makes it clear that it should also cause us to live our lives in such a way that shows we are ready to meet the Lord.
Watch therefore, and be alert! Keep one eye looking straight ahead, making sure you stay on the straight and narrow path, but keep the other eye toward the sky, watching and waiting with great expectation for the Lord's return in glory.
Jesus said, "It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning—lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping" (Mark 13:34-36).
He also said, "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:34-36).
"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:15-17).
We do not know when He is coming: "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape" (1 Thess. 5:2-3).
But we do know that He is coming! "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work" (Rev. 22:12). "He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming quickly'" (Rev. 22:20a). To which John adds his exclamation point: "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:20b).
Billy Graham summarized it well: "The end will come with the return of Jesus Christ... That is why a Christian can be an optimist. That is why a Christian can smile in the midst of all that is happening... We know what the end will be: the triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ!" (Franklin Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes, [Thomas Nelson: Nashville, 2011], 119)
The truth of this promise that Jesus is coming again, is the centerpiece of the Christian's blessed hope and great expectation. When we live with one eye on the sky, in anticipation of the promised return of Christ, we live with a certain spiritual zeal and enthusiasm for Christ. John calls it a purifying hope: "And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:3).
But, when believers forget about this promise, or no longer believe in the Second Coming at all, and instead, begin focusing on the things of this world, rather than the things of Christ, they soon grow apathetic toward Christ and lose interest in the things of God. Satan knows this quite well. That is why the false teachers work so hard at getting the church to downplay the importance of the return of Christ, or even to deny its truth altogether. When that happens, Christians lose a significant source of hope and motivation in living for Christ.
The return of Christ is yet another core doctrine of the church that is under attack. The Book of Second Peter fights back by encouraging us in our walk with Jesus Christ. Keep one eye on that straight and narrow path. Keep the other eye on the sky, in great anticipation of that glorious day when Jesus comes back again. Amen.
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