Jesus Christ Is Coming
Jesus Christ is coming again. The Bible says so. But why is He coming? What will He do when He comes? Why should His coming be important to me or you? To help answer those questions, let’s review why He came the first time.
Why Did Jesus Come the First Time?
Jesus said about Himself, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
God created us. Each of us has sinned and become guilty before God. We deserve eternal punishment. God, however, loves us and wants to save us from that punishment. He sent His Son Jesus to die as a sacrifice for our sins so that He can restore us into a relationship with Himself. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). If we put our trust in Jesus Christ, God saves us, taking us out of Satan’s kingdom and welcoming us into His kingdom.
Why Will He Come Again?
Jesus told His followers, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2, 3). Jesus is coming to receive and reward those who believe on Him and obey Him. He is coming also to judge those who do not believe on Him and obey Him.
He will “be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:7, 8).
How Can We Know When He Will Come?
Jesus said, “Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36).
We do not know the exact time of His coming, but Jesus gave us a number of signs that indicate the time is drawing near. He spoke of “wars and rumours of wars,” and “famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” He told us that “many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many,” and that lawlessness “shall abound” and “the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:6-13).
Jesus did, however, make it clear that the day He comes will be just like any other day. People will be going about their usual business, unsuspecting. His coming will catch many by surprise. “The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden de¬struction cometh upon them” (1 Thess. 5:2, 3).
What Will His Coming Be Like?
It will be like nothing you’ve ever experienced. “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
There will be no time to prepare; His coming will take only an instant. It will happen “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump” (1 Corinthians 15:52). “As the lightning,… so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27).
When He comes, no one will be puzzled about what is happening. Everyone will know, for “every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him” (Rev. 1:7).
Why Should I Be Concerned About His Coming?
The coming of Jesus Christ will seal the eternal destiny of every person. If you are watching for and ready for His coming, you will receive eternal life. If you are not ready, you will be condemned to eternal hell.
Either you will be ready or you will not. That is why you and I must be concerned about His coming. “He cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity” (Ps. 98:9).
How Can I Get Ready for Christ’s Coming?
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). Jesus died as a sacrifice for your sins. God accepted that sacrifice and raised Jesus from the dead. God freely offers you the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. The only way for you to receive that gift is to receive Jesus by faith.
To receive Jesus, simply open your heart to God. Tell Him, “Father in Heaven, I want to receive Jesus into my life. I know that I am a sinner and I am sorry for my sins. I believe that Jesus died for my sins. Please forgive my sin, make me clean inside, and help me to love You and obey You with all my heart. Help me to be ready for Jesus’ coming.”
God will forgive you. He will put His Holy Spirit into your heart to cleanse you, make you into a new person with a new heart and new desires, and lead you as you serve Him. He will give you a desire to know God, and He will give you a hatred of sin. He will take away your fear of judgment and of death. He will make you a new person.
As you grow in Christ and live for Him, you will learn what it means to look forward to His coming. Because you know Jesus as your Saviour and Lord, you will not need to fear that day. “Abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming” 1 John 2:28).
Christian Light Publications, Harrisonburg, VA 22802 Phone (540) 434-0768.
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- A. D. Wenger
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- Christian Light Publications
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