One
of the foundational tenets of our faith is the return of Christ in bodily form.
Jesus predicted that he would come again in power and glory. He will come to
gather His church to himself and to judge the world. No one knows when that
event will take place. Jesus said that it would be like a thief in the night. Jesus’
return will take people by surprise, but it will not be missed.
The
disciples lived in constant anticipation of Jesus’ return. They believed that
Jesus would return within their lifetimes. That belief was a constant source of
energy and resolve for them. They lived with their eyes on the spiritual
horizon. They labored with intensity and determination.
It
has been over 2000 years since Jesus ascended into heaven. The sense of urgency
that the disciples felt has long faded. Many have fallen into a subtle
complacency; giving intellectual assent to the return of Christ, yet living as
if it will not happen in their lifetime. Many others have mocked the idea of
the return of Christ as a myth and a fantasy. Peter warned us that this very
thing was going to take place. First of all,
you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and
following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming'
he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since
the beginning of creation." 2 Peter 3:3-4
As
Paul neared the end of his life, he was still living within the vibrant reality
of the return of Christ. He summarized his quest in his second letter to
Timothy. For I am already being poured
out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have
fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now
there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all
who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6-8
The
end of Paul’s summary is a challenge to all of us. “--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his
appearing.” What does it mean for us, in 2015, to long for Christ’s
appearing?
Some
use the return of Christ as a scare tactic to get people to put their faith in
Christ, or to motivate them to serve Christ more diligently. I have experienced
this approach firsthand. In fact, as a child, I lived in fear that Christ would
return before I had grown up and had a chance to live life. I don’t think this
is what Paul had in mind.
Some
see the return of Christ as an escape from the trials and troubles of life. I
had a friend, upon the death of a close relative, who longed for Christ to return
to free him from the pain of this world. I don’t think that is what Paul had in
mind either.
Some
see the return of Christ as an academic exercise in interpreting signs and
calculating an exact date for His return. They create elaborate charts and
graphs that “explain” all of the signs and symbols in the Bible. They carefully
extrapolate their findings to pinpoint when Christ will return. Back in 1988, a
pastor produced a book titled, “88 Reasons Why Christ will Return in
1988.”Christ did not return, so he revised his book for 1989.
So
what does it mean for us to long for Christ’s return? Jesus expects us to look
forward to His return with joy and to be busy preparing for His return by
accomplishing His purposes in our world today. We should see it as the joyous
reunion with a cherished friend, long absent from our lives. We should prepare
for it, as we would prepare for the arrival of an honored guest, making sure
that everything is ready.
The
return of Christ will be the culmination of His redemptive plan. The salvation
that we trust in today will be fully realized. The transformation that has
begun within us will be completed. Justice will rule, but so will grace, mercy
and love. For those who know Christ, His return is not something to be feared,
but to be celebrated. That is why it is so important that we invite as many as
possible to put their faith in Christ now. Jesus made that clear in the parable
of the ten virgins.
"At that time the kingdom of heaven
will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the
bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took
their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in
jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they
all became drowsy and fell asleep.
"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's
the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
"Then all the virgins woke up and
trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your
oil; our lamps are going out.'
" 'No,' they replied, 'there may not
be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some
for yourselves.'
"But while they were on their way to
buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with
him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
"Later the others also came. 'Sir!
Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'
"But he replied, 'I tell you the
truth, I don't know you.'
"Therefore keep watch, because you do
not know the day or the hour. Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus
does not want us to passively sit around and speculate about when He will
return. He has entrusted to us His mission in the world. He expects us to be
diligent in fulfilling that mission. When He returns, He will reward those who
have been faithful to their calling.
"Who then is the faithful and wise
servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to
give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose
master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put
him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and
says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to
beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of
that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he
is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the
hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew
24:45-51
Unfortunately,
I think we have fallen into the camp of the unfaithful servant. We rarely think
about or talk about the return of Christ. We do not live with a sense of
urgency that He could return at any time. We need to start cleaning our
spiritual house and get ready. The master may arrive at any time. When He does,
it will be a great celebration, if we are prepared.
Paul
said that there is a crown of glory waiting for all who long for Christ’s appearing.
Do we truly long for His appearing?
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