A Side Lesson on the Second Coming
They will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. Mark 13:26, 27, RSV.
The powers and warnings by Jesus in Matthew 24:1-41 are many and precious. Michael Green sums up the lessons of the passage in a helpful manner. First, he notes, the return of Christ will be personal as well as certain.
Second, history is going somewhere. It is not meaningless or random. Nor is it an endless cycle. "There will be a real end just as there was a real beginning. And at the end we shall find none other than Jesus Christ."
Third, the return of Christ points to the triumph of good over evil, the victory of God's purpose over human and cosmic rebellion.
Fourth, the return spells restoration. "There will be a new creation, a new heaven and earth, in which only goodness dwells" (see 2 Peter 3:11-13; Rev. 21:1-5).
Fifth, the return of Jesus points to judgment and separation. Some will be taken and some left (Matt. 24:40, 41). It will be a time when the secret thoughts of the heart and the innermost character become known to all.
Sixth, the return of Christ will be decisive. Signaling the end of the age, it ushers in the fullness of the kingdom. The time for repentance and change will be forever past.
Seventh, the return will be as sudden and unexpected as a flash of lightening in the sky (verse 27). "It will come out of the blue upon the heedless world."
Last, the return of Jesus will occur at a time known only to God the Father (verse 36). Preachers don't know the time, nor did the disciples. Even Jesus in His incarnate state did not know. God in His wisdom recognizes when it will be best to end earthly history. In the meantime, Christians are to be faithful in the face of hardships (verse 13) and watchful as they await the return of their Savior (verse 42).
It is to the topics of watchfulness and preparedness that Jesus turns to in the second half of His great sermon on His second coming. He will address the question of how His followers ought to live in light of His certain return.
And with that shift in emphasis we must "listen up" as our Lord provides us with priceless knowledge that we desperately need as we travel through endtimes.
They will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. Mark 13:26, 27, RSV.
The powers and warnings by Jesus in Matthew 24:1-41 are many and precious. Michael Green sums up the lessons of the passage in a helpful manner. First, he notes, the return of Christ will be personal as well as certain.
Second, history is going somewhere. It is not meaningless or random. Nor is it an endless cycle. "There will be a real end just as there was a real beginning. And at the end we shall find none other than Jesus Christ."
Third, the return of Christ points to the triumph of good over evil, the victory of God's purpose over human and cosmic rebellion.
Fourth, the return spells restoration. "There will be a new creation, a new heaven and earth, in which only goodness dwells" (see 2 Peter 3:11-13; Rev. 21:1-5).
Fifth, the return of Jesus points to judgment and separation. Some will be taken and some left (Matt. 24:40, 41). It will be a time when the secret thoughts of the heart and the innermost character become known to all.
Sixth, the return of Christ will be decisive. Signaling the end of the age, it ushers in the fullness of the kingdom. The time for repentance and change will be forever past.
Seventh, the return will be as sudden and unexpected as a flash of lightening in the sky (verse 27). "It will come out of the blue upon the heedless world."
Last, the return of Jesus will occur at a time known only to God the Father (verse 36). Preachers don't know the time, nor did the disciples. Even Jesus in His incarnate state did not know. God in His wisdom recognizes when it will be best to end earthly history. In the meantime, Christians are to be faithful in the face of hardships (verse 13) and watchful as they await the return of their Savior (verse 42).
It is to the topics of watchfulness and preparedness that Jesus turns to in the second half of His great sermon on His second coming. He will address the question of how His followers ought to live in light of His certain return.
And with that shift in emphasis we must "listen up" as our Lord provides us with priceless knowledge that we desperately need as we travel through endtimes.
RSS Feed
