WILL JESUS COME SOON?
As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because...they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. Luke 19:11, R.S.V.
You can read it on bright-red bumper stickers, "Jesus Is Coming Again!" You can hear it in many sermons, "Jesus is coming soon." You can read it spray-painted on brick walls, "Are you ready for Jesus to come?"
Though millions of Christians share the blessed hope in the soon return of Jesus Christ, some of us have deceased grandparents, and even great-grandparents, who were absolutely convinced that Jesus would come in their lifetime. The word soon takes on very vague meanings when some denomination has been saying for more than 140 years that He will come soon. It was evidently a cause for concern for Jesus Himself when some people in His own day believed that He was going to return sooner than He knew He could. So He told them a well-crafted parable, specifically designed to stir them to deeper thought about His coming.
The parable, curiously enough, has virtually nothing to do with the time of His return. But it has everything to do with what they should do with their time until He does return. It has even more to do with who He is that is returning. You remember; it's the parable of the servants who are each given a sum of money and told to use it responsibly. Those who did so were highly esteemed by the Master. The one who hid his money complained that he was afraid of the Master for being "a severe man" (Luke 19:21, R.S.V.).
The point of Jesus' parable is that He wants us to get our eyes off the calendar and unto the Person. The good news is not that Jesus is coming soon, but that Jesus is coming soon. If He is "a severe man," even a million years is too soon! He wants a people who are delighted with the One who is coming, that they might be motivated to use the valuable treasure of truth to great advantage. Rather than a panic-stricken cry, "Jesus is coming soon, therefore get ready!" our privilege is to say, "Be ready so that He can come soon. Be ready to tell the truth about Him with gladness so that the world can make informed choices about Him."
As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because...they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. Luke 19:11, R.S.V.
You can read it on bright-red bumper stickers, "Jesus Is Coming Again!" You can hear it in many sermons, "Jesus is coming soon." You can read it spray-painted on brick walls, "Are you ready for Jesus to come?"
Though millions of Christians share the blessed hope in the soon return of Jesus Christ, some of us have deceased grandparents, and even great-grandparents, who were absolutely convinced that Jesus would come in their lifetime. The word soon takes on very vague meanings when some denomination has been saying for more than 140 years that He will come soon. It was evidently a cause for concern for Jesus Himself when some people in His own day believed that He was going to return sooner than He knew He could. So He told them a well-crafted parable, specifically designed to stir them to deeper thought about His coming.
The parable, curiously enough, has virtually nothing to do with the time of His return. But it has everything to do with what they should do with their time until He does return. It has even more to do with who He is that is returning. You remember; it's the parable of the servants who are each given a sum of money and told to use it responsibly. Those who did so were highly esteemed by the Master. The one who hid his money complained that he was afraid of the Master for being "a severe man" (Luke 19:21, R.S.V.).
The point of Jesus' parable is that He wants us to get our eyes off the calendar and unto the Person. The good news is not that Jesus is coming soon, but that Jesus is coming soon. If He is "a severe man," even a million years is too soon! He wants a people who are delighted with the One who is coming, that they might be motivated to use the valuable treasure of truth to great advantage. Rather than a panic-stricken cry, "Jesus is coming soon, therefore get ready!" our privilege is to say, "Be ready so that He can come soon. Be ready to tell the truth about Him with gladness so that the world can make informed choices about Him."
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