Tell Me the Stories of Jesusنموونە

One of the central Christian affirmations is that Jesus is coming; indeed, He is our great and coming King. As surely as He came, born in Bethlehem, He will come in order to redeem His people, bring the fullness of His kingdom, and judge the nations with a rod of iron. His coming is the precious “blessed hope” of the Christian church. We live in the expectation and certain knowledge of the Lord’s return, understanding that indeed we are experiencing a delay from the time of His ascension into heaven until the time when He will return in glory. But we experience that delay as an opportunity to work on behalf of the kingdom, to evangelize the nations by making disciples, and to be found obeying all that the Lord has commanded his church to do. Thus, the delay is for God’s sovereign purpose, that the church is active in the world as the visible presence of the kingdom of Christ until such time that Christ returns in both judgment and glory.

Over and over again, the church is reminded to be ready at any time for the Lord to return. Paul, writing to the Thessalonian Christians, instructed them, “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:1–2). Once again, we encounter the image of a thief coming in the night. Jesus mentioned this in the sentences preceding the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. Paul used the same metaphor in 1 Thessalonians 5:2. The thief coming in the night never announces his coming, for that would defeat his purpose. Instead, by stealth and surprise, he carries out his purpose.

Like the proverbial thief in the night, Jesus will come, catching humanity by surprise.

Prayer

Lord, I want to be ready for your return. Please help me to be diligent and faithful as I work for your kingdom. Amen.