Jesus Comes Suddenly to Restore 

By Rev. Kenley Mann, Chaplain 

In the early morning hours of March 18, 1990, a pair of thieves disguised as Boston cops entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. They tied up the two security guards and then proceeded to steal 13 pieces of art worth more than $500 million. 

The art has never been recovered. It was one of the largest heists in the history of the United States. Or was it? 

Another heist goes back much further, back to the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, and Satan. Satan tempted them to sin, and they sinned by choice. In doing so, Satan robbed what is most precious of everything that God gives us—life. 

God could get it back in only one way, and that was to give his Son on Calvary’s cross. Jesus put it this way: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that you may have life and have it to the full. 

John the Baptist told us: “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Through his word, Jesus says: “Look at me. I’m the Lamb of God. I’m the Lamb of God because I’ve lived a perfect life for you; I took away all your sins: I gave you back what’s so precious—life. Look at me!”

Jesus does not tell us when he will return visibly as the victorious Lamb of God. Thieves do not tell you when they will invade your home. It will be an unexpected event. That is Paul’s point in our text. Stay in God’s word. 

God gives us eyes that are looking for Christ’s return, not to steal as Satan did, but rather to restore us to life in the fullest. Don’t let this truth sit. Instead, Paul tells us: Encourage one another and build one another up (I Thessalonians 5:11) with this truth. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, lead us to wonder vividly each morning as if today is the Day of your Second Coming. We join with the Apostle John in praying in Revelation 22:20, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” If you do not come today, keep us on fire for sharing your word of life so that others may join us in louder praise for your coming. Amen.