""I am coming soon." A threat or a promise?
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December 01, 2008
Joel 2:31-32 "The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls."
Rev 22:20 "He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!"
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Have you ever seen a movie or sitcom where teenagers get a "we're on our way home" phone call from their parents hours or even days sooner than expected? Since the house is in disarray from an unapproved party or other catastrophe the children scramble to get things in order before their parents arrive. This is a situation where the news their parents will be home soon is anything but welcome.
On the other hand, imagine the wife of a soldier who has been in the Middle East for eleven months of a twelve-month tour of duty. Each day that passes is one day closer to her beloved coming back to her. As you might imagine, when the news "I am coming soon" reaches her ear, she is overjoyed.
When you hear Christ say, "Surely I am coming soon." at the close of Revelation what is your reaction? Are you scrambling around trying to get things in order? Does a smile immediately fill your face and anticipation well up in your heart? Or, are you simply indifferent because these are just distant words for a distant promise?
On this first day of December there are a lot of things to get ready in the next 24 days: decorations, presents, greeting cards, cookies, candy and dinners to prepare. Christmas is coming soon. But it's easy to lose the joy and anticipation of another Christmas coming because of all these things we need to do.
In the same way, as we await Jesus' Second Coming, it's very easy to get caught up in the everyday "stuff" of life and lose our larger perspective. As children of God, we have an awesome promise and a hope that is anchored in Jesus' coming. On one side, it is grounded in the reality of His first arrival 2,000 years ago, culminating in His death and resurrection. On the other side, we also set our eyes on His Second Coming.
We, Christ's Church on earth, are the anxious bride waiting for her husband to return. In light of this relationship, Jesus' words at the end of Revelation bring a smile to our faces and joy to our hearts. In light of this, the bulk of our Christian hope is not centered on us going to be with Jesus, rather it is staked on His coming back to us. This is no threat and cause for panic or dread, instead it is a wonderful promise of a future and certain hope for us, His children.
THE PRAYER: Dearest Jesus please keep our hearts ready and anxious for Your promised Second Coming. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.
Written by Pastor Troy Countryman
St. John Lutheran Church
Mattoon, Illinois
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