And He's Coming Back, Too: Advent #2

Advent isn't just about Jesus' first coming. He said over and over in different ways that he is returning. What will that mean for humanity? For each one of us? For the "dead in Christ" and all our relatives who have died in the past? Here's a half-a-thumbnail sketch:

Jesus said a lot of mysterious things about the end of everything in Matt. 24, and a lot of it happened very shortly afterward. But he also said he was coming back and that his followers should be paying attention:  "When I come back, look out I don't catch you napping like back in Noah's day -- when it started raining, everybody was surprised instead of expecting it." (Note, paraphrases throughout.)

But Jesus also promised he was going to be with us while we were waiting, just in a different way:  "I'm always going to be there with you, working with you, talking to you, doing what I'm doing and helping you do it, no matter what, until it's all done" (Mat. 28:20).  So we don't see him but he's still here, and doing what he told us works because really it's him doing it, and we are along for the roller-coaster ride, watching it work not making it work by ourselves.

After Jesus was resurrected and it was time to leave for the moment, the apostles were watching him ascend off the mountaintop and the two angels say "Hey, don't sweat your eyeballs looking for him now, he's coming back just like that." (Acts 1:11). 

Paul wrote about Jesus' return a lot of times, like this one in 2 Thess. 2: "Look, you think it's bad now? Things are going to get a lot worse, some really crazy people will take power and do obnoxious things, and a lot of people will get fooled into following them, then wham! It's going to be all over."

And make no mistake, when Jesus does come back, everything is going to change. All the power structures we have built up, all money and houses and careers and expectations, will all be swept away. And all the diseases and wars and crying and hurting, and missing people who have died (they'll come back too, just wait!):  "I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Rev. 21:3-4, NLT)

We don't know when, but we know he will come back. And that's just one of the wonderful things about him coming here in the first place. Want to know more? Show up the next three Sundays and find out!