Christ’s Second Coming is an important tenet of faith for Christians and is fundamental to the gospel.
1971. That was the year that the Holy Spirit opened my spiritual eyes and allowed me to see that Jesus is who the Bible says he is. The result was that my life was fundamentally altered. Everything changed inside. My purpose for living became entwined with Christ’s plan for my life, which resulted in pastoring a small church for thirty-four years and teaching the Bible for many more. I have written a few books, too. When God reveals Christ to us, the impact is dramatic. Just ask Paul the apostle.
You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus. 18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie. 21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me. Galatians 1:13–24 (NLT)
During the sixties and seventies, God orchestrated a gigantic in-gathering of people into his kingdom. Some called it the “Jesus Revolution,” during which thousands of so called “hippies” and others from that generation of “Baby Boomers,” as well as people from other age groups, became followers of Christ. Concurrent with that “awakening” was another “movement” called the Charismatic Renewal, in which thousands, if not millions, of people across a wide range of denominations and “non-denominations” received what many call the baptism and fullness of the Holy Spirit, complete with speaking in tongues, prophecy, and other manifestations of God’s Spirit. Many of those who came to Christ during that time became leaders in the church. What God did during that decade still impacts the church more than fifty years later.
One of the hallmarks of that ingathering was a profound interest in Christ’s Second Coming. People were fascinated with trying to piece together a proper sequence of future end-time events. Those who professed to know all about it worked out all kinds of charts showing their predicted scenarios. Many of us expected that Jesus would come very soon, just as did the early church.
The Gospel is the good news about a person named Jesus, who is the promised Messiah King of Israel. His grand mission is to reclaim and transform all creation under God’s rule. Jesus began his public ministry by proclaiming that “the kingdom of God is at hand.” The reason he could say that was because the King himself was then present on earth. Wherever king went, the kingdom was at hand. He introduced his kingdom rule into the lives of those who followed and believed in him by releasing them from the power of the devil and sin and calling them to follow him without reservation or hesitation.
His new way of living asks us to renounce all competing allegiances and surrender to his lordship in every area of life. This is what it means to follow Christ.
While he was here on earth physically, he was the epicenter of the kingdom of God and the focus of the messianic expectations of those around him. These expectations reached a crescendo when he entered Jerusalem on a donkey to the shouts of the crowd: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Those present proclaimed that he was the long promised successor to David’s throne – the Messiah!
Believing that Jesus was a spiritual and political threat, the religious and civil authorities put him to death, apparently dashing the hopes of his followers. But this was all part of God’s eternal plan to redeem us from our sins. The Messiah King first had to suffer and die in order to pay the penalty for our sins. Three days later our hope was restored when Jesus emerged from the tomb! For forty days he instructed his band of faithful followers in the things related to his kingdom. Then Jesus ascended to heaven to sit at his heavenly Father’s right hand upon the throne of God, waiting for his enemies to be made his footstool and for the appointed time for his return, this time as the victorious and glorious King of Kings, the Son of Man prophesied by Daniel, who will judge the living and the dead and put an end to every other rival kingdom. He will permanently install God’s long awaited rule over all creation!
The Second Coming will be the culmination of God’s grand plan to redeem and restore all things to himself through his Son.
On Pentecost the Holy Spirit was unleashed to baptize and empower Christ’s followers. The apostle Peter, filled with the Spirit, preached the first sermon in this new age of the Spirit-filled church. His conclusion is quoted below.
“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” Acts 2:36 (NLT)
Peter’s listeners responded, “What should we do?” Why would they feel the need to do anything? It was because they realized that they were answerable to God for rejecting and murdering his Son, who, amazingly, was still alive and sitting on God’s throne!
Jesus’ resurrection made him the de facto ruler of the universe to whom everyone must answer.
Behind Peter’s words is the understanding that Jesus will come again as the glorious Son of Man to judge every human being and punish those who choose to reject his benevolent rule.
The gospel is an invitation to all who have previously rejected the Messianic King to finally get right with God by confessing that Jesus is indeed the LORD, who has risen from the dead and who will come again one day to judge those who reject his kingly authority.
In Acts Chapter Three, Peter again preached.
Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. 20 Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. 21 For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets. Acts 3:19-21 (NLT)
The Gospel preaching of the early church was completely focused on the person named Jesus Christ, his lordship, and the Second Coming, which included the resurrection of the just and the evil, the last judgment, and the restoration of all things under God’s rule. It is no wonder that when this Gospel is preached, whether then or today, that those who hear and believe will become intensely interested in Jesus’ Second Coming!
The faith that saves is based on the Gospel revelation that Jesus is the Messiah King who is coming again to firmly establish God’s rule on planet earth.
Sadly, if all we do is present this glorious coming Lord as a “personal Savior” who rescues us from the consequence of our sin, it is no wonder that some people are not greatly moved and changed when they believe in him. A “personal savior” requires little or nothing from his adherents, but the glorious Lord of lords expects complete surrender from those who follow him!
Have we yet seen him for who he really is? Have we surrendered to him? Until we do that, we have not really known him.
Ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes and heart, just as he did for those who heard Peter’s sermon so long ago.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, I ask you to reveal Jesus to me so that I may properly surrender my life to him. My desire is to know Jesus to the greatest degree possible and serve him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Amen.
