Christ Will Come Again

One way to think about the Christian life is that it’s a rhythm of both remembrance and hope:

• We remember what God has done (most importantly when Jesus died for us) and

• we hope for what God will do (most importantly when Jesus returns).

And this rhythm of remembrance and hope is especially felt at Advent when we say each week: “Christ has come, Christ will come again.” 

We remember Jesus’s First Advent, Christmas; and we hope for Jesus’s Second Advent … when the trumpet sounds and Jesus himself will descend from heaven, as Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4. 

And when Jesus does this every Christian who has died in this world will be raised from the dead, and those of us who are still alive will come together with them to meet Jesus and, from then on, we will always be with him (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18).

And if that future event seems improbable to you, I guarantee you that the past event of God becoming a man and being laid in a manger and dying on a cross was drastically more improbable … but it’s not just more improbable; from the perspective of our world today, the Incarnation is also more respectable.

Here’s what I mean: Which do you think your unbelieving coworker would find silliest, the fact that you celebrate Christmas or the fact that you are waiting for Jesus to come back?

And I mean you’re waiting for Jesus to come back not just in theory; it’s not just some theological idea that you sign off on; but you actually expect that one day a trumpet will be heard and Jesus will be seen — do you believe that’s going to happen? … Do you believe that’s going to happen enough to ask Jesus for it?

This is the last prayer of the Bible. Revelation 22, verse 20, Jesus says he’s coming back, and John says Please, Jesus! Amen! Come back! And my exhortation this morning is for you to pray that too. No matter how strange the world might consider our hope, we ought to pray for Jesus to come back.

Ask Jesus to return. 

And this reminds of us our need to confess our sins:

Prayer of Confession

Lord Jesus, forgive us for the weakness of our hope in your return. Your promise is not slack, but our prayers are, and we confess to you that this slackness is an indication of our disordered loves and worldly distractions. We often want other things more than we want you, and for this sin we are desperate for your mercy. We especially feel the depths of our need, Jesus, when the darkness of this world compels our longing for you more than the brightness of your glory. Even if this world were perfect, are you not worthy of our greatest longing still, if we are here and you are there? 

Jesus, you are worthy. We believe, help our unbelief — and lead us now in this time of silent confession.

[Silent confession] 

Jesus, you indeed are worthy of all praise and longing — you are more worthy than we can comprehend, but give us the grace to want to comprehend more. We rest this morning in your love, that by your death and resurrection we are forgiven and free and alive to know you more. We want to know you more and love you more. We want to long for your return more, even now. Lord Jesus, please work this miracle in our hearts, by your Spirit, in your name. Amen.