JESUS’ RETURN

Nearly 2,000 years ago Jesus said, “I am coming soon” (REVELATION 22:20). Since then, some have wrongly tried to guess exactly when He will return. Others have given up waiting. Was Jesus wrong? Did something happen that He didn’t expect?

Of course not! We view time from our own limited point of view. But to the God who is outside of time “a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” (2 PETER 3:8).

Jesus told His disciples that God has not given them specific information about “the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority” (ACTS 1:7). He wanted them—as He wants us—to live in an attitude of expectation. Paul echoed this when he told us to “eagerly” wait for Him (PHILIPPIANS 3:20). The point is we don’t need to know when Jesus is coming back—it should be enough for us to simply know that He is coming back!

But how do we live eagerly and expectantly? Jesus told the disciples to tell the world His story (ACTS 1:8). And Paul said, “be awake and sober” (1 THESSALONIANS 5:6) so that we love each other (VV.12-15) and don’t become complacent or distracted by the world around us. John told us to walk closely with Jesus (1 JOHN 2:28-3:3) so that we “may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming” (2:28).

Jesus’ ‘any-moment’ return is not meant to make us calculate possible dates; it is meant to make us watchful, hopeful and expectant. Let’s stay close to Him in everything we do, knowing that the next thing on His calendar is His return.

Want more . . . ?

Check out What difference does Jesus’ return make to today? online at ourdailybread.org/lookingdeeper