Preperation for Christ’s coming
The Bible gives very clear teaching on Christ’s second coming. In the New Testament alone there are three hundred and eighteen passages which deal with the second coming of Christ. One out of twenty five verses deal with second coming in the New Testament. This shows that the Bible gives much importance to Christ’s coming and the study of the second coming will enable us to be prepared for that great event.
The second coming is also called as the ‘second advent’ The word ‘advent’ means‘a coming’ or ‘arrival.’ This word is used to refer to the first or second coming of Jesus Christ.Another word that is used by a sect is ‘ Adventists,’ which means ‘the one who expects the second coming of Christ.
’ Queen Victoria after hearing a message on the second coming of Jesus Christ said, “I wish that He would come during my lifetime so that I could take my crown and lay it at His feet.” Queen Victoria desired Christ to come in her lifetime. She also wanted to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Lord over all the powers of the earth.
The first century Christians expected Christ’s return in their lifetime. So they greeted one another with the word Maranatha which means, ‘O Lord, come!’ (1 Cor. 16:22). The Bible also closes with the prayer ‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus!’(Rev. 22:20) and we pray in the Lord’s prayer, ‘Your kingdom come.’ (Matt. 6:10). Do we actually look forward to Christ’s coming and are we prepared to meet him joyfully? The Bible exhorts us to be prepared for the second coming in the following ways.
- Be watchful and faithful: “Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming – in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning – lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:35-37).
- Be watchful and ready:
“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him.” (Matt. 24:42-44).
- Be prepared with holy conduct and godliness:
“Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?” (2 Pet. 3 :11,12).
- Be diligent to be found without spot and blameless:
“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.” (2 Pet. 3 : 13, 14).
- Be steadfast in the faith:
“You therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked.” (2 Pet. 3 : 17).
- Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord:
“You therefore, beloved since you know these things beforehand, … grow in the grace and knowledge of ourLord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet. 3 :17,18).
- Look for the blessed hope and His appearance: “For the grace of God that brings
salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, … we should live … looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2: 11-13).
- Be sober and watchful:
“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. But you, brethren are not in darkness, so that this day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thess. 5 :2,4,5,6).
- Purify yourself just as He is pure:
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:2, 3).
- Take heed, watch and pray:
“But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.” (Mark 13:32, 33).
(Dr. C Barnabas, Translated from True Discipleship Sep. 1997)