Matthew 24:32-34 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Just as certainly as Jesus came the first time, He is coming the second time. The world wasn’t ready for Him the 1st time and they probably won’t be ready for Him the 2nd time. One out of every 30 verses in the Bible mentions the subject of Christ’s return or the end of time. In the 216 chapters in the New Testament, there are well over 300 references to the return of Jesus Christ. Only four of the 27 New Testament books fail to mention Christ’s return. That means one-twentieth of the entire New Testament is dedicated to the subject of our Lord’s return.
For over 2,000 years, Christians have believed Jesus Christ would return to this earth physically in His “Second Coming” in their generation. Even though Our Lord knew the Church would not see that return for two millennia, He wanted each generation to live as though He could come at any time. As He taught in His parables, our Lord Jesus knew that He would go “into a far country”, and after a great while return and demand an accounting (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27). He knew that living for this world instead of living for the kingdom of God was a very present danger that His people would need to deal with. So He presented His Second Coming in such a way that Christians would be motivated to so live as though He would interrupt their lives and return before their natural life span had ended. The apostles as well as the 1st century Church lived with the expectation that Jesus would come during their lifetime. This expectation motivated them to live holy lives that were also lives dedicated to evangelism and reaching the world for Christ.
My question for us today is this: Are we living our lives and stewarding them in expectation of the coming of Jesus Christ? Selah
