Jesus: His First and Second Comings
by Rev. Alan Brandon
Amid all our preparations for Christmas, let us not forget to prepare our hearts and minds for the spiritual application and meaning of Christmas. We go to Church, the Lord's house, to give God thanks for the precious gift of His divine Son Jesus Christ, who was given to us almost 2000 years ago. In accordance with Old Testament prophecy, Jesus was born in Bethlehem right on time.
Let us consider a few results of that first coming, and then centre our thoughts on the second coming of the Lord Jesus. For let there be no mistake: Jesus is coming again. There's no doubt whatsoever. Scripture is so clear in presenting to us the first coming of Jesus Christ, we should also believe that the second advent as given in Scripture will indeed be fulfilled.
Let me briefly compare the second coming with our Lord's first coming. The first coming of Jesus resulted in unparalleled accomplishments.
His second coming will result in unparalleled acknowledgments.
The Old Testament predicted the accomplishments of Jesus very clearly, such as in Isaiah 61:1-3:
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor... to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the blind, ...the year of the Lord's favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
Jesus quoted that verse from Isaiah, and having cited it He says, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." When we look at our Lord's ministry, we see that He did preach the good news, He did bind up the broken hearted. He did proclaim freedom for the prisoners, those who were captives of sin, and those who were imprisoned with the fear of death: He broke those bonds. And He sets us free.
He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The experience of every believer is: if the Son Jesus Christ shall make us free, we are free indeed. Whatever Jesus did was done perfectly and thoroughly. Often He said after performing a healing miracle, "your faith has made you whole".Not "partly well". He healed the whole man. There's more about His program, what He accomplished, in Luke 6:17,19 and again in Matthew 4:23-24.
No one escaped His wonderful ministry. He accomplished far more than anyone else.
In "The Name Above Every Name", an address by an African clergyman given many years ago at a Missionary exhibition in England, he said:
"Christ was no scholar, and never had a chance to go to college. Yet today He challenges scientists, philosophers, and scholars, and wherever He goes education springs to birth. He was no writer and never wrote a book, yet His words are the one Book that has been translated into a thousand languages and read around the world. He was no architect, yet He is the master builder of the world, with the wonderful edifices of the churches erected in His name. He was no artist, yet the world's greatest pictures are connected with Him. He was no musician or poet, yet the greatest classical compositions sing His praises; and Dante, Shakespeare, Milton, and other great poets from His time onward receive their inspiration from Him. He had no home, no wife, no child, yet He makes the sanctity of the home, has become the saviour of womanhood, and has blessed childhood and taught its value. He was poor, yet fortunes are flung at His feet. He was no college-trained physician, yet He heals the sick; and the hospitals established on every battlefield show the flag with the cross on it. He towers far above mankind, the moral miracle, and says `Come, and I will make you...' "
Friends: that's a masterpiece. It shows us that our Lord's first coming resulted in unparalleled accomplishments. And He's still accomplishing much.
The Second Coming of Jesus will result in unparalleled acknowledgments. The second coming of Jesus Christ is so important that it is mentioned over 300 times in the New Testament. Not to belittle baptism (whatever form it may take), or the Lord's Supper, or Communion (or whatever we like to call that service). But they're nowhere near as important as the second coming.
We must baptize. We must celebrate His last supper. But the dying thief wasn't baptized, and yet he found his way into glory because of his repentance of sin. He didn't receive the sacrament of holy communion, but He found His way through Christ's forgiveness into the glory of heaven.
Every Christian should know something about the second coming of Jesus, and should be looking forward to it, expecting Jesus to come out of the glory of heaven at any moment. Every man, woman and child should be taught to look forward to the coming of Jesus for the second time.
The parable of the ten virgins (bridesmaids) is only one of His teachings about the second coming. Five were foolish, five were wise. When the cry went out, "The bridegroom is coming!", the wise five were ready, with their wicks trimmed. The five foolish ones were not ready, and were lost. They came knocking at the banquet door, and the bridegroom said, "I never knew you."
Jesus Christ is spoken of in scripture as the heavenly Bridegroom; and believers, whoever they may be, are the Bride. One day the Bridegroom will step out of glory and take up His bride. Then those who have not accepted the way of salvation will be knocking at the door. It will be too late. We must all be prepared.
In that great day when Jesus Christ comes, there will be panic amongst unbelievers. In Revelations 6:16-17, John sees a vision about what is going to take place when Jesus comes for the second time. Those who are lost will go to the mountains and say to the rocks: "Cover us up! Bury us, take us from the sight of that great Redeemer!"
My friends, we have to be ready, and expect Jesus Christ to come. No one knows when He will come. Christ said, "No one knows, not the angels in heaven or even the Son"... Jesus Himself didn't know the appointed hour for Him to come the second time. (I expect He knows now! He's now in glory with His Father).
We make all kinds of preparations every year for the Christmas season. Are we prepared in our hearts for when He comes again?
I believe St. Paul is referring to the second coming, and offers a warning, when he says in his epistle to the Philippians (2:9-11):
God exalted [Jesus Christ] to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
We all must acknowledge Jesus as Saviour, and as King: the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Have we done that? Can everyone say, "Yes, I do acknowledge Him, and in faith I bow my knee to Jesus. I receive Him, asking Him to cleanse me from sin, that I may be ready for His coming."
Jesus is coming as King, and He will have unparalleled acknowledgment.
When He came the first time, relatively few people saw Jesus. And an infinitely smaller number of people acknowledged Him as Saviour and King of their lives. But when He comes again, everyone, Christians and non-Christians, will say, "There He is! He is who He said He was and always claimed to be! He is what the Bible speaks about. He is what Christians have believed." But for those who do not already believe, it will be too late.
If in your heart of hearts you do not know Jesus Christ, if you have not acknowledged Him as your Saviour: come and ask Him. There's room for improvement in each one of us no matter who we are or what we are. We can say, "Lord, I am dressed in filthy rags. Cleanse me, in the precious blood that You shed on Calvary's Cross, that I might be by Your grace clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and be made presentable for when You come out of glory, to call me into the heavenly banquet!"
Revelations says Jesus is coming quickly, without further warning. And the prophet Amos (4:12) says, "Prepare to meet your God!"
May our prayer be something of this nature: "King of my life, I crown Thee now. Thine shall the glory be. Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow, lead me to Calvary."
Amid all our preparations for Christmas, let us not forget to prepare our hearts and minds for the spiritual application and meaning of Christmas. We go to Church, the Lord's house, to give God thanks for the precious gift of His divine Son Jesus Christ, who was given to us almost 2000 years ago. In accordance with Old Testament prophecy, Jesus was born in Bethlehem right on time.
Let us consider a few results of that first coming, and then centre our thoughts on the second coming of the Lord Jesus. For let there be no mistake: Jesus is coming again. There's no doubt whatsoever. Scripture is so clear in presenting to us the first coming of Jesus Christ, we should also believe that the second advent as given in Scripture will indeed be fulfilled.
Let me briefly compare the second coming with our Lord's first coming. The first coming of Jesus resulted in unparalleled accomplishments.
His second coming will result in unparalleled acknowledgments.
The Old Testament predicted the accomplishments of Jesus very clearly, such as in Isaiah 61:1-3:
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor... to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the blind, ...the year of the Lord's favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
Jesus quoted that verse from Isaiah, and having cited it He says, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." When we look at our Lord's ministry, we see that He did preach the good news, He did bind up the broken hearted. He did proclaim freedom for the prisoners, those who were captives of sin, and those who were imprisoned with the fear of death: He broke those bonds. And He sets us free.
He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The experience of every believer is: if the Son Jesus Christ shall make us free, we are free indeed. Whatever Jesus did was done perfectly and thoroughly. Often He said after performing a healing miracle, "your faith has made you whole".Not "partly well". He healed the whole man. There's more about His program, what He accomplished, in Luke 6:17,19 and again in Matthew 4:23-24.
No one escaped His wonderful ministry. He accomplished far more than anyone else.
In "The Name Above Every Name", an address by an African clergyman given many years ago at a Missionary exhibition in England, he said:
"Christ was no scholar, and never had a chance to go to college. Yet today He challenges scientists, philosophers, and scholars, and wherever He goes education springs to birth. He was no writer and never wrote a book, yet His words are the one Book that has been translated into a thousand languages and read around the world. He was no architect, yet He is the master builder of the world, with the wonderful edifices of the churches erected in His name. He was no artist, yet the world's greatest pictures are connected with Him. He was no musician or poet, yet the greatest classical compositions sing His praises; and Dante, Shakespeare, Milton, and other great poets from His time onward receive their inspiration from Him. He had no home, no wife, no child, yet He makes the sanctity of the home, has become the saviour of womanhood, and has blessed childhood and taught its value. He was poor, yet fortunes are flung at His feet. He was no college-trained physician, yet He heals the sick; and the hospitals established on every battlefield show the flag with the cross on it. He towers far above mankind, the moral miracle, and says `Come, and I will make you...' "
Friends: that's a masterpiece. It shows us that our Lord's first coming resulted in unparalleled accomplishments. And He's still accomplishing much.
The Second Coming of Jesus will result in unparalleled acknowledgments. The second coming of Jesus Christ is so important that it is mentioned over 300 times in the New Testament. Not to belittle baptism (whatever form it may take), or the Lord's Supper, or Communion (or whatever we like to call that service). But they're nowhere near as important as the second coming.
We must baptize. We must celebrate His last supper. But the dying thief wasn't baptized, and yet he found his way into glory because of his repentance of sin. He didn't receive the sacrament of holy communion, but He found His way through Christ's forgiveness into the glory of heaven.
Every Christian should know something about the second coming of Jesus, and should be looking forward to it, expecting Jesus to come out of the glory of heaven at any moment. Every man, woman and child should be taught to look forward to the coming of Jesus for the second time.
The parable of the ten virgins (bridesmaids) is only one of His teachings about the second coming. Five were foolish, five were wise. When the cry went out, "The bridegroom is coming!", the wise five were ready, with their wicks trimmed. The five foolish ones were not ready, and were lost. They came knocking at the banquet door, and the bridegroom said, "I never knew you."
Jesus Christ is spoken of in scripture as the heavenly Bridegroom; and believers, whoever they may be, are the Bride. One day the Bridegroom will step out of glory and take up His bride. Then those who have not accepted the way of salvation will be knocking at the door. It will be too late. We must all be prepared.
In that great day when Jesus Christ comes, there will be panic amongst unbelievers. In Revelations 6:16-17, John sees a vision about what is going to take place when Jesus comes for the second time. Those who are lost will go to the mountains and say to the rocks: "Cover us up! Bury us, take us from the sight of that great Redeemer!"
My friends, we have to be ready, and expect Jesus Christ to come. No one knows when He will come. Christ said, "No one knows, not the angels in heaven or even the Son"... Jesus Himself didn't know the appointed hour for Him to come the second time. (I expect He knows now! He's now in glory with His Father).
We make all kinds of preparations every year for the Christmas season. Are we prepared in our hearts for when He comes again?
I believe St. Paul is referring to the second coming, and offers a warning, when he says in his epistle to the Philippians (2:9-11):
God exalted [Jesus Christ] to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
We all must acknowledge Jesus as Saviour, and as King: the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Have we done that? Can everyone say, "Yes, I do acknowledge Him, and in faith I bow my knee to Jesus. I receive Him, asking Him to cleanse me from sin, that I may be ready for His coming."
Jesus is coming as King, and He will have unparalleled acknowledgment.
When He came the first time, relatively few people saw Jesus. And an infinitely smaller number of people acknowledged Him as Saviour and King of their lives. But when He comes again, everyone, Christians and non-Christians, will say, "There He is! He is who He said He was and always claimed to be! He is what the Bible speaks about. He is what Christians have believed." But for those who do not already believe, it will be too late.
If in your heart of hearts you do not know Jesus Christ, if you have not acknowledged Him as your Saviour: come and ask Him. There's room for improvement in each one of us no matter who we are or what we are. We can say, "Lord, I am dressed in filthy rags. Cleanse me, in the precious blood that You shed on Calvary's Cross, that I might be by Your grace clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and be made presentable for when You come out of glory, to call me into the heavenly banquet!"
Revelations says Jesus is coming quickly, without further warning. And the prophet Amos (4:12) says, "Prepare to meet your God!"
May our prayer be something of this nature: "King of my life, I crown Thee now. Thine shall the glory be. Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow, lead me to Calvary."