Jesus is coming!

Jesus is coming!  Yes!  Hallelujah!  I am so looking forward to it!

But this is not His first coming.  And….if you really think about it, His first coming was even more important than His second. 

During the first coming, the Word took on flesh and dwelled among us (John 1).  During that time, He grew from an infant to an adult, and during His ministry He taught, healed the sick, raised the dead, and was obedient to His Father in all things (Matt 26:39).  He was the Perfect Lamb, and He was slain.  And because He was slain, His Body was broken, and His Blood was spilled for us, and this ratified the new covenant.  Now we are under the grace of God. 

By this sacrificial act, He atoned for us, and because of His imputed righteousness, made us right with God, and we have become adopted sons and daughters of God.  Those of us who are His followers have passed from death to life, (John 5:24) and for us, eternal life starts now!  (John 6:46) 

Jesus became our Saviour.  And those of us who are His followers have repented.  We have turned to Him, and  He has made us a new creation.  He has written His law on our hearts.  His law is love.  He has commanded us to love the Father, love our neighbour as ourselves, love our enemy.  He has also commanded us to proclaim the Gospel, to tell everyone the good news of His coming, and fulfilling scripture by His death and resurrection.  How by His death we are forgiven, and by His resurrection He defeated death (which is the wage of sin).

Now why is His first coming more important than the second?  The first one gave us atonement, and forgiveness.  All those who believe in Him will live eternally, even if they die in this life (john 11:25),  but we must believe.  We must listen to Him.  The Father said so! (Luke 9:35)

And having listened, and believed His words, and lived a life honouring Him, we are ready for the second coming!  With great joy!

And having ignored Him, or rejected Him, lived a life for ourselves, or even preached a false gospel, are we ready for the second coming?  NO!  We will find ourselves with the goats.  He will say to us, Depart from Me!

No one knows the day or the hour, save the Father…… Have you repented?  Have you listened to His voice?  Are you ready now? 

Ignore the first coming at your peril.