Anticipate His Coming ~ 20200614 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org
06/14 Anticipate His Coming; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20200614_anticipate-his-coming.mp3
Disciples make disciples who make disciples who obey everything Jesus commands. Look up! Wait! That’s what we are going to look at today. Followers of Jesus are to be eagerly anticipating his coming.
During the 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and spoke to them about the kingdom of God.
Acts 1:6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
While his disciples watched, Jesus was lifted up and a cloud took him out of sight. In Acts 7, before Stephen was executed by the Jewish leaders, he ‘gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”’ (Acts 7:55-56). Jesus’ physical human body was taken up and is now seated at the right hand of his Father in glory, where he ‘ever lives to make intercession for us’ (Heb.7:25; Rom.8:34).
Acts 1:9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Jesus is coming back. He will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. Physically, bodily. As he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of sight, so the clouds will open up and he will descend back to this earth. Jesus is coming back. So be ready. Be watching. Be alert. Eagerly anticipate his coming.
Waiting and Looking For Salvation
Early in the gospel of Luke, we see a man named Simeon, who was ‘waiting for the consolation of Israel’ (Lk.2:25), who when Jesus was presented in the temple at 8 days old, took him up and declared ‘my eyes have seen your salvation’ (Lk.2:30). And we meet Anna, a prophetess, ‘And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem’ (Lk.2:38). Simeon was waiting for the comfort or consolation of Israel which the prophet Isaiah foretold. Many others were there that day who were waiting for the redemption of Israel, and Anna pointed them to the infant Jesus.
In Luke 3, in response to the ministry of John the Baptist,
Luke 3:15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ,
There was great expectation of the coming Christ. And John made it clear he was not worthy to untie the sandals of the greater coming one. Later, after John was imprisoned awaiting execution, a report was brought to him about all that Jesus was doing.
Luke 7:18 ...And John, 19 calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
John was looking for the coming one. At least for John, things were not going as he had hoped. He wanted to be sure that Jesus was indeed the one they were to be looking for.
At the end of Luke’s gospel, we meet Joseph of Arimathea, the man who placed Jesus’ dead body in his own tomb, ‘who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God’ (Mk.15:43; Lk.23:51). There was anticipation, longing, hope. There were many in Israel who were waiting for the redemption of Israel, looking for the kingdom of God expectant of the coming King.
The King is Here
And when Jesus showed up on the scene, he began by:
Mark 1:14 ...proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
The kingdom of God is at hand because the King is here!
Remember the disciples traveling to Emmaus after the crucifixion? Before they knew it was the risen Lord, they said ‘But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel’ (Lk.24:21). He did redeem Israel, and so much more, by his suffering and death.
There was an eager expectation, a hope, a longing, looking for the coming of the Christ. Now Jesus is ascended into heaven, and he will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven. There is to be a longing, an eager expectation, a looking for Jesus to return.
The Church’s Hope: His Glorious Appearing
We are to be waiting, watching. I want to take some time just to skim through the New Testament to see that we are indeed expected to be expectant. We are to be eagerly anticipating Jesus coming back.
Romans 8:19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
…23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Paul is pointing to a future expectation and hope, our revealing as sons of God, our adoption, the redemption of our bodies
1 Corinthians 1:7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul thanks God that the Corinthians are waiting for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
Jesus is coming back for us and we shall be transformed!
Galatians 5:5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.
By faith, through the Spirit, by grace we eagerly wait; as opposed to seeking to earn righteousness by the law.
Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
We await the return of the Lord Jesus from heaven.
Colossians 3:4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
You have died with Christ and been raised with him. So set your mind on Christ above. He’s coming back!
1 Thessalonians 1:9 ...how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Evidence of the Thessalonians’ salvation is their waiting for Jesus to return for them.
1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?
Paul anticipates being rewarded for his labor by the Lord Jesus at his coming.
In 1 Thessalonians 4 Paul covers some of the same ground he did in 1 Corinthians 15, but is even more specific regarding the disconcerting development of believers who have died before Jesus came back.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
This teaching on the return of Jesus, the bodily resurrection of the saints who have died, and the transformation of the saints who are alive at his coming is to be a great encouragement and hope. Notice this is Paul’s hope; he includes himself with all the living believers as he writes; we who are alive at the coming of the Lord.
1 Timothy 6:14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
Paul charges Timothy to flee greed and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness, to fight the good fight until Jesus appears.
2 Timothy 4:1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
The word is to be preached until Jesus appears
2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
We are to be those who have loved his appearing.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Grace and salvation has appeared in Jesus, and now we wait for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Jesus came the first time to pay for our sin. He is coming back to rescue us who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 10:35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay;
Jesus is coming! Endure.
1 Peter 1:7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Trials produce character that will bring glory to Jesus when he returns.
1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
We have experienced grace upon grace. And more grace is coming to us as the revelation of Jesus Christ!
1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
His appearing will be transforming, and the anticipation of his appearing is purifying.
Jude 1:21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Jesus is coming back. We are to be those who love his appearing, who are eagerly waiting for his return.
I Will Come Again and Will Take You To Myself
In John 14, after Jesus told his disciples he was soon to leave them,
John 14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us to be with him. And he promises ‘I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.’ That’s a promise from Jesus.
Don’t Just Stand There Looking Up
When Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples were standing around gazing up into the sky, probably wondering how long it would be before he returned to take them to be with him. They were interrupted by the angels.
Acts 1:11 ...“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Jesus is coming back in the same way as you saw him go. So why are you standing around looking up into the sky? These two statements of the angels don’t seem to go together. If Jesus is coming back just as you saw him go, then the right thing to do would be to stand there staring up in the sky watching and waiting. That is an event no one should miss!
The angels are not saying that they should stop looking for Jesus to come back. They are correcting the appropriate way we are to be looking for Jesus to come back. We are to anticipate his return, but not by standing around staring up into the sky.
So how are we to be waiting? Consider Simeon. Simeon was righteous and devout, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. Or Anna; Anna was worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day, giving thanks to God and speaking of him. Joseph of Arimathea was a good and righteous man, a respected man, who had not consented to the decision of the council to put Jesus to death. He did a courageous thing, and a very practical thing. He asked Pilate for the body of Jesus; he publicly aligned himself with Jesus. And he showed honor to Jesus in a very practical way, caring for his body, giving him honor and dignity, and providing a place for his body to rest. The way these were waiting for the kingdom of God was to be righteous, to worship and pray, to do practical things to honor Jesus.
Many of the New Testament passages we looked at point to walking with integrity, enduring adversity, pursuing purity and living faithfully because of the hope that we have.
The angels had to tell them ‘don’t worry, he will come back the same way you saw him go; you won’t miss it. Anticipate it. But there’s work to be done, so get busy!’
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Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org