We Are Told to Look For Jesus’ Return

Section 9: The End Times

Week 1: Christ’s Return

Day 5: We Are Told to Look For Jesus’ Return

Phil 3:7-21

During my second year of law school, Jeni and I had just started dating.  I lived in Madison and Jeni lived in Beloit.  As soon as I was done with classes for the week, I would hop on a bus to Beloit so we could be together for the weekend. As I’m sure you’d expect, Jeni spent each day we were apart breathlessly anticipating the moment I’d return home.

Well…that might be a slight exaggeration. But the Bible says that’s exactly the kind of attitude we’re supposed to have towards Christ’s return. We’re supposed to eagerly look for it (Titus 2:12-13, Phil 3:20, 1 Cor. 16:22, Rev 22:20).  

Why does it matter though? Why bother to have us look out for something that may not even happen in our lifetime? For one, it’s meant to be an encouragement. Life is often difficult. God wants us to look forward to Christ’s return because he wants us to have hope in the midst of those difficulties.

God also wants us to look forward to Christ’s return because he wants to protect us. It’s very easy for us to become enamored by the things of this world. That’s dangerous because those same things tend to take our focus off God and lead us into sin. It’s also a tragedy because nothing this world has can compare to what God has in store for us. As C.S. Lewis put it, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”[i]

God wants us to eagerly await Christ’s return because it helps to keep our present circumstances in proper perspective. No matter what difficulties we have or what sacrifices we are called to make, we know in the end it will be worth it because of the joy we will experience when Christ returns and establishes his kingdom.

Lord, we eagerly await your return because we know “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere” (Ps. 84:10).

Challenge:

Read Rev. 21-22.

Reflection Questions:

What do we as Christians have to look forward to? How does that compare with even the best that this world has to offer? How should our perspective on this world change in light of God’s plans for us.

[i] C.S. Lewis, “The Weight of Glory” in The Weight of Glory and other Essays, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans (1965), 1-2.