Pleasing Meditations

For Adoration of Christ April 2024, I want to think about four major things the Apostles’ Creed confesses to be true about the Lord Jesus Christ. This ancient Creed, common to all Christian denominations, gives us glorious doctrine intended to fuel our worship. May Christ be exalted!

Our belief that Jesus is returning is a belief that should unify Christians. Sadly, it is a doctrine that has utterly divided many contemporary Christians.

There is a legitimate time and place for us, as brothers and sisters, to have friendly conversation (and even debate) about how to read the signs of His coming and of the end of the age (Matthew 24:3ff). But that is not my purpose. I do not want to talk about the merits or demerits of dispensationalism, premillennialism, postmillennialism, or amillennialism. I know which position I hold, and I rest certain in my conviction that it is the best reading of Scripture.

But I write that we might adore the Christ, He who is coming again!

What we should gather from the Creed is that a millenarian position is not our test for orthodoxy. But instead, all genuine Christians believe that Jesus is returning. He ascended into the heavens and from the heavens He will come again (Acts 1:11).

As the angels proclaimed, He is coming “in the same way” that the disciples saw Him leave. So not only is He coming back from the heavens, He is coming back bodily. Jesus Christ, the incarnate God-Man, who is resurrected from the dead, is coming again in a glorified body.

It will not be a secret when He comes. It isn’t going to be a merely spiritual thing. It will be physical. It will be unmistakable. And it will be terrible for all who do not know and love Him.

One of the most chilling things in the Bible is reading in the book of Revelation of those on the Last Day who discover it is too late to escape God’s holy, righteous, just judgement. One image we see is of some hiding in caves and begging mountains to fall on them, that they might be hidden from “the wrath of the Lamb” (Revelation 6:16).

The Lion of the Tribe of Judah who has conquered (Revelation 5:5) is the Lamb who was slain to ransom sinners with His blood (Revelation 5:6-10). He is worthy to dispense God’s final justice (Revelation 5:12-6:1).

Jesus is returning, and when He returns He will judge the living and the dead.

That may not immediately be a thought that encourages you. But have you ever felt like there is no justice in the world? Has there ever been a high-profile legal case where the ‘clearly guilty’ walks free? Or have you ever watched the news to see a war raging, where evil men rain death and destruction on the seemingly innocent? On that soon coming day when Jesus judges, true justice will be served. The guilty will not go unpunished. The oppressors will not be so haughty. The persecutors will not be safe.

That may cause terror. And perhaps for good. We only have one hope on that Day; only one reason will lead us to joyful adoration.

On my own, I would not be found innocent on that Day. Were I to have to give an account of my every thought, my every word, my every deed, I would have no excuse. But I do not rest on my own righteousness. Brothers and sisters, we put all of our hope in Him. And in Him, we will not be ashamed on that Day. In Him, we have no reason to fear that Day. In Him, we will not be found guilty.

No, on that Day — when our Jesus appears to draw all of history to its consummate close — we will not only have justice, but joy.

The return of Christ, is not only a sure-hope that should unite Christians. It is a truth that should invigorate us.

I’m going to try to draw that out using two strands we see in Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians.

First, in First Thessalonians 4:13-5:3 we see Paul comforting Christians with the Second Coming because of what it does to how we think about death. We grieve, but we grieve as those with hope (4:13). Just as Jesus rose from the dead, so will His saints (4:14). When Jesus descends from heaven, the dead in Christ will rise first, and then we who still remain will be caught up too. We will meet Him in the air as He returns (4:16-17). This Day of the Lord, comes unexpected like a thief in the night. It will come suddenly but surely (5:2). Paul tells us that we should “comfort one another with these words” (4:18). The return of Christ, vindicating us as His and releasing us from the physical futility of the grave, is a tremendous comfort. When He marches forth from heaven to judge the living and the dead, He will gather His beloved people to be at His side.

Second, in Second Thessalonians 1:3-10 we see Paul encouraging Christians as we face hardship, alienation, and persecution in our lives. It is uplifting enough that he says we are “considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering” (1:5). But then Paul starts talking about how God will afflict those who afflict us and will grant us rest when “the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (1:7-8). The coming of Christ, again, not only rescues us but vindicates us. And the emphasis in this passage is on the latter.

We may feel weak and foolish now. God has chosen the weak and foolish things of this age to shame the supposedly wise and the seemingly strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). And on that Day, things will look decidedly different. We will clearly see true wisdom and true strength.

His judgement is terrible to those who do not love Him. And yet to us, even the hint of that image of Jesus leading the charge, of our Lord Himself finally appearing flanked by His mighty angels in flaming fire is a thing of beauty.

That is a soon-coming, sure-coming day.

May you, reader, be ready for that Day. I pray you look forward that Day of His return.

As the last words of the Bible say: “He [Jesus] who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:20-21)

Come, Lord Jesus!

May His grace be with you all.

As we await Him, let us adore the soon-coming Christ!

A Hymn for the Adoration of the Returning Christ: