ARE YOU READY FOR THE RETURN OF JESUS?

February 2010 article by Mark Watts

The lengthy spell of cold weather that began in 2009 has shown us how ill prepared we were, as fears of gas, salt and food shortages quickly surfaced, leading to recriminations of the forecasters’ inability to predict the weather. For our children, of course, the opportunity to miss school and go sledging was a joy and I have to confess that joining them on one Saturday morning for some tobogganing I was reminded again of the inaccuracy of the weather forecast, for they had promised us sunshine; but within minutes the clouds closed in and we had a blizzard. No great harm was done of course because we were dressed appropriately, but if we hadn’t then it would have left us freezing cold and miserable.

Preparation and readiness are words we use in most areas of life such as school, business and meals; in fact there isn’t much that we do that doesn’t involve some form of preparation and it struck me as a reader of the Bible that there is one area that the majority of men and women do not prepare for and that is the return of Jesus Christ. The Bible talks about the return of the Lord Jesus Christ in language that leaves no doubt that whilst it is still future it is a certainty that it will happen. Furthermore, when Jesus returns the Kingdom of God will be established upon the earth. The sections of the Bible that talk of this time describe it as being in the last days or in latter days. This is one of the principal topics of the word of God and therefore merits our close attention.

When we look closely at our title and consider its sentiments there are a number of sub questions that immediately become obvious.

a) What is the significance of the return of Jesus?

b) What preparation do we need to make to be ready?

c) How urgently do we need to prepare?

If we consider these questions individually we should be in a position to ask ourselves whether we are ready for the return of Jesus.

What is the significance of the Return of Jesus?

One of the problems that has affected our society down the ages is war. It has left countless dead, widowed or orphaned and seldom if ever is there not a war somewhere on our globe. In Isaiah 2 vs 2-4 we are shown an age where there will be no more war. Even more wonderfully, what this passage paints is a picture that men will neither practise war or learn how to wage it. God’s plan goes a stage further to tell us that the resources that were once harnessed to make weapons will now be used to produce food. In dealing with the problem of war, God, in the Kingdom, will also resolve the painful issues of famine and starvation, but it goes beyond that. In Psalm 72 vs 13-16 it is clear that the earth will be refreshed so that even the currently barren and icy topped mountains will be a source of food.

A third aspect that God’s Kingdom will address is judgement. In today’s society judgment is afforded by the size of one’s wallet and the quality of one’s legal team. One cartoon in a newspaper depicts a judge looking at the person whom he has just found guilty with a rather sad expression and commenting. “I thought you were innocent, but the people at home judged you guilty.” This of course was a quip at our reality TV world, but the sentiments are valid to a courtroom. Men and women are convicted on the balance of proof, not certainty. With alarming regularity we see cases where appeals identify new evidence which renders a prior conviction unsafe or simply incorrect. In Psalm 72 vs 2-4, the righteous judge, the Lord Jesus, is portrayed and a glance in the New Testament shows us that Jesus knew the thoughts and heart of a man. No longer then will it be possible to lie or use some sort of cunning legal argument to avoid conviction because the Lord Jesus will know our hearts. A frightening prospect for the guilty but wonderful for the innocent.

As we become older we begin to realise that the bodies we have are decaying at various rates. Some of us enjoy many years of excellent health, whilst others find that hospitals and doctors’ surgeries are an integral part of life at a younger age. Whichever category we are in, none of us are able to escape the reality that we are growing older. At first the decline is slow, but over the years a mirror tells a sorry tale. As an asthma sufferer I rejoice in the wonderful words of Isaiah 35 vs 5-6 which describes a world where the blind man will see and the tongue of the dumb will speak. These are merely examples of course of the myriad of ways in which men and women suffer and are evidence still more of the wonders of what God’s Kingdom will be like. In the remaining verses Isaiah goes on to describe a world of happiness as it depicts people showing everlasting joy. For there to be everlasting joy there can be no more death or suffering. This is a stunning new world that we should be desperate to be a part of and leads us to the second question.

What preparation do we need to make to be ready?

In 2 Timothy 3 vs 16-17 the point is made to Timothy by the apostle Paul that the word of God is, “Profitable for reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness.” In other words we are being told that we need to listen to what God says in the Bible and follow the rules he lays down so that we can be, as he terms it, a man of God. Elsewhere, in the last two verses of Acts 28, when describing what Paul did when under guard in Rome, it records that he received visitors and preached the Kingdom of God. This description is clear evidence of a man who though suffering imprisonment was totally motivated by his understanding of what God had promised that he was prepared to tell anyone who came to him.

Earlier in the book of Acts in chapter 2, the apostle Peter gives an impassioned speech at Pentecost that impels in verse 37 the impassioned response from those listening to ask what they should do. Peter’s response is to tell them to repent and be baptised. In response verse 41 remarks that three thousand people listened and did what he asks. It is interesting to note verse 42, because baptism isn’t the end. These people, “continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine and fellowship, breaking bread and prayers.” Just like the apostle Paul, what they had understood and acted upon in baptism was a central part of the rest of their lives.

In summary then if we want to have a part in this Kingdom of God, we need to read the word of God, the Bible, understand what God requires, be baptised and then continue with those beliefs. It is also important to think about how quickly we should respond - those three thousand responded immediately - they did not wait which leads us to our the third question.

How urgently do we need to prepare?

In 2 Peter 3 vs 8-10 the point is made that Jesus returns like a thief in the night, meaning by implication that it will be impossible to know the exact time. Jesus himself during his ministry stated emphatically that only God knows the exact time. However there are plenty of pictures given in the Bible to help us construct a picture of what the world will be like at the time of Jesus’ return. If you read 2 Tim 3 v 1-4 and Luke 21 v 25-27 carefully and ask the question to yourself, do you believe that the world they describe matches the one you and I are living in today? Since these passages describe the world in the last days or to phrase it differently at the return of Christ, then by implication we are very close to the return of Jesus and therefore it is imperative that we prepare now so that we are ready for that time.

Conclusion

Our title asked the question, are you ready for the return of Jesus? That is a question only you can answer, but we believe that if you haven’t already followed God’s command, the wonderful world that the scriptures presents of the Kingdom of God should make you want to begin to prepare for it.