Second Coming
Originally scheduled for April 12
It is a seldom mentioned point about communion:
it explicitly includes the promise that Christ is coming again. The
Second Coming is a subject which both fascinates and mystifies most
Christians. We want to know when he’s coming again. When someone
says to us, “soon,” we usually let them know we had in mind
something we can put on our calendar. So we do not know the date and
the time. There is one feature that we do know:
Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see
it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
(Isaiah 40:5 NASB)
Isaiah has a strange way of putting things
sometimes. He not only tells us that the Lord will return and in so
doing predicts the resurrection of the dead, he also tells us what
we should be doing to get ready for it:
A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. "Let every valley
be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the
rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley;
(Isaiah 40:3-4 NASB)
There are several interpretations of this
passage. As applied to us as individuals it is easiest to take this
as a collection of metaphors. The mountains in this passage might be
seen as those obstacles in our life to becoming better Christians.
These are things like the sins of the body, the world and pride. As
these things diminish in our life it is easier for the Lord to fill
our lives. The valleys may be seen as things which should be
exalted. These are things like the life of giving, faithfulness and
joyful fellowship. If we emphasize these things in our lives we are
making it easier for God to enter into our lives more fully. But
there is also another way to see this.
As these things grow in our lives, the world
around us can see the glory of the Lord revealed in us. In our own
time that glory is revealed in the change lives of sinners. This is
the witness which goes beyond words. Of course, when Christ returns
the world will see it in the resurrection of the dead and the
judgment to follow.
You might ask, how can I be sure of this? Take
a look at the elements of communion before you. They symbolize his
body and his blood, and reminds you of his sacrifice on the Cross.
If you are reminded of the Cross, you are then reminded of the
resurrection of Christ. If you will recall, he told his disciples
before hand that he would rise from the dead. He said it; his word
is trustworthy. As for the Second Coming, the mouth of the Lord hath
spoken it. He said it, his word is trustworthy. As you partake this
morning remember that you are proclaiming his soon returning. The
question for all of us is, are we preparing the way for his return?
