Have you ever looked forward to meeting someone so much that your heart began to beat faster and you couldn’t sit still? Maybe you paced the floor as you watched for the arrival of your friend or colleague. Or perhaps the upcoming meeting was not something that you anticipated, and you waited with dread and fear.
In today’s message we will look at the truths about the second coming of Jesus and how this event will affect you and me. Are we preparing for His soon return, or are we procrastinating? How does a person prepare to meet a King?
God’s Word says in Revelation chapter 22:12-13, “And, behold, I (Jesus) come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” Jesus is coming again, and His coming will be both sudden and unexpected. Matthew 24:44 says, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” His second coming will either be a pleasant and joyous experience, or it will be a terrifying and damning moment.
Jesus told his followers before He left earth in John 14: 1-3, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Followers of Jesus can expect a welcome release from a world of sin and trauma and a much-desired entrance into the new heaven and new earth. There will be only righteousness and goodness in that perfect place.
The other reality will be eternal torment if we are not preparing to meet Jesus but are pursuing our own agenda. We will regret our negligence. Being unprepared will be far worse than missing out on the grandest experience this life could offer to the longing human heart. There have been some unwise souls who assumed they could avoid this meeting by certain physical measures. Take for instance the man who asked to be buried under a gigantic leaning stone. He assumed if he was buried at the base of this stone, that when Jesus comes the second time and the earth shakes and the mountains fall, he would be covered and hidden. However, after his death and burial at this precise spot, the large leaning stone, which everyone assumed without question would fall over the grave, miraculously began to slowly move in the opposite direction until, alas, the foolish man’s grave was completely exposed to the skies. And the truth is that even the largest mountain of rock would not have hidden him from almighty God. The Bible says in Revelation 1:7, “Behold, he (Jesus) cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” No one will escape this important and imminent meeting.
Another question we could ask is what relationship do we want to have with Jesus? You and I have the option of Jesus being our Savior, Lord, Friend, King, and Advocate. Or if we choose our own way and follow sin, Satan, and the systems of this world, then Jesus will be our Judge instead of our Savior. Why not accept the offer of a personal relationship with Jesus today so we can someday meet Him with anticipation and joy?
You may be wondering what the next steps are. What should I be doing to prepare to meet Jesus? Let’s take a look.
First, we note that God accepts everyone who comes to Him in repentance. God inspired Apostle Peter to say this in Acts 10:34-35, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” Isn’t it wonderful that everyone is included in the invitation to know Jesus? No nationality is excluded. Everyone is welcome to prepare to meet Him. God’s Word also says in Romans 10:12-13, “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
What does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord? The scripture says in Romans 10:9-10, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” We need to publicly declare that we are now following Jesus and His way and have turned our back on sin, Satan, and the systems of this world.
Another way we prepare to meet Jesus is to fear God. This does not mean that we are constantly scared of God, but that we have a healthy fear of disobeying Him. Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Jesus Himself said in Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” A part of preparing to meet Jesus is to have a healthy fear of God, the righteous Judge who will judge every person.
As we read earlier in the book of Acts, part of preparing to meet Jesus is to work righteousness. Yes, of course, all our good works can not save us. Only Jesus and His saving work on the cross as a Lamb that was slain can save us. Still, we are to work righteousness, which simply means that we are to do what is right. We have a conscience that points us the right direction if it is working properly and has not been seared or dulled. To know if our conscience is tender and accurate, we can read God’s Word which can help show us how to do what is right.
Here is a test to see if you are preparing to meet Jesus. Ask yourselves these three questions. Have I confessed publicly that I have turned my back on all other gods and entities and now am following and obeying Jesus and His teachings? Do I daily read God’s Word and seek to always do what is right? Am I looking forward to seeing Jesus when He comes back again? These questions will help us know if we are prepared for the second coming of Jesus. God bless you as you prepare for your meeting with Him!
~Harold R Troyer
