Matthew 24
There is a growing conviction on the part of many that planet earth is unraveling in high gear. Some suggest if you put your ear to the ground, you can already hear the thunderous hoof beats of the approaching horses and riders of the apocalypse. This sense of impending danger can be directly attributed to the impotence of a political solution to correct the disintegration of our global problems. Who, other than the omniscient God, could have anticipated the truly epic world changes of recent years and given us a picture of how this drama is going to be acted out on planet earth?
When you grasp that Jesus predicted 2000 years ago that a country the size of New Jersey will be the focus of the entire planet, it is staggering to consider.
So what should we do as we see the world unraveling around us? Live with hope and anticipation. Jesus said in Matthew 24:25, "See, I have told you ahead of time." Jesus does not want any of us to perish or to be taken by surprise by the coming apocalypse. He has warned us. Do not put your hope in any political solution; put your hope in Jesus. Our hope is found in the victory that Jesus secured on the cross. Jesus has already triumphed over the forces of evil. We know how the story ends.
We also need to live with daily watchfulness. Jesus wants us to be prepared for his second coming. We should live with the anticipation of a little girl from New Haven, CT who was talking with her mother concerning the second coming of Jesus.
"Mommy, do you believe Jesus will come back?" "Yes, dear," replied the mother.
"Could he come back this week?" "Yes, dear."
"Could he come back today?" "Yes, dear."
"Mommy, could he come back in the next hour?"
"Yes, he could come back in a few minutes." The girl looked up at her mom and said, "Mommy, would you comb my hair?"
This anticipation and yearning for Christ's return is all but dead among Christians today. We haven't given up on the doctrine of the second coming, but we have given up on the joyful anticipation of it. We have been so seduced by comforts of life in Stamford that we no longer desire the comforts of heaven. We believe Jesus is coming back in our heads but don't allow it to touch our hearts.
This is what we must rekindle in our hearts today.
Even so, come quickly Lord.
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