Category: Eschatology

What a joy to celebrate Christmas with friends and family! There are so many fun traditions that are wrapped up with the holiday. Advent calendars, Christmas trees, holiday lights, and nativity scenes. The list goes on and on. Every year my wife and I try to make a concerted effort to choose activities that help focus our family on the birth of Jesus Christ. He is the reason for the season! 

This year we are reading Ace Collins’ book Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas. The history behind each of the traditions is fascinating. Did you know Martin Luther, the German pastor, is said to be the first person to put lights on a Christmas tree? He thought of the idea after seeing how beautiful the stars looked as he walked through a forest of evergreen trees. He attached candle holders to the branches of a Christmas tree and filled his home with light. Later when electricity was invented the tradition become even more popular and much safer! 

The merit of certain Christmas traditions can be seen by whether they emphasize the biblical story of the birth of Christ. The advent calendar is one of my favorites because it builds anticipation for the incarnation, when God came to earth and lived on the earth as one of us. 

Even if a Christmas tradition focuses our thoughts on Christ, I still try to teach our family that Christmas is not the end of the story. I have to remind them that Christmas points us towards Easter and Resurrection Sunday! If Jesus did not live a perfect life and die on the cross and rise from the dead, then there would be no reason to celebrate Christmas at all! We don’t usually talk about the Resurrection of Christ during Christmas, but I would recommend you to emphasize it because then you can keep the first advent of Christ in context. 

Biblically speaking, the first advent should also remind us of the second advent of our Savior. In Matthew 24 Jesus predicted that his second coming would be glorious, “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Jesus taught that no one knows when he will return, but all of us need anticipate his return and seek to be ready for him to come (24:44). 

The early church had a way of reminding themselves of Christ’s return. They would say, “Maranatha,” which means “Our Lord, come!” The apostle Paul used this phrase at the end of his letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 16:22), and the apostle John also used the same phrase at the end of Revelation (Revelation 22:20). It is an important phrase because it immediately reminds the believer that we are waiting for Christ’s return. 

I think this is especially important to remember during the Christmas season because it is so easy to get wrapped up in the first advent of Christ. We need to remind ourselves that this isn’t the end of the story. The birth of Christ is just the beginning! Merry Christmas leads to Maranatha! I have found it helpful to combine these two phrases together, “Merry Christmas, Maranatha!” It is a great greeting to give to each other as believers. One person can say Merry Christmas and the other responds with, “Maranatha!” Together they help us celebrate the first advent and anticipate the second coming of Christ! “Merry Christmas and Maranatha!” 

At the end of the day, a father’s great delight is to be greeted with “Daddy!” A child’s excitement and anticipation of his or her father’s arrival is so encouraging. Their chatter and smiling faces are the highlight of any day. One may want to play catch and another may want to read a story. Most of all, children want to spend time with their dad. They desire his attention, love, and praise.

The Apostle Paul wrote to Titus about another reunion that will happen one day, “Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” (Titus 2:13, Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)) This event is called the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Vance Havner, a prominent twentieth century Southern Baptist pastor and evangelist said, “We are not just looking for something to happen; we are looking for Someone to come! And when these things begin to come to pass, we are not to drop our heads in discouragement or shake our heads in despair, but rather lift up our heads in delight.” Jesus Christ’s return is imminent. Believers are to be expecting it.

“Looking for” in the Greek New Testament (GNT) has several facets of meaning. The first is to accept or receive someone or something to yourself. The second facet is to patiently wait for that expected event. The third is to look forward to the arrival of a future event. The GNT uses “looking for” to refer to the believer’s persistent outlook of the Lord Jesus’ return.  (Luke 2:25, 38; Mark 15:43).

The phrase “looking for” is in the present tense with continuous action indicating we are to always be looking for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It carries the concept of patience with expectation of Christ’s return. We do not know when Jesus Christ will return. However, we know it is imminent, meaning it can take place at any time.

Some have made the mistake of trying to predict when Jesus will return. That is a waste of time. Scripture tells us we will not know when He will return, but we must be ready. Matthew 24:36 says, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”

At the time of Jesus Christ’s ascension, the angels prophesied the Lord would return to earth in the same manner that He went to Heaven. Acts 1:11 records the following, “They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” Paul described Christ’s appearing as the blessed hope and glory. The Lord’s return will bring happiness and be filled with great expectations. Jesus will come with high honor. He is called the great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.

The Bible says, “Our Savior gave Himself for us” (Titus 2:14). He sacrificed Himself by enduring personal loss for mankind. This phrase adequately describes Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. Romans 5:8–10 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

Jesus Christ’s gift of salvation had two purposes. The first was to “redeem us from every lawless deed” (vs. 14b). The Greek word “redeem “means to liberate a captured person by paying the price demanded for his return. Jesus sacrificed Himself for us. 1 Peter 1:18–19 says, “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” Everyone was in open defiance to God’s law because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden. This is the reason for Christ’s redemption of believers.

The second purpose was for Christ to purify or cleanse a people for Himself. Jesus is purifying a people group for His own possession. His chosen ones are zealous and enthusiastic for performing good works. It carries the aspect of being militant in serving God. Believers are obliged to do good works. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

The reason believers are to wait expectantly for Jesus Christ’s return is that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men” Titus 2:11 (LSB). It is by God’s grace that Jesus died for us. We have been offered the free gift of salvation because of God’s mercy. His grace is unmerited and undeserving favor.

It is important to stress that the phrase “to all men” does not refer to universal salvation. In reality it designates the whole entity of humanity. It is a reference to the whole and not to the individual parts. The gift of salvation is offered to all of humanity, but each individual must respond separately. John 3:36 says, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” Have you received Christ? God’s word says “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)

Therefore, believers are to be anxiously waiting for the Lord’s return. We are to always be continually looking for Jesus Christ, obeying God’s Word, and patiently serving our Lord. So, perhaps He will come today! We are to be waiting expectantly! (All Scripture references are from the NASB95 unless otherwise noted).