February 6: Jesus will return

Steve Smartt is pastor of Moultrie Baptist Church in St. Augustine.

The “trilogy” for church-going kids in the ‘70s wasn’t Lord of the Rings or even Star Wars. It was an end-time action drama complete with car chases, swarms of locusts, and remorseful pastor-imposters. When the first of the three “thrillers,” titled Thief in the Night, was released, it came to our church in reel-to-reel. As I recall, we must have watched it at every lock-in and every movie night. That movie, and the others that followed, caused us to think a lot about Christ’s return. In fact, many decisions to follow Christ were made as a result of the film’s impact.

But expectation of Christ’s return didn’t begin with the release of Thief in the Night. My childhood pastor used to tell how fearful he was when, as a child himself, he was convinced that the rapture had occurred with his family taken to heaven leaving him “left behind.” After a particularly convicting message at church that night, he had awakened around midnight to an empty house. He went out to the front yard, sat down, and cried. Not long after, his mother and father returned from their late night stroll. His brother had spent the night with a friend.

His experience wasn’t unique. I’ve had similar experiences also because, like my pastor, I grew up with an expectation that when the preacher read that Christ would return, He would! Unfortunately, it seems that today, even with the mass production of end-times novels, there is less and less preaching of Christ’s return. While there have been many who have responded to the invitations of pastors and evangelists declaring, “If Jesus was to return tonight, where would you spend eternity?” there appears to be a lot of confusion about what God’s Word says about His return. The pulpits of American churches remain quiet in addressing this promise as they’ve chosen to address the more popular issues of living “in the now.”

Jesus, however, spoke candidly about future events when His disciples questioned Him as to when these things would occur. He began by warning them to not be misled by false announcements and declarations of His return. When false signs and announcements take place, we should not put our trust in them, nor become afraid. Rather, we should recognize that these events must occur first. They are the prelude, not the main show. But what an incredible main show it will be!

We can expect celestial displays, climate fluctuations, and international anxiety (21:25-28). While the world faints with terror, we can “stand and lift [our] heads, because [our] redemption is drawing near.” This will be the nature of Christ’s return. As Christians, we have every reason to be encouraged because while these events will evoke fear for some, it will be the dawning of the promised fulfillment for those who love Christ.

Therefore, we must remain ready in expectation of His return (21:34-36). Jesus warns against becoming too entangled with the affairs of this world. He cautions us to “Be always on the watch, and pray…” We must not become comfortable in Babylon. Our hearts should always yearn for the journey to heaven, and for our lives to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ that we might “be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

God’s Word assures us of Christ’s return. Though questions of details still continue in our minds and conflicting interpretations are abundant, we have every reason to remain hopeful. As believers in Christ, we can think positively about His return, and look forward to it with confidence.