Having A Heart That Longs For Jesus’ Return

“He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20, NIV

I love Christmas. Honestly, who doesn’t? I’m sure they exist but I’ve yet to meet a Christmas-hater.

Something about the smell of a fresh fir tree and the twinkling of the lights—the savoring of freshly baked cookies and the coziness of a fuzzy blanket in a room lit solely by the Christmas tree. It feels…almost magical. Some people look forward to it all year and even begin preparing at the first falling leaf.

But I wonder if many of us are more excited to celebrate the Lord’s previous coming than we are about His second coming.

Maybe we’ve forgotten that the greatest gift ever given is salvation in the baby who was born in the manger—a salvation that is already here (so we celebrate) and yet to come (so we wait with excitement).

Jesus’ incarnation, though it brought hope to the hopeless, wasn’t the end of the story.

When we celebrate the birth of Christ, we must celebrate with our eyes looking forward to the day He returns to reign. On this day, death will die, suffering will perish, and we will see Jesus face to face.

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2, NIV)

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12, ESV)

This is why we can walk into the holiday season with hope amidst afflictions.

We can face the empty chair at the table, the empty womb we long to be full, or the empty bank account by looking to the baby Jesus who is also the Prince of Peace and the King of Kings who will come to destroy sin and death once and for all at His second coming.

The tears of the hardships and suffering we face now, in the waiting, will be wiped away from our eyes on that glorious day.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4, NIV)

Here’s the thing…many of the same people who jump for joy over Christmas haven’t truly grasped the necessity of it.

Jesus didn’t come simply to bring peace on earth, He came to make peace with the Father for those He would redeem by his death on the cross.

“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 4:25-5:1, NIV)

Apart from Jesus, all humans are at war with the Father because of our rebellion. But for those who look upon the Lord with eyes of faith and turn away from our sin, we now have peace with God through Christ.

This means when Jesus returns to judge the earth in righteousness, we will stand among those wearing robes of white (Revelation 7:9). But this will not be the case for those who remain dead in their sin. Only those who plead the blood of the Lamb will be saved.

This truth ought to bring a longing and expectation for glory to the heart of the Christian.

We should have hearts willing and ready to let go of all earthly things, saying, “Come soon, Lord.”

But for the person whose treasure is on earth, whose “best life” is this fading world, there is only an expectation of judgment. If that’s you, please know there’s still hope while you have breath in your lungs. Turn to Jesus for salvation; He is willing and ready to save.

Christians, He is coming soon. Let this spur us on to share the meaning of His birth with those in our lives who don’t know Him. And may our hearts rejoice, looking back to His birth and forward with excitement for His return.

Questions for the Heart:

1. As we close out this series, take time to examine your heart. Have you trusted in Christ for salvation?
2. In what ways do you long for Jesus’ return?
3. How can you share this hope of His return with those around you today?

Author: Brittany Lee Allen from brittleeallen.com