The Gospel According to Joseph: Jesus is Coming Soon!

In this Sunday's sermon, one of the things that we will see is Israel's hope in the promises of God that looked forward beyond the promised land to "a better city, that is, a heavenly one" (He. 11:16). Now, he didn't know as much about it as we do, but he knew enough to place his hope not in this world but in a "city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God" (He. 11:10). We know now that this city is the new heavens and new earth (cf. Re. 21) into which Jesus will take us when He returns.

When thinking about Jesus' return and the solid hope we have in it because of the truth of the gospel, sometimes we wonder why He has not yet returned. Didn't He say He was coming "soon"? Well, yes He did in Re. 22:

⁶ And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
⁷ “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, ⁹ but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
¹⁰ And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. ¹¹ Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
¹² “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
¹⁴ Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
¹⁷ The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
¹⁸ I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, ¹⁹ and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
²⁰ He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. (Re. 22:6ff)

In the above Scripture passage I've italicized Jesus' words just so there's no mistaking who is speaking to whom. This is, of course, a theologically packed passage, but I want to use it for this devotional since His return to take us home is our ultimate hope and because three times in it Jesus says, "I am coming soon." Do you think He means it? If you repeat something to someone three times in a single conversation, don’t you really mean it? But, it doesn't seem "soon," does it? When you pray for Christ's return, do you sometimes feel like a child in the back seat of your parents' car on a long road trip asking "How long?" and always hearing "Soon"? Almost two thousand years doesn't seem "soon" to me. Of course, I'm not the only one who's thought that for even the early Church wondered why Jesus had not yet returned. Many of them thought Jesus would return before they died, and even Paul appears to have believed this early on in his ministry (cf. 1 Th. 4:15). After several decades passed they started to wonder, "What happened to 'soon'?" If they asked it then, how much more may we ask the question two thousand years later?

As you might imagine, there have been many over the centuries who have attempted to answer this question in a variety of ways. Indeed, this is a very complex question on which Christians have come to no sort of consensus. That means I don't believe I have the final answer to this important question, but I would like to give you two things to consider that I think will help put the question in a less ominous context. First, consider Peter's answer to this question. Peter acknowledges that his readers were asking this question and answers it but not in the detail for which we (or they) might have hoped:

¹ This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, ² that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, ³ knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. ⁴ They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”
…⁸ But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief…. (2 Pt. 3:1-4, 8-10)

Peter knows there will be "scoffers" who will basically say, "Where's your God now? It's been two thousand years and He said He would come 'soon.'" His answer is not a systematic defense of how "soon" can be reckoned with a long delay of Jesus' second coming. He simply says, "Look, God doesn't perceive or calculate the passage of time the way you and I do, so stop acting like He does and forcing our view of 'soon' on Him. And, what you call 'slowness' I call 'patience' for the Lord is waiting so more can repent and believe." Then, Peter tells us that the day will come like a thief, which is the proverbial way of saying that we have no idea when it will come. He wisely doesn't try to answer a question no one can answer completely but appeals to God's timelessness and mercy for an explanation of His delay. There are more God wants to become Christians and He is waiting until they do (cf. Mt. 24:14).

The second thing I think we need to consider is the nature of biblical prophecy. There is in prophecy a characteristic perspective that foreshortens time and presents the future from a theological perspective as a whole with the chronological gaps unaddressed. So, for example, the prophets of the Old Testament could move from the destruction of Judah to the coming of the Messiah in a single step even though there would be almost six hundred years in between. The same is true of Revelation. In it, the future is presented theologically and is seen in terms of its entirety, not in its chronological detail. Prophecy is a theological interpretation of history, however long it endures. Think about that for a moment. Theologically speaking, what is the next important event after Jesus' death, resurrection, ascension, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost? It's the second coming of Christ. Everything in between is incidental compared to those important, redemptive events. John's prophecy in Revelation, then, can make a chronological jump of unknown duration because theologically Christ's second coming is near, and it is looked at as part of the redemptive whole of Christ's work. So, Christ is coming soon, but we need to look at "soon" from God's perspective on time, in the context of His awesome mercy, and theologically not chronologically.

Today let He. 11:8-16, 39-40 (which will be discussed in Sunday's posted sermon), and the above passages remind you that Christ is coming soon. What He means by "soon" may be different than what you and I think of as "soon," but we know it's the next important redemptive event and it could happen at any time. Remember that God is delaying Jesus' return because He is rich in mercy towards the unbelieving world, not because He’s trying to drive Christians crazy. Ask Him to give you a love for the lost like He has because as our love and compassion for the lost grows, we will understand His delay and see it as a chance to spread the gospel more. Ask Him to give you a deep anticipation of His immanent return so that your love for Him will increase, your love for this world will decrease, and your concern for the lost will grow. Ask Him to help you be a testimony to the hope that you have in the gospel to the lost around you and younger generations. And, pray like John, "Come, Lord Jesus!" Perhaps today could be the day.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Divine Mercies (Overlooked...)

THOU ETERNAL GOD,
Thine is surpassing greatness, unspeakable
    goodness, super-abundant grace;
I can as soon count the sands of ocean's 'lip'
  as number Thy favors towards me;
I know but a part, but that part exceeds all praise.
I thank Thee for personal mercies,
  a measure of health, preservation of body,
  comforts of house and home, sufficiency of food
    and clothing,
  continuance of mental powers,
  my family, their mutual help and support,
    the delights of domestic harmony and peace,
    the seats now filled that might have been vacant,
  my country, church, Bible, faith.
But, O, how I mourn my sin, ingratitude, vileness,
  the days that add to my guilt,
  the scenes that witness my offending tongue;
All things in heaven, earth, around, within, without,
    condemn me—
  the sun which sees my misdeeds,
  the darkness which is light to thee,
  the cruel accuser who justly charges me,
  the good angels who have been provoked to leave
    me,
  Thy countenance which scans my secret sins,
  Thy righteous law, Thy holy Word,
  my sin-soiled conscience, my private and
    public life,
  my neighbors, myself—
    all write dark things against me.
I deny them not, frame no excuse, but confess,
  'Father, I have sinned';
Yet still I live, and fly repenting to Thy outstretched
    arms;
  Thou wilt not cast me off, for Jesus brings me near,
  Thou wilt not condemn me, for He died in
    my stead,
  Thou wilt not mark my mountains of sin,
    for He leveled all,
  and His beauty covers my deformities.
O my God, I bid farewell to sin by clinging
    to His cross,
  hiding in His wounds, and sheltering in His side.
~ Divine Mercies, The Valley of Vision

I read this recently when I was getting discouraged about a few things, and like many of my moments of discouragement, I was reminded that my focus is on the wrong things. I found this prayer both convicting and uplifted, for it reminded me of the many divine mercies from our loving Father that my sinful, forgetful heart often overlooks. Below are a few thoughts that came to mind while meditating on this prayer:

"Super-abundant grace": The grace we get from God in Christ is not just enough to squeak by. It is not just enough to push us over the edge, while we handle the rest ourselves. It is super-abundant; far more than we could ever need, like the waves of the ocean--completely inexhaustible. It over flows our cups, even while they should be filled with His wrath. It is greater than all our circumstances, sorrows, victories, talents, weaknesses, good deeds, and sins. Indeed, we cannot out-sin His super-abundant grace to us in Jesus. You know, I preached on this last year but, of course, needed the reminder again. "O, to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be."

"Personal mercies": This is a convicting list, for they are all true of me; yet I do not often give praise to God for them. They are all the things going right in my life, which go unnoticed like a smooth road goes unnoticed by a driver cruising down the highway. Yet, they are countless reasons to praise God, and in that sense, the list is uplifting.

He has granted me a "measure of health" and "preservation of body." I am not in the physical shape I was 10-15 years ago, but in general He has given me great health. I see and hear of many others, like my beloved sister, who have chronic health problems, and yet even while praying for her and the others, I forget to praise God for His grace to me in my health. Yet, it is only His sovereign choice that has kept me in good health while better men and women suffer. Perhaps it is because He knows they will suffer better than I would in their place, which is a testimony to their child-like faith and to my lack thereof, but even if that judgment is true, I should be thankful for His mercy and patience with me while He grows me to such a faith.

In His grace, He has given me the "comforts" of home, food, and clothing. I confess, I often focus more on the fact that our townhouse is, at times, frustrating or that the budget is tight and not on the fact that Erika, Gabriel, and I have all that we need. We have a shelter that is more than adequate, which is more than I can say for some of my friends in Atlanta who are still living on the street. We have food and never worry about our next meal or tomorrow's meals, which is more than much of the world's population can say. I may not have fashion sense, but I have a wife who does and clothes that are more than sufficient for my lifestyle. Perhaps this praise should be in every meal's blessing to remind me that my table is full and my home is warm, while others are not so fortunate.

Our Lord has blessed me with a wonderful family and "domestic harmony." I have a godly wife who loves, supports, and sacrifices for me far more than I remember or thank her for. She is patient with my inconsiderate ways, encouraging in my failures, realistic in my successes, supportive of my calling, and wonderful with my son. We, of course, have our share of squabbles but mostly there is peace, and it is real peace, not peace through avoidance. I have a wonderful son who is in great health, which is more than many parents can say. It breaks my heart to think about children suffering from heart problems, cancer, head injuries, or any number of other maladies, and yet in my sorrow for them, how often do I praise God for a healthy boy? Not as often as I could and should. The above line, "the seats now filled that might have been vacant" nearly brings tears to my eyes. Gabriel's seat could have been vacant. When he was born, he had some complications, and for a time, we thought he was going to die. We are so thankful for God's healing during that time, but how often do I look at his high-chair and think, "That could have been empty, except for the mercy of God"? How often does that thought generate praise? Not nearly as often as it could and should.

While I find many things in our country about which to complain, I am still free to worship and live for God, which is more than many of my friends in closed countries can say. I have a church family that is loving, healthy, and united, and that is not because of me but because God working through great leadership that was here long before I came to this congregation. And, of course, most of all: God chose me and called me out of sin and darkness into His glorious light. It was not because of anything good in me that led Him to do so but was simply because of His good pleasure. Why did He choose to place His love on me? I do not have an answer to that question, but I do know it was not anything in me that deserved it. I was His enemy; only deserving His just wrath. If God took every other aspect of my life away, that would be enough to demand my eternal praise and gratitude.

"How much I mourn my... ingratitude": I guess much of this post so far is such mourning, but does it match the level of ingratitude in my heart? Not hardly. I could mourn all day everyday and not do justice to how ungrateful I am to my faithful God and Savior. Yet, that would do no good. In fact, my sinful heart would likely turn godly mourning into pious penance, thus adding to my mountain of sin. What else can I do? Well, the author of this awesome prayer helps here too: run to my Savior and repent.

"I deny them not... but confess": What else can I do? If I spend much time mourning, my heart will start to believe God should forgive me because, of course, I am so sorry, but that is simply the sin of penance--trying to merit what Jesus has already earned; trying to pay for what I already get for free. Can I make God my debtor in that way? Not hardly. No, I must go to Him on the basis of Christ's work alone and say, "Father, I have sinned." And, when I do, what do I find? "Outstretched arms" is what I find! He can no more reject me than He can reject Christ because Jesus is my bulwark that never fails, and I hide "in His wounds and shelter in His side." To look at my sin and think that God will not want me back (this time) is to say that the Father tires of the pleasing aroma of His Son's sacrifice. It is to say that Jesus is not enough (this time) and that I must add to His work. I cannot add to His work! I can only bring in repentance the sin that needs forgiving, and when I do, "His beauty covers my deformities."

There are so many divine mercies from our heavenly Father! "I can as soon count the sands of the ocean's 'lip' as number [His] favors towards me," but that does not mean I should not endeavor to praise Him for all that I can count--those blessings that are all mine with ten thousand beside. When I do, He is glorified and my joy is increased. What, then, is stopping me? Oh yeah, my sinful, forgetful heart. Well, perhaps, Lord willing, a little less so after today, and if not, well He's still working on me.

By His Grace,
Taylor