March 3, 2025

Jesus is coming back for you.  Just like He said He would!  

April 20th will be here soon. . .  Resurrection Sunday.   In December, we celebrate the advent of Christ.  At Easter we also celebrate His advent.   Advent comes from the Latin adventus which means "coming" or "arrival."   The Messiah was coming until His advent, His birth.  After His body was laid in the grave, He was coming again, a second time (resurrection).  Although this was quite a surprise, He had mentioned it many times:

Matthew 16:21 – "From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."

Matthew 17:22-23 – "When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.’   And the disciples were filled with grief."

Matthew 20:18-19 – "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"

You probably do not hear of the Resurrection as an advent of Christ but it was.  After three days in the grave, Jesus was coming!  We look forward to His return but, in a way, it will be His "Second Coming" will be His third.   Do not miss the importance of the Resurrection of Christ:  Because of the Resurrection, we are assured of His Return again!    

- The Resurrection proves Jesus' victory over death.  It is the ultimate proof that He conquered sin and death.   He did it!  And, because He came back from death, we can have confidence that He'll come again!  

- The Resurrection is a confirmation that His promises are true... Just as He repeatedly told His disciples that He would rise again, just as He fulfilled that promise, we can trust that His return is true:  "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also" (John 14:3).  

- As we look forward to the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, remember that this is a foreshadowing of our future.   Paul noted that Jesus was the "firstfruits" of the resurrection (see 1 Cor. 15).  Because He was raised from the dead, so will we be raised to eternal life when He comes again.  

He's coming.   Just like He said He would.  
Are you ready?  
Jesus is coming!   Hallelujah!!!