Week 1: He's On The Way
Scripture: Mark
13:24-27
"But
in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon
will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the
powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming
in clouds' with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and
gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of
heaven.
He’s On the Way
I
have always enjoyed going out to different events and social gatherings. I love
the process of getting dressed and preparing to engage in conversation, being
entertained, or even participating in these types of events. Though I have been
to more events than I could ever try to count; there is one thing that is
always common. Outside of a worship service, just about any event that I’ve
attended, I was late for. It’s not that I wasn’t always prepared, it’s not that
I always poorly managed my time, it’s not that I’m always stuck in traffic; but
more likely than not I’m attending multiple events on the same day. People will
send us (my wife and I) invitations for events and we would literally have to
lay out the invitations and pull out our phones to see what is the best manner
to maneuver to ensure that we can make it to all of these events. As I prepare
to leave one event, I’m normally greeted with a phone call from someone at the
next event. This phone call normally comes with one of these familiar
statements “I thought you were coming” or “Where are you Guys?”. To which I
typically respond, that I am on the way.
Just like my friends can trust that
I was truly on the way, there is another man who is on the way. He came down
forty and two generations, He was the lamb brought to the slaughter, He is the
Messiah whom the prophets spoke of. He is God’s only Son, conceived by the Holy
Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was Crucified,
Died and was Buried; He descended to the dead, On the third day He rose again,
He ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He
will come to judge the living and the dead. He told us that He is the bread of
life, He is the light of the world, He is the door of the sheep, He is the good
shepherd, He is the resurrection and the life, He is the way, the truth, and
the life, and that He is the true vine. His name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth
and He is on the way. It has become a bit cliché to talk about the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ because of the way the church has been discussed in
years prior. There have been many gimmicks about the coming of Christ in the
past years. People have acted as if they had a monopoly on the information from
Heaven to the extent that they have engaged others as if they are speaking for
God. These events have caused for there to be a lack of hope and excitement on
the surprise that Jesus is truly on the way.
I have come to realize that many
people don’t find comfort in hearing that Jesus is coming, and depending on
where you come from, you may have heard of the many false announcements of his
return. Though I believe in the second coming of Christ which is described
throughout the New Testament, I believe that He is enroute to us on a personal
level. Everyone has a personal encounter with Christ and a different experience
with Christ when He arrives. I remember going to prayer meetings and hearing
the late deacon, Deacon Gary, praying. No matter how long he prayed, no matter
what he was praying about; I knew that at some point in the prayer he would
say: “Lord, some need you for one thing, others need you for another; but we
all have a need”. His prayer suggested that we all needed Christ to manifest
Himself in different means in all of our lives. Though this text discusses the
2nd Coming of Christ, it is important for us to remember that Jesus
holds more meaning in our lives than the fact that He is coming back.
The manner of which I recall Jesus
is not simply as the one who will return to judge, but also as the one who will
come to meet my needs when I need Him most. While this text has simply lifted
itself as an apocalyptic text, but also has a very relevant text for whatever
the need is that I need Jesus to meet . The author strategic places this passage
amidst some challenges that would face the readers. It is very prophetic and
relevant about the shifts that will take place in the lives of these readers.
It marks the foretelling of a devastating time in the lives of the Jewish
community and of the followers of Jesus. Both the Persecution of the church and
the Destruction of the Temple are difficult times to have endured. We are still
feeling the effects today, but these two things serve as a reminder of the
things that are to come. The thing for us to remember as individuals is that
when things go wrong in our lives, we often take the stance of the worse, and
we begin to think primarily about the end. With this apocalyptic state of Mind,
God offers us three things for us to consider as a reminder for the status of
Jesus’s arrival.
The
Announcement:
There
are some announcements that take place to make us aware of the upcoming shifts
that will take place. Some of the things that we are facing are often the sign
of the announcement. These announcements are not as eye-catching as the
information about the next youth trip. It is not the announcement of the
Outreach ministry needing Volunteers for their next service project. This
announcement is that the Lord is coming. We still don’t know when, where, or
how he will get here, but it assures that He is on the way. In our text, we see
that the signs of Christ’s second coming are that there will be suffering, the
sun will be darkened, the moon won’t give off its light, the stars will fall
from heaven and the powers of heaven will be shaken. The announcement comes in
the midst of a time where there is no hope. There have been many times within
the history of our American people, which showed the signs that Christ was on
the way. When we can’t find justice at any hand, here comes an announcement.
When the enemy comes in like a flood here comes an announcement. When every
weapon formed against you seems like its prospering, here comes an
announcement. When you are sick, and can’t seem to get well; here comes an
announcement. When you’ve been paying your tithes, but you can’t seem to catch
a break; here comes an announcement. On the Day of our Greatest defeat, here
comes the Announcement; and the announcement is that Jesus is on the way for
you! Jesus is not taking his time to get to you, but is actually trying to remind
of the promise that He is coming to us soon. But not only do I know He’s on the
way because of the Announcement, but also of His Appearance.
The
Appearance:
This literally suggests that no
matter the situation, or the circumstance, Jesus has the ability to show up in
the middle of it. After such a time, there will no longer be any announcements
of the coming of Christ but He will be here. This text discloses that He will
come in on the clouds, mirroring the image of his triumphant entry on Palm Sunday.
He will showcase His glory and at the moment of our despair and adversity, Here
He will come. He’ll come in riding on a cloud, mirroring his triumphant entry.
At that moment, all adversity will fall and all the cares of this world for His
true followers will be no more. Seeing Him will settle the debate on the
actuality of God, for those who are atheist. Seeing Him will prove that the
scriptures are truly the infallible and inerrant word of God. Seeing Him will
settle the debate on what takes place after this life. Seeing Him will make the
things that had us bound, let us go. Seeing Him will cause demons to leave us
alone. Seeing Him will put an end to all of our cares and concerns. At the
sight of His appearing, our faith will be realized and the glory of Christ will
be revealed.
The
Assembling:
While we all may be excited for the
appearing of Christ, all will not be excited about the assembling of the
followers. It will be difficult to see that some will go up with Him, while
others of our church member, other members of our communities, our co-workers
and family members will not be going up with Him. It will also be surprising
who He gathers. People who are not members of our local churches, people who we
thought the least of, people who we, The Christians, have marginalized. And it
is important for us to remember that these people will not only be American.
America has a manner of making God into the likes of an American; but the text
tells us that He will gather his elect or his followers for the four winds of
the Earth.
No matter who, or where you are, Christ
will gather you from there. He’s on His Way for you! It doesn’t matter if you
are Black, or White. It doesn’t matter if you are Latino or Asian. It doesn’t
matter if you are European or African. It doesn’t matter if you are the Haves
or the Have Nots. It doesn’t matter if you are Old or Young. It doesn’t matter
if you are Illiterate or Literate. It doesn’t matter if you are Bound or Free.
It doesn’t matter if you are a Leader or a Follower. It doesn’t matter who you
are because wherever or whoever you are; Christ is on His way for you! If you
love the lord, and are called according to His purpose, He is on His way to
you. If you are not ashamed of the Gospel,
He is on His way to you. If you are a slave to the work of the gospel, He is on
His way to you. And I am rejoicing about His return because I’m living to be in
the number, on that Glad Morning Because:
Some
glad morning, we shall see, Jesus in the air
Coming after you and me, joy is ours to
share
What rejoicing there will be, when the
saints shall rise
Headed for that jubilee, yonder in the
skies
Awesome as always my love. Thank you for your ministry and your gift. Continue to let God use you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Babe!!
DeleteMy Brother! Continue to Go Forth!!!
ReplyDeleteAppreciate it Bro!
DeleteNice job bro! A great reminder to start off the year he is on his way!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sis!
Delete