J.Calvin on Zechariah 9:9 – “…A dreadful dispersion, were not Christ the bond of union.”

Also for our profit on this Palm Sunday we may hear these words of commentary on Zechariah 9:9 from John Calvin. This is only a small part of his comments on this verse (You may read the rest here.), but these suffice to show us the heart of this prophecy and its importance for the church of Christ in every land and place. And, of course, what he writes about this coming of the Christ the first time also applies to His second coming, so that we know we must still cling to these promises of God as we live in the end of the world.

By the word king, the Prophet intimates, that except they thought God unfaithful in his promises, they were to entertain hope, until the kingdom of David, then apparently fallen, arose again. As God then would have himself acknowledged faithful, and his adoption counted fixed and ratified in the Messiah, it is no wonder that the Prophet now briefly refers to a king; for this mode of speaking was well known by the people. And we have also seen elsewhere, that when the Prophets speak of the safety of the Church, they mention a king, because the Lord designed to gather again the dispersed Church under one head, even Christ. And no doubt there would ever remain a dreadful dispersion, were not Christ the bond of union. He then says that a king would come. But he speaks not as of a king unknown; he only reminds them that God would be true and faithful to his promises. Now since the whole law, and adoption, must have vanished away, except Christ came, his coming ought to have been patiently waited for.

Further, that God’s children might be more confirmed, he says also that this king would come to the people, the daughter of Sion, as though he had said, that God, for the sake of the whole Church, had fixed the royal throne in the family of David: for if the king was to come, that he might indulge in his own triumphs, and be contented with pomps and pleasures, it would have been but a small and wholly barren consolation: but as God in determining to send the Messiah, provided for the safety of the whole Church, which he had promised to do, the people might here derive solid confidence. It is not then a matter of small moment, when the Prophet teaches us, that the king would come to Sion and to Jerusalem; as though he had said, “This king shall not come for his own sake like earthly kings, who rule according to their own caprice, or for their own advantage:” but he reminds us, that his kingdom would be for the common benefit of the whole people, for he would introduce a happy state.

 

J.Calvin on Psalm 101: “…We ought to set Christ before our view.”

As we focus on Psalm 101 today, it is also fitting that we meditate on these comments of John Calvin. Here he speaks on v.8 concerning David’s desire to keep the city of God pure:

What David adds, That I may cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of God, is also emphatic. If even heathen kings are commanded in common to punish crimes, David well knew that he was under obligations of a more sacred kind to do so, since the charge of the Church of God had been committed to him. And certainly if those who hold a situation so honorable do not exert themselves to the utmost of their power to remove all defilements, they are chargeable with polluting as much as in them lies the sanctuary of God; and they not only act unfaithfully towards men by betraying their welfare, but also commit high treason against God himself. Now as the kingdom of David was only a faint image of the kingdom of Christ, we, ought to set Christ before our view; who, although he may bear with many hypocrites, yet as he will be the judge of the world, will at length call them all to an account, and separate the sheep from the goats. And if it seems to us that he tarries too long, we should think of that morning which will suddenly dawn, that all filthiness being purged away, true purity may shine forth.

Christ Has Come and Is Coming Again (5)

In this month of December we have been doing our Sunday devotional on the two comings of our Savior Jesus Christ: his 1st coming in His lowly birth in Bethlehem and His 2nd coming in His glorious return at the end of this age (see the previous four posts beginning with Dec.2).  On this last Sunday of 2012 we want to reflect on these two comings from the viewpoint of the end of another year and the signs that God has given us that His Son has come and is coming again.  On this final Lord’s Day of 2012 we may look back at the coming of our Lord and we may look forward to the coming of our Lord. Because just as God gave signs that pointed to the coming of His Son the first time (the word of His prophets in the OT, the star to the wise men, the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, etc.), so has He given us signs that Christ is coming again (Matt.24, 2 Thess.2, 2 Peter, Revelation – especially chap.6). And in 2012 these signs were evident once again. Through all the events that our sovereign God worked and controlled in this past year He was telling us and the world, “My Son is returning in power and glory!” And along with that, “Be prepared to meet Him!”

These signs of Christ’s 2nd coming we usually break down into several categories, and as we list them below we may also think of events in this past year that showed Christ is returning (in the light of God’s Word, of course).

1. Signs in creation: The creation is groaning with labor in anticipation of being delivered from the curse of man’s sin at Christ’s 2nd coming according to Rom.8:19-22. What signs from this groaning creation did God give us in 2012? I think of “Superstorm Sandy” in our own country. But there were many other signs throughout the world. Which ones do you see? And if the creation is groaning in hope for its Lord, shouldn’t I be?
2. Signs in the world (of unbelief): As the end of this present age nears, our Lord told us to expect certain things to be happening in the world about us: increased wickedness, wide-spread lawlessness, greater deceptions on the part of the prince of darkness (Satan), and the expanding rise of the antichrist (see the passages referred to above). As we look back on 2012 we can surely see these signs. Are you able to point them out today through the “lens” of God’s Word? The world about us continues to develop in sin and darkness, all with a view to the kingdom of man (666) driven by the beast (Rev.13). Yet these things too are all according to the plan and Word of our God and only serve to bring Christ from heaven. Remember, He is our sovereign and victorious King, and He comes to deliver His own from the clutches of this evil and to destroy all these foes!
3. Signs in the church: God has also told us that there ares signs in the church that His Son is coming. Positive signs, such as the gathering of the church from the nations through the preaching of the gospel (the running of the white horse – Rev.6), including the conversion of our own children. But also negative signs, such as the increase in apostasy on the part of leaders and the falling away of many from the faith. Do you also see from what happened in the church world in 2012 that Jesus is coming?
4. Signs in our personal lives: As we reflect today and tomorrow on the end of the year 2012, we do well to evaluate the signs of Christ’s coming in our own personal lives too. And with that, evaluate our own response to these signs. How did the Lord show me in what transpired in my life this past year that His Son is coming? And how did I respond to these signs? Am I eagerly awaiting my Lord’s return? Am I preparing spiritually for His return? Am I behaving like an anxious bride for my wedding day and the everlasting reception party (Rev.19:7ff.)?

So the end of the year gives us time to reflect. To reflect back with humble thanksgiving on all that God has done for us through the coming of Christ the first time. And to reflect ahead with high hope on all that God is going to do for us when He brings His Son from heaven the second time. As we spend this last Sunday of 2012 in God’s house in worship, it is good to think about that glorious and perfect day of rest that is to come when Jesus returns (Heb.4:9-11). Do we want that Sunday with Jesus more than anything? Then let’s spend this Sunday showing it.

Worthy is the Lamb! Amen! G.F. Handel’s “Messiah”.

For our music meditation today we feature the final choruses of Handel’s “Messiah” – “Worthy is the Lamb” and “Amen”. May it be our song this Christmas season even as it will be when He returns in glory.

Christ Has Come and is Coming Again (4)

For our final Christmas devotional on these Sunday’s in December we want to take one more look at the truth that Jesus’ 1st coming also points us to His 2nd coming. While we celebrate Christmas looking back, we also celebrate it looking ahead. The Word of God will not let us remember the wonder of Christ’s Incarnation without remembering the wonder of His parousia (personal return in glory). We have been drawing some contrasts between these two comings of our Lord, and in this last devotional we want to draw one more contrast.

That is the truth that when Jesus came the first time, he came in relative obscurity and quietness; the coming of the Son of God in our flesh was almost secret and hidden. But his second coming will not be so. When Jesus returns in glory, it will be an open and public event, a “showy” and loud revelation, heralded by shouting angels and saints, and announced with trumpet blast. Let’s notice more of this contrast and “flesh it out” according to what the Bible says.

When Jesus came the first time, it was a relatively hidden and quiet coming. Although it was announced throughout the OT Scriptures that He was coming, and though He came into the world and the world had been prepared for Him by the sovereign hand of His Father, the world (with few exceptions) didn’t know the Son of God had come (Jn.1:10-11). He was born of lowly, obscure Jewish parents (Matt.1:18ff.). His place of birth was Bethlehem, a little, despised village in Judea (Micah 5:2; Matt.2:5-6). His birth announcement was not proclaimed in the capital city of Jerusalem or even in another prominent city of Israel, but to insignificant (by human standards) shepherds out on the hills of Bethlehem (Lu.2:8ff.). And yes, that first coming of our Lord was heralded by a glorious appearance by angels – a multitude of the heavenly host singing and praising God (Lu.2:13-14)! – but besides those lowly shepherds who heard that glorious chorus? And yes, Jesus was later honored by a visit from the Eastern magi (Persians), who were led by a glorious star and who brought him magnificent gifts (Matt.2:1ff.), but again, who knew about this, besides the deranged, hateful Herod and his henchmen?

This characteristic of the first coming of our Lord was in perfect harmony with the nature of His mission the first time He entered our world. He came in humiliation and shame to rescue sinners. He came to assume the nature of His “seed”, so that He could assume their sin and guilt, their curse and shame, and deliver them from it by suffering in their place all His life and then dying for them on the cross (see our previous devotions on this). It was fitting, then, that His first coming be hidden and quiet.

But not so His second coming! That will be a wide open, public affair! In the end of this age the Son of God will return to this earth with glory and power, and with a great show of that glory and power. Yes, the Lord Jesus will come the 2nd time as a thief in the night, suddenly and unexpectedly (for the unbelieving wicked), but when He comes, they – and all His children – will know it, plainly and unmistakably! Listen to what these verses declare about our Lord’s 2nd coming:

Matt.24:27 – For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ²⁹Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: ³⁰And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

I Thess.4: ¹³But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ¹⁵For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

2 Thess.1: ⁷And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, ⁸In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: ⁹Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; ¹⁰When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

2 Peter 3: ¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. ¹¹Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, ¹²Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? ¹³Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. ¹⁴Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Rev.1:  ⁷Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Rev.19: And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: ²For true and righteousare his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. ³And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. ⁴And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. ⁵And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. ⁶And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. ⁷Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. ⁸And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. ⁹And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Do you see the contrast between the two comings of the Lord also in this respect? And do you see why too? The purpose of Christ’s mission in the 2nd coming (plain from the above passages) is in harmony with this public and prominent personal coming. Look at all that He comes again to accomplish – the defeat of antichrist and satan, the resurrection of the dead, the judgment of all men, the purifying and re-making of the heavens and the earth, and the taking home of His bride to an unending wedding feast! Nothing private or hidden about these things! And so He comes with great public glory and power. No one will miss the day.

And so, as we remember and celebrate Christmas, let us do so with our spiritual eyes on the return of our Lord. The above verses also make plain that if this is our hope, it will transform our whole way of living. Is that reflected in the way we keep Christmas too? May God bless our celebration of Christ’s lowly coming even as we prepare for our celebration of that great and glorious day to come.

“Hallelujah” – Handel’s “Messiah”

For our music meditation today and in celebration of Christ’s return in glory we consider this glorious piece from G.F.Handel’s “Messiah” – the majestic “Hallelujah” chorus. May our hope be fixed on Him Who is truly “King of kings and Lord of lords”.

Christ Has Come and Is Coming Again (3)

For our Christmas devotionals this year we are considering the two comings of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. At Christmas we look back, remembering and celebrating our Savior’s first coming, as the Son of God came to this world and was incarnate of the virgin Mary. But at Christmas we are also looking ahead, as we anticipate the glorious return of our Lord. Jesus Christ has come and He is coming again!

As we examine these two comings, we are noting that there are striking differences as well as striking similarities. Last time we noted that there is this significant difference between the two comings of Christ, that whereas the first time He came in lowliness and shame, the second time He will come in exaltation and glory. Today we want to note this difference, that whereas the first time Jesus came in weakness and mortality, the second time He will come in power and in the power of an endless life.

When Jesus came the first time in the fullness of time and was born in Bethlehem, He came in weakness and mortality. By that we simply mean that He took on our human nature as it was affected by the Fall into sin, such that He came to suffer the infirmities of our flesh, including death (see last week’s devotion). Yes, the first time He came Jesus entered into our weakness and mortality and came to suffer and die! Here are some verses that speak to this:

Matthew 8:16-17 - When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with [his] word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare [our] sicknesses.

Romans 8:3 – For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Heb.2:14-18 - Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Hebrews 4:14-15 - Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.

This belonged to the humiliation into which our Savior willingly entered for our sakes and for our salvation. And this is why Jesus could be tempted Matt.4:1ff.), why He could become tired and needed rest (Matt.8:24), why He could know sorrow and pain (Is.53:3; Lam.1:12), and why He struggled in the face of death (Matt.26:36ff.). And the Word of God shows us this side of Jesus’ first coming in order to make plain to us that He came to deliver us from this weakness and mortality, and to make us know that while we are still in the midst of it He is there to comfort us and help us through it (note especially the verses in Hebrews above). What a Savior! And what reason to remember and celebrate Christmas!

But we also need to know that when Christ comes again in the end of this age, He will not come in such weakness and mortality, but in great power and in the power of His new life obtained through His resurrection from the dead! He will come then, not in humiliation, but in exaltation! Here are verses that speak to this:

Matthew 24:30 - And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

1 Cor.15:42-45 - So also [is] the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit.

Phil.2:9-11 - Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Revelation 11:15-17 - And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become [the kingdoms] of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

This is why our hope for the future is so great. When our Lord returns at the end of this world, He will bring final and complete victory for His people. He will rescue them from all their enemies, from the devil, and antichrist, and the wicked world (which is why this day will be one of great fear for them!). He will deliver His own fully from all sin and weakness and suffering and death, and transport them into His kingdom of perfect peace and life and joy. He will raise them up to His own exalted life in glory and live with them forever and ever, world without end! This too is reason to remember and celebrate Christmas. Our mighty, glorious Savior is coming again. Soon! With perfect salvation! Let us then wait and watch for Him with holy hope.

2012: The Year in Photos – The Atlantic

2012: The Year in Photos, Part 1 of 3 – In Focus – The Atlantic.

As we near the end of the year 2012, numerous news summaries of the year have begun to be published. I always find the photo summaries to be some of the most interesting, in part because the picture tells the story – sometimes in graphic form. This three-part photo series is from The Atlantic. The link above takes you to Part 1, with links to the other two parts in the introduction below. Keep in mind that some of these pictures tell a graphic and violent story.

May these summaries of the year 2012 remind us of our sovereign God Who governs all people and all things great and small; and may they point us to the great event to which all history is leading – the return of our Lord.

2012 was an eventful year, from big events like the London Summer Olympics and the U.S. presidential race, to regional conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, to smaller issues closer to home. Reverberations from last year’s transformative Arab Spring still heavily affect Syria and Egypt; and the slow recovery from the recent global economic crisis brought bitter austerity measures to parts of Europe, leading to widespread protests. Collected here is Part 1 of a three-part photo summary of the last year, covering its first four months. Be sure to see Part 2 and Part 3. The series totals 135 images in all. [45 photos]

Christ Has Come and Is Coming Again! (2)

Last week we began some special Christmas devotions for this month, taking the theme “Christ Has Come and Is Coming Again” (see last Sunday’s post). As we celebrate our Lord’s coming in the flesh once again, we are reflecting on the fact that at Christmas we may both look back and look ahead. Jesus Christ came in the fullness of time, but He is also coming again in the end of the world. And we talked about how there were striking similarities between Christ’s two comings but also striking contrasts. It is on these contrasts that we wish to dwell in our devotional today.

In what ways are the two comings of Christ to be contrasted? 1st, when Jesus was incarnate of the Spirit through the virgin Mary, he came in lowliness and shame (humiliation – the classic passage for this is Phil.2:5-8). That lowliness certainly involved the fact that the eternal and infinite Son of God took on our temporal and finite human nature. As God Who dwells in the heights of heavenly glory, Jesus Christ lowered himself to enter our world and to be born a baby. He Who is eternal and omnipresent according to His divine nature took on the nature of man that was limited by time and space. And as Phil.2:7 tells us, He did so as a servant – the servant of Jehovah – but our Servant too! As the Lord and Master of the universe, He came to do the will of God and serve us. That’s part of the wonder of Christmas!

And yet that cannot be the whole of Christ’s humiliation, because when He comes again in the end of this age – comes in glory and honor! – He will still be clothed with our human nature and He will still come to this earth. But He will be the exalted Son of man (Matt.26:64; Rev.1:5-7)!

So Christ’s humiliation involved much more. We have to add that He humbled himself also in that he assumed our human nature as it was after the Fall. He didn’t take on the flesh of Adam in his perfected state but the flesh of the sons of Adam after the Fall into sin and death. After all, Christ came for sinners, to redeem them from sin! There are two classic passages that speak to this:

Romans 8:3 – For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Hebrews 2:14-18 - Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; ¹⁵And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. ¹⁶For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. ¹⁷Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

There is the humiliation of the Son of God in our flesh! He came “in the likeness of sinful flesh”! I cannot fathom that. Though Christ Himself was the sinless, spotless, perfectly righteous Lamb of God, He took on the likeness of my sinful nature with its guilt and corruption and death. He came bearing my sins and the sins of all His people, such that He looked like a fallen, guilty, death-deserving sinner! Because He was, in my place and in yours. Because He came to die our death on the cross. You see, we cannot separate Christmas from the cross. This is why He humbled Himself and became our Servant. This is why His name was “Jesus”:

Matt.1:21 - And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

That is what we remember and celebrate this Christmas once again. In humility, for none of us deserves such a Savior and such a salvation.

But when Jesus comes again, it will be without sin. He will come in the glory of His perfected, all-glorious, resurrected and ascended state. And yet, He will still come to save us – fully and forever from all the effects of sin and death!

Hebrews 9:26-28 - ²⁶For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: ²⁸So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

That too is what we remember and celebrate this Christmas. Shall we not then sing: “Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:14) and “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Rev.5:12)?!

Christ Has Come and Is Coming Again (1)

In years past we have had special Christmas devotions on the Sunday’s in December (see my Dec.2010 and 2011 posts), and this year we will do the same. We will take a break from the Psalms for a month and concentrate on the coming of Christ, in word and song.

As soon as we mention Christ’s coming, we realize that we can both look back and look forward. We speak of our Lord as having come and as still coming. He came the first time in the fullness of time in Bethlehem, Judea, born of the virgin Mary, when Caesar Augustus ruled the Roman world (Matt.2; Luke 2). And He will come again when time is fully full at the end of this age, when antichrist will have ruled the world (2 Thess.2; Rev.19). We, then, His redeemed people live between these two comings. And it is good for us this Advent season to look back and remember that Christ has come, and to look forward and remember that He is coming.

When we look at these two comings of our Lord (And we believe there are only these two – not multiple comings through a private rapture and a public return to Jerusalem, etc. as dispensationalism teaches), then we see there are striking similarities but also some striking contrasts. It is worth our time in this initial devotional to lay these out.

In the first and second comings of our Lord there are striking similarities. 1st, it is the same Person who comes – the 2nd Person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, joined to and wrapped in our human nature. That means that when He came the first time and when He comes again, it was and will be a personal coming. Jesus did not send a representative to save us; He did not dispatch a substitute Savior. No, He came personally to this earth, entered our world, and took on our flesh and blood to redeem us (Gal.4:4-5; Heb.2:14-17). And when He returns at the end of this age, He will return personally again (Acts 1:11 – “this same Jesus… shall so come”.). That is of comfort to us. You and I need the same Jesus who suffered and died for us, the same Jesus who rose again and ascended to heaven for us, to return for us. Our hope is not merely an event; it is a Person – Jesus Christ!

2nd, Jesus’ purpose in coming is the same, though the way in which He achieves this purpose is different (as we shall see). In both His first coming and His second coming Jesus comes to save His elect people and to overthrow the reprobate wicked who are His enemies. When Christ was born in the fullness of time, He came to save His elect people (Matt.1:18ff.; Luke 2:10-11; Gal.4:4-5; Heb.2:14-17, etc.). And He came to overthrow the reprobate wicked (Matt.10:34; John 9:39; 12:31). And when He comes again in the end of this age, it will be to save His elect people (Heb.9:28; 2 Pet.3:8ff.; Rev.21-22) and to overthrow the reprobate wicked (2 Thess.2:8ff.; 2 Pet.3; Rev.19). This too is our comfort and our hope. It is deliverance from sin and death and from all our enemies, and deliverance unto everlasting life that we need, and Jesus has come and will come to accomplish that. What a wonder of His grace and love to us!

But in the first and second comings of Christ there are also striking contrasts. These we will examine next Sunday, D.V. Until then, let’s meditate on these words in Matthew 1:18-25, about the first coming of our Lord:

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. ¹⁹Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. ²⁰But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. ²¹And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. ²²Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,²³Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. ²⁴Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: ²⁵And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.