Are You Ready for Jesus to Return - Pastor Diedrich Harms
Readiness to meet Jesus presses harder than readiness to die. Readiness for Jesus does not mean a person wants to leave children, grandchildren, and life behind, but it does mean the call of Christ would find that person ready to go. Paul tells the Thessalonian brothers that times and seasons do not need more writing, because the Father keeps that in his own hand. Jesus answers the disciples the same way in Acts 1: the kingdom timetable is not their business, but witness is their business, in Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
The Thessalonian church had only been taught a short time, and the word “soon” still raised questions. Jesus will soon return, and “soon” has felt long to many people, but Christ returns every day for somebody and one day for all. The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, not announced, not scheduled, not put on a calendar. The thief image calls for awareness, like a house waiting for a visitor hears every noise and like a father knows what his sons have been doing even when they think he does not know.
Peace and security can make the world feel too easy and too comfortable. The sinking ground in Florida, the hurricanes, the tornadoes, and the houses breaking apart remind people that the ground cannot finally be trusted. The labor pains image says the day will surely come and suddenly come, and escape will not be possible. Paul says the brothers are not in darkness, so that day should not surprise them like it surprises those who have no light.
Children of light have Scripture, Jesus, and enough knowledge to live clean and ready before God. Sleep and drunkenness picture a foggy spiritual mind, a life not clear about where it stands with Christ. The breastplate of faith and love guards the heart, because the enemy attacks there. Faith is trust, trust that Scripture is God’s word and trust that Jesus died for sins. The helmet of the hope of salvation guards the mind, especially when feelings, doubts, phones, and the noise of the day feed the brain with the wrong things.
God has not destined his people for wrath, but for salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation does not rest on being good, feeling saved, church-going, baptism, or family background. Christ died so that whether awake or asleep, his people might live with him. Jesus calls sinners, sick people, struggling people, and ashamed people to come to him, tell him the truth, and receive peace. Verse 11 calls the church to encourage one another and build one another up, with Scripture, prayer, testimony, and help for the person going through a hard time.