“JESUS IS COMING AGAIN! Acts 1:10-11
FBCF – 12/26/21
Jon Daniels
INTRO – Dec 26 is an interesting day for me & maybe for you. Still want to be in Christmas spirit, but hard to do that. Kind of melancholy, introspective. Christmas trees & decorations are still up. But just doesn’t feel the same.
But the Good News is still the Good News! And so today on this Dec. 26, we are going to wrap up our “Good News of Great Joy” sermon series. Over course of this month, we’ve considered the good news that Jesus is coming, that He has in fact come, & that He is here. Today, we rejoice in the good news that He is coming again!
EXPLANATION – Acts 1:10-11
Fundamental doctrines are those that are absolutely essential to us as Christ-followers. They’re @ the heart of our faith. They’re those truths that are so important that, to not believe them places you outside of Christianity. They are nonnegotiables that we must fully embrace. If that sounds strict & harsh, just remember that Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Some of these fundamental doctrines include:
- The virgin birth of Christ
- The crucifixion of Christ as payment for our sins
- The bodily resurrection of Christ
- The ascension of Christ & present intercession for us
- The 2nd coming of Christ
THE VIRGIN BIRTH – You can’t separate the virgin birth of Jesus from our doctrine. Adrian Rogers: “You have no hope of salvation apart from the virgin birth. If you remove the virgin birth of Christ, you destroy the foundation of Christianity. It collapses like a house of cards.”
Because His Father is truly God and His mother truly human, Jesus is God in human flesh, the only begotten Son of God, the only one qualified to atone for sin.
- Without virgin birth, you have no hope of Heaven.
- Without virgin birth, Jesus would be a son of Adam.
- Born of a virgin, He was therefore the Son of God—sinless.
- Because He was sinless, He could die a substitutionary death to atone for sin.
- He atoned for our sin that we might be born again & go to Heaven.
- He became the Son of man that we might become the sons & the daughters of God. (Adrian Rogers)
THE CRUCIFIXION – “At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light; & the burden of my sin rolled away. It was there by faith I received my sight; & now I am happy all the day.”
The burden of our sin was rolled away from us, but it was rolled onto Jesus Christ on the cross. On the cross:
- He took our place
- He took our sin
- He turned away God’s wrath
- He tore the veil in two
THE RESURRECTION – THE MOST DEFINITIVE STATEMENT OF TRIUMPH THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN! Colossians 2:15 – “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross.” (AMP)
Charles Ryrie: “If Christ did not rise then our witness is false, our faith is w/out meaningful content, & our prospects for the future are hopeless.” 1 Corinthians 15:17-19 – “…if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless & you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.” (NLT)
THE ASCENSION –
- Ministry of completion – “It is finished!” was the pronouncement that the mission of redemption of mankind was accomplished. The ascension is the final exclamation point that Jesus’ earthly ministry is complete. Spurgeon: “His ascension in stately pomp, amidst the acclamations of angels, to the enjoyment of His Father’s continued smile, is the sure proof that the work is complete.”
- Ministry of construction – John 14:2 – “I go to prepare a place for you” (KJV)
- Ministry of intercession – sent Holy Spirit to us. Romans 8:26-27 – “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” And Jesus Himself intercedes for us in heaven. Hebrews 7:25 – “Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.” (NLT)
- Ministry of sanctification – Ephesians 5:25-26 – “…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word…”
That leaves only 1 more event to be fulfilled in Jesus’ ministry – the 2nd coming – His return for His Church. HE’S COMING AGAIN!
APPLICATION – Knowing & believing that Jesus is coming again gives us hope to press on in this life.
This time of year, we focus on the 1st coming of Jesus into the world. May surprise you to know that references to the 2nd coming of Jesus outnumber references to the 1st by 8 to 1. Bible contains well over 1800 references to Jesus’ 2nd coming. 17 books of the OT mention it. 23 of the 27 books in the NT mention it. Many different ideas & thoughts about the prophecies of His 2nd coming. I want to give you 4 things we mean when we say Jesus is coming again.
“The salvation offered in Jesus is only available to us if he actually lived & died & rose again in history. The details of Jesus’ birth are clearly located in a specific time and place, & also in an identifiable political situation (Roman taxation) & cultural world (shepherds, Jewish circumcision). This is not “once upon a time, but this time & this place witnessed by these people.” (Tim Keller) Just as His birth is not once upon a time, but this time & this place witnessed by these people,” so will His return be.
HE WILL RETURN PERSONALLY – Acts 1:11 makes it clear that Jesus Himself is going to return to earth – “this same Jesus” (KJV). He’s not going to send someone else in His place. Not going to send an angel. HE – JESUS – is coming again! How awesome! How powerful! How comforting!
- The same Jesus who was born in Bethlehem is coming again!
- …who, as a 12 yr-old boy, astounded the teachers in the temple…who turned the water into wine…who raised Lazarus from the dead – raised a little girl from the dead…who walked on water…who fed the 5000 & the 3000…who healed blind people, people w/ leprosy, people who couldn’t walk, a man w/ a deformed hand, a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, & many others…who set people free from demons…who calmed the storms w/ just a word…who was whipped, beaten, scourged, mocked, humiliated, & condemned to death…who died a cruel, excruciating death on the cross…who rose from the dead on that 1st Easter Sunday morning…who ascended back into heaven…
This same Jesus will return personally! We better be ready!
HE WILL RETURN VISIBLY – The whole world is going to see it happen. It’s going to be a public worldwide event. Revelation 1:7 – “Look, He is coming w/ the clouds, & every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; & all the peoples on earth will mourn b/c of Him. So shall it be! Amen.” Mark 14:62 – “…you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One & coming on the clouds of heaven.” (NIV)
- His 1st coming – quiet & in obscurity. His 2nd coming – loud & publicly
- His 1st coming – in humble circumstances w/ Mary & Joseph at His birth. His 2nd coming – the armies of heaven will be at His side.
Ray Pritchard: “…there awaits in the future an event more marvelous, more startling, more amazing, and more blessed than anything that has happened in the last 2000 years. I speak of the literal, visible, bodily return of Christ to the earth. No event may seem less likely to modern men and women; no event is more certain in the light of inspired Scripture…‘I will come back,’ Jesus said (John 14:3). One day those words will be fulfilled before our very eyes.” (https://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/1998-04-05-this-same-jesus-the-blessed-hope-of-the-church/)
The Rapture will be visible then too, only to Christ-followers. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 tells us that the dead in Christ will rise first, then “we who are still alive & are left will be caught up together w/ them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be w/ the Lord forever.” We will meet Him. We will see Him. And we will be w/ Him forever!
This same Jesus will return visibly! We better be ready!
HE WILL RETURN BODILY – Back to Acts 1:11 – Bible makes us clear that Jesus is going to return in the same, resurrected, glorified body in which He ascended into heaven. This is not figurative or symbolic speech. This is a literal, historical narrative straight from the mouth of the angel to the disciples’ ears – “The way you see Him now is the way you’re going to see Him when He returns.”
How will we know Jesus? We will see Him & recognize Him, as He comes to physically take us, His Bride, home to be w/ Him forever. The act of taking us home to be w/ Him is not just a spiritual act – it is a physical event. Everything in Scripture points to His literal return in His body to get us.
Sam Storms: “Jesus will come bathed in radiant splendor, enveloped in an atmosphere of indescribable brilliance, surrounded by the ear-piercing praise of angels & saints. Scintillating light shining from his eyes. Irresistible power pouring from His hands. None will deny His beauty or escape its transforming energy.” ( https://gracequotes.org/topic/eschatology-second_coming/)
This same Jesus will return bodily! We better be ready!
HE WILL RETURN TRIUMPHANTLY – Everything about the 2nd coming of Jesus will be radically different from His 1st coming.
- 1st – helpless baby. 2nd – majestic King
- 1st – unassuming & obscure. 2nd – power & glory
- 1st – came riding on a donkey. 2nd – coming on a white horse as the ultimate conqueror
- 1st – to seek & save those who are lost. 2nd – to pronounce final judgment on His enemies
- 1st – to battle against the temptations of Satan. 2nd – to cast Satan & his demons into hell for all eternity
Jesus will return as the rightful King & divine Warrior. He will come back as the triumphant, conquering King who will bring all the kingdoms of the earth under His rule & reign. No one will be able to defeat Him. No one will be able to stand against Him. No one will be able to endure His wrath that will be poured out against all those who have had plenty of opportunities to receive Him as Savior & Lord but have rejected Him & will now experience the full force of the wrath & judgment of God. He is not coming to speak words of comfort & peace. That time is over. He is coming to pronounce righteous judgment on sinners. He is not coming alone, but all the armies of heaven will come w/ Him. And those of us who know Him will be in that army. He is coming as the triumphant King of kings & Lord of lords!
This same Jesus will return triumphantly! We better be ready!
CONCLUSION/TAKEAWAYS – Jesus is coming again! For those of us who know Him, it will be a great & glorious day. For those who don’t know Him, it will be a day of unimaginable, incomprehensible terror, agony, & fear. Hebrews 10:31 – “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Are you ready for Jesus to come again?
