Introduction – A Promise to Return
During the darkest days of World War II, General Douglas MacArthur faced what seemed like an impossible situation. In the Philippines, his forces were badly outnumbered, surrounded, and under constant attack. The President of the United States ordered him to evacuate—not because he wanted to abandon the fight, but because he was needed to rally, to regroup, and to prepare the counterattack that would eventually win the war.
As MacArthur prepared to depart, he grasped the hand of General Jonathan Wainwright, who would stay behind, and with deep emotion he promised: “I will return.” Those three words became a lifeline for the men left behind, and for the people of the Philippines who lived under occupation. They clung to the promise.
MacArthur slipped away under the cover of night, navigating dangerous skies and seas patrolled by the enemy, and finally reached Australia. There, reporters asked what his plans were. His answer was firm and unwavering: “I came through—and I shall return.”
And history records that two years later, in October 1944, MacArthur kept his word. He waded ashore at Leyte, raised his voice above the roar of battle, and declared: “To the people of the Philippines: I have returned.”
But long before MacArthur, there was another Commander, greater than any general. On the eve of His death, Jesus Christ spoke to His disciples who were troubled and afraid. He said in John 14: “Let not your heart be troubled… In My Father’s house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again.”
Just as MacArthur’s promise gave hope in the darkest hour of war, so Christ’s promise gives us hope in the struggles of this life. But unlike MacArthur—who was only a man, who could have failed—Jesus is the Son of God, and He cannot lie. When He says, “I will come again,” we can stake our lives and our eternity on it.
And that is why Jesus warns us in Matthew 24:42: “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”
From that one verse, we learn that the return of Jesus Christ is:
1. A Glorious Event
2. A Mysterious Event
3. A Serious Event
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1. A Glorious Event
Jesus spoke of “the hour your Lord doth come.” That hour will be a glorious one for His people.
A) Our Redeemer Will Personally Be Coming
1 Thessalonians 4:16 declares: “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.”
Notice: the Lord Himself. He isn’t sending Gabriel. He isn’t dispatching Michael. He isn’t delegating this to a cherub or seraph. He is coming personally for His people.
Think about what that means: His voice will call you. His face you will see. That moment will be glory beyond description.
Fanny Crosby put it this way:
“I shall know Him, I shall know Him, by the print of the nails in His hands.”
Carrie Beck added:
“Face to face with Christ my Savior, face to face—what will it be?”
Yes, the greatest glory of His return is that we will finally see Jesus.
B) Our Redemption Will Finally Be Complete
Luke 21:28 says, “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”
We often forget: redemption comes in three stages.
Past: We were saved from the penalty of sin—Christ made us righteous.
Present: We are being saved from the power of sin—Christ sanctifies us.
Future: We will be saved from the presence of sin—Christ will glorify us.
The final stage comes at His return. No more temptation. No more sorrow. No more death. The old hymn says: “We’ll rise to sin no more.”
That is why His coming is glorious—it means completion. It means heaven. It means home.
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2. A Mysterious Event
Jesus also said: “Ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”
A) The Hour Is Unknown
Mark 13:35 lists the four watches of the night—Jesus could come in the evening, at midnight, at cockcrowing, or in the morning. The point is clear: no man knows the hour.
Even Jesus emphasized it in Matthew 24:36: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”
B) The Hour Is Unpredictable
History is filled with failed predictions. William Miller set dates in the 1800s, declaring Jesus would come in 1843, then again in 1844. Followers sold their homes, donned white robes, and waited. The day passed. History remembers it as The Great Disappointment.
The lesson? We cannot predict His return. Anyone who claims to set a date is, as one preacher quipped, “a few fries short of a Happy Meal.”
His coming is certain. But the hour is hidden. Which means every hour is a time to be ready.
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3. A Serious Event
Finally, Jesus said: “Watch therefore.” That means: stay awake. Stay alert. Live prepared.
A) Preparation
The question isn’t whether Jesus will return. The question is whether you are ready. Can you say with confidence that Jesus is your Lord?
Jonathan Edwards compared life without Christ to walking across thin canvas with hidden weak spots. One misstep—and down you go. The same is true of those living unprepared: either death or Christ’s return could come at any moment.
Illustration: Mount St. Helens, 1980. Harry Truman, the 84-year-old lodge owner, refused repeated warnings to evacuate. When the mountain erupted, the pyroclastic blast gave him no chance. He was gone in an instant. The warnings had been clear, but he refused to prepare.
So it is with Christ’s return. The warnings are clear. Will we be ready?
B) Expectation
Watching doesn’t mean staring at the sky. It means living every day with the expectation that Christ could return. Titus 2:13 calls this “that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”
D. L. Moody once said: “The moment a person takes hold of the truth that Jesus Christ is coming back again, this world loses its hold upon him.”
That expectation fuels holiness. It fuels service. It keeps us from being ashamed at His appearing (1 John 2:28).
Illustration: President Eisenhower once surprised a little boy dying of cancer by showing up unannounced at his home. The boy was thrilled—but his father later said he was ashamed to have met the President dressed in dirty jeans and unshaven.
How will you meet the King of Kings? Joyful? Or ashamed?
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Conclusion – He Will Return
On October 20, 1944, General Douglas MacArthur fulfilled his word. Stepping into the Philippine surf, he raised his voice and declared: “To the people of the Philippines: I have returned.” The promise was kept, the people were freed, and the tide of war began to turn.
But that victory was temporary. Nations rise and fall, wars begin and end, and human promises, no matter how noble, are always limited. Yet when Jesus says, “I will come again,” His words echo through eternity. He is not bound by weakness, not hindered by enemies, and not delayed by circumstance. His coming is certain.
When He returns, it will be glorious—for the Lord Himself will descend, and every eye shall see Him.
It will be mysterious—for we do not know the day nor the hour, only that it could be at any moment.
It will be serious—for to those unprepared, the door will be shut.
So the question is not, Will He come?—because He surely will. The question is, Will you be ready?
One day soon, the skies will split, the trumpet will sound, and the Son of God will appear in power and glory. For the believer, it will be the moment we’ve been waiting for all our lives. For the unbeliever, it will be too late.
That’s why Jesus said: “Watch therefore.” Keep an eye on the sky. Live every day in readiness, every hour in expectation, every moment with hope.
MacArthur kept his promise. Christ will keep His.
And when He does, all of heaven will resound with His words: “Behold, I come quickly!”
The only question left is: Will you be ready when He comes for you?
