The Reason For The Season:
“ Jesus is Coming Again” Hebrews 9:28
Sermon by Pastor Dennis Gleason, December 23, 2003
A number of years ago we had a Men’s Quartet come to our church for a special evening of music. They began their warm-up and sang a few songs interspersed with some chatter. After a few minutes of trying to get a response from the congregation, one of the men said this: “I can see that when Christ returns you people will be among the first to rise to meet him,” You could almost feel the spiritual pride welling up in everyone and then he completed his thought. “ because the Scriptures say that the dead in Christ shall rise first!” A few seconds of painful silence followed and then someone got the message and began laughing. It was an enjoyable evening after that!
We have been looking at the reasons we have for celebrating the Christmas Season. To summarize the last three messages: We have seen that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, to take away sins and to reveal the Father. That is what His first Advent was all about.
Today we are going to consider one more reason for celebrating the Advent of Jesus Christ. He was sent into our world to prepare for another Advent or time when he would come back again. He came the first time so that he could come again.
Our text for today is found in Hebrews 9:27-28
And just as it is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment, 28so also Christ died only once as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again but not to deal with our sins again. This time he will bring salvation to all those who are eagerly waiting for him.
When we think of his first Advent we are filled with joy and gladness. When Jesus came into our world…the light of heaven shone over the plain where the shepherds were caring for their sheep. The songs the shepherds heard we can hear even today and the new hope that filled the hearts of the shepherds and of the Wisemen is in our hearts today as well.
How wonderful that he came into our world to do his work of destroying the works of the devil, of putting away our sin and of revealing the Father to us.
But we are all conscious that nothing is perfect, that the things He came to do are not yet completely done, that the works of the devil are not yet finally destroyed, that sins are not yet totally taken away, and that in the spiritual consciousness of the human race God is not yet fully known. His victory, won during his life and by his death on the cross of Calvary is not yet complete. There seems to be so much left to be done.
I would suggest that the first Advent of the Son of God demands something else.
The clear message of the writers of the New Testament is this: He Who has come will come again. His first coming was preparatory and can only be ultimately realized by another coming that is as real in human history as the first.
Our text clearly states that “he will come again…” There is then a second, actual personal Advent of Jesus that is yet to be.
When Christ had risen from the dead and had gone up into heaven from the mountain top into the clouds, angels appeared to his disciples and said, “This Jesus, which was received up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye beheld Him going into heaven.”
Now it is clear to us that He is coming back or the angels were wrong.
The Apostle Paul in the letters to the Thessalonians declared in clear language: “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: then we that are alive, that are left, shall together be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
James wrote: “Be ye also patient; establish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
Peter said: “Be sober and set your hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
John, the apostle whom Jesus loved said: We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him even as He is. And everyone that hath this hope set on Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.”
These are just examples for our consideration of the teaching of the New Testament Church regarding their common faith that Jesus was coming back again.
Our text affirms, therefore, that he is coming back. “Christ…shall appear a second time, apart from sin.”
His first Advent was for the express purpose of taking away our sins. He is coming back but when He does it will not have any thing to do with our sins. There is a definite contrast between these two advents of Jesus Christ, God’s Son.
His first Advent was essential or necessary if there was to be a second Advent, but the second coming of Jesus will be different from the first. When He came the first time, everything was conditioned by sin. He came the first time to deal with sin. Sin was revealed for what it was. From the slaughter of the innocents to His own death on the cross His presence in the world brought hatred fully into view.
The action of the false King in killing the innocent children around Bethlehem came about because he feared a new king was coming to snatch his scepter. Think for a moment about our Lord’s own cross as a place of expression of all of the hatred of the human heart directed toward the Man of God.
Jesus Christ was offered, or given to the world to bear the sins of many. Having done that He will come again a second time.
When he comes the next time it will be the coming of the Victorious King…King of Kings, come to finish what he began when he was here the first time.
He will come again…not in poverty…but in wealth.
He will come again…not in sorrow…but in joy.
He will come again…not in loneliness…but to gather about himself all trusting souls who have looked and served and waited.
We are celebrating the Advent when there was no room for him in the Inn.
When he comes again…the whole world and the universe will make haste to receive Him.
At the close of his first Advent, we saw him holding the reed of mockery, robed in the purple of contempt, crowned with thorns, surrounded by the mob who wanted him crucified.
When he comes again he will hold the scepter of the universe in his right hand, and on his brow will be many diadems; he will be dressed in all the splendor of God himself and ten thousand times ten thousands of angels will accompany Him.
His first coming was for atonement. He dealt with sin, taking hold of it to deal with it, to put it away once and for all.
His Second coming will be for Administration…to set up His Kingdom, the foundations of which he laid during his first advent.
Our text declares the purpose of his Second Advent:
Hebrews 9:27 And just as it is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment, 28so also Christ died only once as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again but not to deal with our sins again. This time he will bring salvation to all those who are eagerly waiting for him.
It has been determined by God that after death there shall be judgment.
He shall appear a second time apart from sin…unto salvation.
When he came the first time he negated the death appointed unto all men. The scriptures clearly teach us that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus came the first time to bear the sins of many…the answer to the issue of death due to sin.
Beyond death there is another appointment…that of judgment.
When he comes back again, he will turn judgment into salvation for those who have heard the message of the first Advent and have believed it, and trusted in Jesus’ great work and have found shelter in the mystery of his coming and bearing our sin. For us Salvation takes the place of judgment.
But the man who will not believe the message of the first Advent, and trust Jesus’ great work of atonement as sufficient for his own sin judgment will remain. All the things begun by His First Advent will be consummated by His Second Advent.
For the believer, there will be complete salvation at His Second Advent…Righteousness, Sanctification, Redemption.
We believed and were saved.
We believe and are being saved.
We believe and shall be saved.
The last moment will come when Our Lord comes again.
When he comes back he will heal all the wounds of creation.
He will come back to set the captives free.
He will come back to set up his Kingdom and rule with absolute and inflexible equity.
He came before in complete meekness.
He will come back in majestic might and love.
What he came to accomplish the first time, he will come back to complete.
We stand today between these two Advents. Our relationship to the first determines how it will be for us at the Second Advent. To trust in the First Advent means to expectantly wait for the Second Advent.
How do you wait for the Second Advent? How will we live for Christ while we wait for his return?
One of my favorite stories is one about a man who lived in Atlanta. One day while looking up a restaurant in the Yellow Pages he saw an entry for a place called the Church of God Grill. He was curious about the restaurant and called the number in the book.
A man answered the phone with a cheery, “Hello, Church of God Grill!” The man asked how his restaurant had been given such an unusual name and the man on the phone said, “Well, we had a little mission down here, and we started selling chicken dinners after church on Sunday to help pay the bills. Well, people like the chicken, and we did such a good business, that eventually we cut back on the church service. After a while we just closed down the church all together and kept on serving the chicken dinners. We kept the name we started with, and that’s the Church of God Grill.” Chuck Swindol Dropping Your Guard, p. 386
Remember Jesus told his disciples (and us) “You are the light of the world…”
Light is silent. No noise, no big splash, no banners. Light simply shines. It is like a light house on a rugged shoreline. All it does is shine as it turns.
Light gives direction. No words, no sermon. Jesus says that others “see” our actions – but nothing is said of their hearing.
Light attracts attention. You don’t have to ask people to look at you when you turn a light on in a dark room. It happens automatically. If we are a Christian on an athletic team filled with non-Christians, we are the light in the darkness. If you are a Christian family in a neighborhood of non-Christian families you re light in that darkness. The same is true if you are the only Christian nurse at work, or student at school or professional in your firm. You are light in the darkness – a servant of God who is being watched, who gives off a distinctive message…often without a word being spoken.
At first they may hate the light. But don’t worry, they are still attracted to it. Let it shine! Don’t attempt to show off how bright and sparkling you are, just shine!
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone would come up to you one day and wonder about the source and secret of your light and enquire: Twinkle, twinkle, little star /How I wonder what you are!
Are you trusting and expectantly waiting because you believe in Him as your Savior and Lord of your life…and as you shine for him in the darkness of this world.
He is coming again! Praise God!
-- Dennis Gleason
