Second Coming

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”(which means “Teacher”).

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20:11-18, NIV)

…………

The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”

10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:6-20, NIV)

REFLECTIONS:

Everything about joy that we have talked about this week is seen here in Mary Magdalene: victory in the midst of suffering, joy in experiencing a person, heightened joy because of waiting.

I can only imagine what Mary must have been thinking that Sunday morning. Maybe he wasn’t who he said he was. I thought he was going to really deliver us. Or maybe, I still believe in him, but I just don’t understand.

Confusion. Disappointment. Hopelessness. Even after seeing the angels at the tomb, she’s still weeping when Jesus approaches her. She was look­ing right at him, but she did not recognize Jesus until he said her name, “Mary.” This is one of the most moving pictures in the four gospels. Jesus, the risen and glorified Lord, gently says her name and she sees. The encounter with Jesus opens the floodgates of joy.

Our story is no less miraculous. God has opened our eyes to see and our hearts to believe. He has put within us a longing to see Jesus face-to-face. John tells us, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)

The time of disappointment, confusion, pain, jealousy, anger and grief will be no more. On that day, all our longings for hope, peace, love and joy will find complete satisfaction as Jesus looks at us and calls us by name.

Christmas shows God beginning to reveal his beautiful plan of redemp­tion, Easter shows his power to accomplish his plan, and the Second Coming will show the consummation of the plan.

Maranatha. Come Lord Jesus!

PRAYER:

Father, even though you have redeemed us and given us eyes to see, we long for the day of Jesus’ return, when we will see him as he is and be made like him. We long for the day to find our ultimate and undistracted joy, delight, and satisfaction in you just as Jesus does. Make us content where we are now, but not satisfied. Increase our compassion for the world around us as you increase our desire for your return. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.