Behold, I am coming soon!
Jesus, Revelation 22:10
How long, O Lord?
Psalm 13:1
Dear Grace Family,
Soon?
Did Jesus say he was coming “soon”?
Nearly 2,000 years after he spoke those words to the Apostle John, we wonder if Jesus’ definition of soon is a bit, um, different than ours. Because if we’re being honest, we all know the reality that there are many days where it feels like Jesus is a million miles away.
Have we mis-heard him?
Did John misunderstand him?
Do we need to adjust our expectations downward?
Reading the last chapter of Revelation only intensifies our questions. Awkwardly and maddeningly, Jesus repeats this promise to us multiple times in the Bible’s last chapter.
What are we to make of this?
Instead of over-spiritualizing the difficulties we walk through or explaining away the tension between the absolute nearness and seemingly-infinite delay of Jesus’ return, the last chapter of Revelation places this paradox at the heart of the Christian life.
So, on the one hand, as Paul puts it in Romans 8, we—along with all creation—groan as we await the Lord’s return. Our grief is profound, real, and deep.
But at the same time, we live as those who believe that we are on the absolute cusp of the in-breaking of Jesus’ healing and restoring presence. We groan, but we do so as people who live with a tangible and robust hope.
I hope to worship with you on Sunday. This sermon is part 2 of what I preached last week.
This Sunday: Revelation 22:6-21 (NIV)
Boot Tracks Leading Home, Part 2
Warmly In Christ,
Pastor John
P.S. We will continue to hold in-person worship and livestream this week at 10:30 AM. As we mentioned previously, masks are no longer required for fully vaccinated folks. Pre-register for nursery here.