The Second Coming of Christ

“You also be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” 
Matthew 24:44 (NLT) 

The longest recorded answer Jesus gave to any question had to do with His second coming.  Just as He fulfilled the promise of His first coming, He will fulfill the promise of His return! “In the 260 chapters of the New Testament, there are 318 references to the second advent of Christ—an amazing 1 out of every 30 verses. Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event. For every prophecy in the Bible concerning Christ’s first advent, there are 8 which look forward to His second!” (Today in The Word)

Jesus is coming again! Are you ready? When will He return? What will be the sign of His coming? These were the questions the disciples asked, and we still long for the answers today. In response, Matthew records what Jesus told them in his gospel. He devotes two chapters to all that Jesus said in Matthew 24 and 25.

Jesus wanted His disciples to be ready, to watch for His coming. In Matthew 24:42 (NLT), He said, “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.” He used the illustration of Noah to warn them. “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.… People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.” (verses 37, 39 NLT)

He also used a picture of a thief coming unannounced to illustrate how His return would come when they least expected Him! Since we do not know the day or hour that Christ will return, Jesus warns us to be alert, watchful, and faithful. In verses 45 and 46, Jesus says, "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.”

We don’t know exactly when Christ will come again, but if we are alert, watchful, and faithful, we will be ready when Jesus comes to take us home! 

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Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.

Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.