we are on the eve of our annual celebration of the night when Jesus was born – the night when the Word became flesh and made His home with us for a little while, the night when the angels sang, the night when time was torn in two.  That night the universe stood still, pausing to hear a baby’s cry – a light had come into the darkness and the darkness would never overcome it.

Such was Jesus’ entrance upon the earth that He had created all those years ago. It wasn’t a grand entrance by anyone’s standard.  Jesus came as a helpless baby, born in a small village, to poor parents – His birth went mostly unnoticed by an unsuspecting world, except for His parents who had things explained to them by an angel, the shepherds who were also notified by an angel, and the wise men who were watching for His arrival.  The rest of the world went on as if nothing special had happened.  They had no clue that the promised Messiah had come.

Now, more than two thousand years later we are celebrating Jesus’ first appearance on earth even as we wait expectantly for His promised return.

But when Jesus comes again, it is going to be very different from His first appearance here.  I learn something about what to expect in Acts 1:9-11 where I read, “After He (Jesus) said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.  They (the disciples) were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.  ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.’ ”

“Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him.  So shall it be!  Amen.”   (Revelation 1:7)

” ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’  At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.  And He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.”  (Mark 13:24-27)

Not many people living at the time of Jesus’ birth were aware of His arrival on this earth.  But when Jesus comes to earth again, no one will miss the event.  It will be impossible to do so.

“For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever.”   (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

Jesus said He would come back for us, “And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.”  (John 14:3)   That’s a promise I can count on.

Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ first appearance on earth, we remember how God took on flesh and lived among us for awhile.  We remember that He also took on our sin, paid our price with His death and secured our eternity with Him when He rose from His grave on the third day.

Jesus has told us that He is coming again.  But this time no one will miss His arrival.  When He comes again He will wipe away every tear, He will end all our suffering and He will set all things right.  When He comes again He will bring His peace to rule over our constant conflicts.  When He comes again He will bring His reconciliation into all our relationships.  When He comes again He will bring His healing into all our infirmities.  When He comes again His light will vanquish our darkness permanently.  When He comes again His righteousness will prevail and His justice will rule.

When He comes again   . . .   no one will miss it – everyone will see it together  . . .

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.  The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.   . . .  That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and elements will melt in the heat.  But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”  (2 Peter 3:10-13)

When He comes again   . . .

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  . . .   I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them.  They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’  He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ ”  (Revelation 21:1-5)

When He comes again   . . .

“But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”    (1 John 3:2)

When He comes again    . . .

”  . . .  we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”    (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

When He comes again    . . .

sincerely,        Grace Day