Next ‘09 | Christ’s Return

“Never put the accent on the appearing and focus on that. Put the accent on Jesus.” –Sinclair Ferguson

“It’s almost a psychological-spiritual paradox,” Ferguson said as he began the final session of Next 2009. After learning about the glory of Christ in His preeminence, the miracle of His incarnation, His sinless life, His atoning death and His all-important resurrection, the Scottish pastor and seminary professor began his message with a peculiarity in the life of the Christian. Though there is a sense of eagerness to see the Lord in His journey, we joyfully and patiently await His miraculous coming.

Ever since our Lord and Savior ascended into glory, many people have come and gone prophesying the end of the world. Looking at “signs” from the world, at least a few people in every time period have thought they would see the world’s end in their lifetime. But their focus was not on that it was Jesus returning. It was about “ending the bad days.” It was about settling disputes on eschatology. It was about being “raptured up” before the rest of the world. It was not about Jesus.

“It’s not a kind of theological sudoku,” Ferguson said of the manner of Jesus’ coming. The most important thing to remember is that it is Jesus coming and that it is, “not an add-on to the gospel but the book-end of the gospel.” Jesus’ returning is the great hope of the Christian, that while we don’t know what will happen before Jesus returns, we know that Jesus is returning. On the contrary, the non-Christian has no reason to believe that human history is going anywhere.

This hope for the future helps us to persevere until we complete the race. Ferguson juxtaposes the attitudes of the ungodly and the redeemed at the end of their races. The ungodly complain about trivial things, such as the food in a hospital, while the sanctified saint asks eagerly about what the Church is doing now. Your best days are behind you if your are not a Christian. Your best days are ahead of you if God has called you because your days will soon be in the presence of your beloved Savior.

Just as the promise of His coming is vital to the New Testament’s teaching, so are the manner and the time of His coming. Paul denounced people in 2 Timothy 2:17-18 who said that the resurrection has already happened. No one will be able to ignore the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. His return will be audible and visible throughout the edges of the earth. We have not yet seen Him in His full majesty and He is not coming until the full number of God’s elect have been saved, until the Great Commission is complete. “If the Lord Jesus had returned 18 months ago,” Ferguson said, “some of you would be in hell.” The Lord will bring salvation to all that the Father has given to Him, the answer to His prayer in John 17:24, “Father, I desire those You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they will see my glory, which You have given Me because You loved Me before the world’s foundation.”

He will come to bring final salvation to His people. Until then, we groan because the Holy Spirit is within us, patient but ready to see our Savior. We long to leave this foreign land for our home. Ferguson writes in his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, “This world is not our home. Its style of life is not ours. Yet we are not to live in spiritual ghetto, apart from the world; we are its salt and light.” The bridegroom is coming to make His entrance. Will you be ready? Will you be working?

Tags'09, 2009, Christ's Return, David, Ferguson, Next, Sinclair, Wells