15. Preparing for the Lord’s Coming

📖 Bible Discovery

💡 Focus Passage

🌱 Main Teachings

1. What is the coming of Christ?

   When Jesus was in the world, He preached the gospel, fulfilled salvation through His death, resurrected, and ascended to heaven. He has promised to come again, so we wait with hope, knowing that when He comes, He will bring us to be with Him forever (1 Thess 4:16-17).

   • The coming of Christ in the Bible
     • Referred to as “the day of the Lord” (1 Thess 5:2; 2 Pet 3:10) or “the/that day” (Mt 24:36; 1 Cor 3:13; 2 Thess 1:10)
     • Prophesied about in the Old Testament (Ps 96:13; Isa 66:15-16) and also promised by Jesus Himself (Mt 16:27; Jn 14:2-3; Rev 22:20)
   • The purposes of Jesus’ coming
     • To execute judgment on the world
       • Jesus will come to judge each person according to his deeds (1 Cor 4:5; 2 Cor 5:10; Rev 22:12).
         • The evil and unrepentant will go away to eternal destruction (Mt 13:40-42; 2 Thess 1:8-9; Rev 21:8).
         • The righteous will enter into His heavenly kingdom and receive glory, blessing, and reward (Mt 25:34; 2 Tim 4:8; 1 Pet 5:4).
     • To destroy the old world and establish His eternal kingdom
       • When Jesus comes, the present earth will be destroyed (2 Pet 3:7, 10).
       • A new heaven and new earth shall come (2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1). This will be the eternal home of the righteous who will reside in God’s presence.
2. What will take place before Christ’s coming?

   No one knows the exact day or hour when Jesus will come again (Mt 24:36; 25:13). However, Jesus has already warned us of the events that will precede His coming and what we ought to take heed of so that we are ready when He comes.

   A. Events that will occur before Christ’s coming

   • Evil increases and sin abounds (Mt 24:12; 2 Tim 3:1-5; Rev 18:4-5).
   • Wars (Mt 24:6-7; Rev 6:3-4)
   • Earthquakes, famine, plagues (Lk 21:11; Rev 6:7-8)
   • The gospel is preached to all the world (Mt 24:14; Rev 14:6).
   • Heresies, deception, and false religion (Mt 24:15-20; 1 Tim 4:1; 2 Tim 4:3-4)
   • False christs, false prophets, and false teachers (Mt 24:5, 11, 23-24; 2 Pet 2:1-3)
   • Great tribulation and persecution (Mt 24:21-22; Mk 13:9; Jn 15:19-20; Rev 13:7)
     • Being betrayed by those closest to us (Lk 21:16)
     • Being hated by all because of His name (Mt 24:9-10; Lk 21:17)
     • Being martyred for the sake of our faith (Rev 6:9-11)

   B. Exhortations regarding our response to these events

   • Do not be alarmed or troubled, for these things must happen, but it is not yet the end (Mt 24:6, 8; 2 Thess 2:1-2).
     • Do not allow such events to take us by surprise, for Jesus has told us all these things beforehand (Mk 13:23).
   • Do not be misled or deceived (Mt 24:4-5; Lk 21:8).
   • Pray for strength to endure till the end (Mt 24:13; Lk 21:34-36).

👣 Practical Actions

1. Be watchful (Mt 24:45-25:13).
   • Although we don’t know exactly when Jesus will come, we know His coming is near (Mt 24:33; Heb 10:37). Therefore, we must be watchful (Mt 24:42-44; Mk 13:35, 37).
     • Our watchfulness should stem from our eager hope and expectation of the Lord’s coming (Tit 2:13; Heb 9:28).
       • If we have faith in and look forward to Christ’s coming, we will strive to stay spiritually alert and pursue holiness in our daily lives so we can stand before Him (2 Pet 3:14; 1 Jn 3:2-3).
     • What to be watchful in?
       • In our attitude and conduct — Be proactive and ready, like servants waiting for their master (Lk 12:36).
         • Be sober, temperate, and self-controlled in all things (1 Thess 5:6; 1 Pet 1:13). Instead of living carelessly or aimlessly, we should equip ourselves to serve and act according to God’s will.
       • In our prayers — Watchfulness applies to our prayers too, because it is in our prayers that we have the opportunity to examine ourselves.
         • When we are vigilant in our prayers, we will be able to overcome temptations and our fleshly desires (Mt 26:41; Eph 6:18; 1 Pet 4:7).
         • Through the power of the Spirit, we can exercise self-control, stand fast in the faith, and guard ourselves from the influences of the world.
2. Be ready through serving (Mt 25:14-46).
   • Serve God faithfully with our talents.
     • Just like in the parable of the talents, God has granted each of us different gifts (Rom 12:6-8; Eph 4:11-12). We are called to use our unique strengths and skills to serve Him and His church. What talents has God given to you?
     • We prepare ourselves for Jesus’ coming by being faithful with the different skills, people, and tasks He has entrusted to us. God will accept what we offer, as long as we give Him our best and do so with a willing and cheerful heart (2 Cor 8:12; 9:7).
   • Serve others diligently in love.
     • To love others is to love God.
       • In v. 31-46, those on the King’s right were praised by Him for the love they showed. They discovered that whenever they took actions to care for the least of their brethren, they were actually doing it to Jesus Himself.
       • The one who loves God must also love his brethren (1 Jn 4:20-21). How can we show genuine love for the people around us?

💭 Food For Thought

• What does being “spiritually watchful” mean to you in your daily life?
• Which of these three areas—watchfulness in prayer, faithful service to God, or loving service to others—do you feel you need to strengthen the most? What is one concrete action you can commit to taking this week to grow in this area?

🎯 Challenge Yourself

• Preparing ourselves for Jesus’ coming is a process that we engage ourselves in continually over the course of our spiritual journey.
• Use the assessment below to reflect on the state of your current spiritual readiness.
  • Be honest and feel free to include notes for yourself if it is helpful to state specific details (e.g., what is challenging for you, specific areas, relationships with people, or situations that need improvement, etc.).
  • Reflection questions for each section are included as reference.
• Pick two items where you rated yourself lower. Consider one practical step you can take this week to grow and improve in those areas - be specific! How do these actions relate to cultivating spiritual readiness and watchfulness?