Jesus is coming back, and we should all watch for it. For some, this will be a reunion of the most incredible proportions. We will see Him as He is, and it will be glorious (1 John 3:2; Revelation 22:4). For others, it will be horrific. In the blink of an eye, they will have to acknowledge what they’ve always known—Jesus is indeed who He said He is, the Lord and King of everything. (Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 1:7)
If you don’t know Christ, you are living a lie. You know there is more to the story than what you’ve been sold and choose to believe. Life didn’t explode out of nothingness and then evolve into what we see today. There is a Creator; there is a God, a Savior, and a Judge. (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 43:11; Acts 17:30-31) And each of us must stand before Him and give an account of our lives. (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10)
Most of us don’t live our lives anticipating His coming again. Too many of us live our lives like those who don’t know Christ, pretending that He isn’t coming again, much less very soon. We live just like the people in the days of Noah, eating, drinking, and carrying on as if this life will go on forever. (Matthew 24:37-39) But it won’t.
Jesus is coming back, and as His people, we should always anticipate it. His return should be the reason we get up each day, recognizing today could be the day we meet Jesus at last. (Titus 2:11-13; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) We don’t live for this world; we live for the next. (Philippians 3:19-20; Colossians 3:1-2) His return should be what we look forward to most in our lives, and we should watch for it.
Few expect Christ to come in the next minute, but He could. Jesus already told us He will come at a moment when we don’t expect Him. (Matthew 24:44) Perhaps it’s the moment after you read this. Will you be ready? Are you okay with what He will find you doing or thinking? Is your heart in the place you want it to be when you face Him for the first time?
The only way to be prepared for His return is to watch for it. We must all live as if He will come back in the next minute. (Matthew 24:42; Mark 13:35-37) That knowledge should color every thought, action, and choice in our lives. When we live with His return in mind, we will live a life pleasing to Him. And isn’t that the point?
John says if we love the world, we don’t love God. (1 John 2:15) If we live thinking of this world, how can we say that our hearts are devoted to our King? No, if we love the Lord, we will live for His return, and we will watch for it. We will live as if this day is our last, and tomorrow we will be in His presence forever. What is it that is so enticing about this fallen world that is worth jeopardizing your soul? (Mark 8:36-37; 1 John 2:16-17) It’s time we lift our eyes and live only for that which is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18; Matthew 6:19-21) It’s time we live for no one else except our Savior and Lord. Jesus alone is worth your life. (Philippians 1:21; Philippians 3:7-8) He is coming back. If we love Him, we will watch for it.