Grace Baptist Church, Nokomis, IL.

Text:

Haggai 2:6-9 talks about the latter glory of this house being greater than the former. In the context of the passage, it was referring to the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple built by Solomon was a magnificent sight. But it was destroyed. Another Temple was built in it’s place, and it was more glorious than the first. It was not as luxurious, being made with less precious metals and missing the ark of the covenant. But it was more glorious in terms of the history that it experienced. It was in this Temple that the Son of God would stand physically. In this Temple, the apostles would preach the gospel clearly.

But the ultimate fulfillment of this text refers to Christ’s second coming. Christ’s first coming was great. But His second coming will be even greater.

“ ‘Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.’ Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. ‘I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’ The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:12-21)

Do not give up waiting. Jesus Christ will return. When Jesus came down for the first time, many Jews didn’t accept Him as their Messiah because they had given up on His actual coming. They redefined what they were looking for. Do not make the same mistake they did! Many Christians have given up on Jesus returning. But Jesus Christ will return! And the Bible is clear about how He will return.

He will come as a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). This doesn’t mean that Christ will necessarily come during the night. Nobody will know the day, and many will not be ready for Him. He will come down the same way He went up (Acts 1:11b). He will meet us in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Since this is the case, how should we wait? What does our waiting look like? When I think of what it means to wait, I picture waiting in a line or waiting for a bus. But this isn’t how we’re to wait for the return of Jesus.

There’s a picture in this passage of what it looks like to wait for Jesus (v. 20).The one who waits is the one who testifies about these things. We’re to testify about Jesus Christ. He is the beginning and the end (v. 13). He is the bright morning star (v. 16). When Christ returns, it will be unmistakable who He is. Nobody will be able to deny that He is the Lord. He will shown to be victorious! Both the Spirit and the Bride testify about Christ’s return (v. 17). We are to partner with God in telling people about Christ.

But this testifying isn’t merely for the sake of others. Haggai 2:9, in talking about the glory of Christ’s second coming, God says, “In this place I will grant peace.” When we think about and tell about Christ’s return, it fills us with such confidence in God that we have an overwhelming sense of peace. We trust God to bring us through our current trials. We have a greater resolve to be faithful. When we think about the return of Jesus, we’re more equipped to live life they way God wants us to, which will lead to more peace for ourselves.

Other places in Scripture tell us how to wait as well. James 5:7 tells us to be patient. James 5:8 tells us to stand firm in what we believe. But perhaps the most frightening instruction regarding Christ’s second coming is from one of His own parables (Matthew 25:31-46).

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)

We must be all about doing the work of God while we’re on this earth. Doing God’s work doesn’t make us righteous, but shows that we’ve been made righteous by Christ’s death.

The truth is, the day of Christ’s return will be both a great and a a dreadful day (Malachi 4:5). For some, Christ will come to reward (v. 12, 14). For others, Christ will come to punish (v. 15). To those, I say with the Spirit of God, “Come and take the water of life without price.”