November is the last month of the church year. That being so, November is the time of the year when we once again hear about the last days of the earth and what will happen when Christ returns. It can be a bit frightening. Why? When Christ returns on the Last Day He will come to judge the living and the dead. Everyone who has ever lived throughout the history of the world will stand before Him. There is no way of getting out of it. We will all be there. Every last one of us.
And standing there, what can be said? Said about what we have done throughout our lives? Well, apart from Christ, nothing. Apart from Christ, we will stand both accused and condemned on the Last Day and can only await an eternity of torment and suffering. In Christ, however, we will stand forgiven, forgiven for all that we have done or said or thought and can look forward to an eternity of joy and happiness.
Still, it sounds frightening. How can we think about it?
Well as Christians, as those who live each day by faith in Christ, we can actually look forward to the return of Jesus Christ on the Last Day. In other words, the return of Christ for Christians is a good thing. “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man…” we read in Revelation 21:3. And that makes sense, for that is why God became man in the first place. God became man in Jesus Christ so that He could live with us, talk to us, walk with us, and be our friend.
On the Last Day, then for us, as Christians the return of Christ is like the return of a family member from a long trip, or a semester at college, or a stint in the military overseas. What happened when they left, when we could no longer see them, but we missed them and wanted to see them once again? What happened when we thought about their return? Were we not looking forward with eager expectation? With joy? And happiness at the thought? Well yes!
Well that is, how we as Christians, can consider the return of Christ on the Last Day. It is the return of our brother, our friend, after not having seen Him. It is His return so that He can dwell with us once again and we with Him!
Yes, for those who have rejected Christ, have ignored Christ, have fled from Christ that day will not be so joyous. For what do those who live apart from Christ know of Him? Next to nothing. His return then will be a day of great sadness and mourning as it is recalled how many times opportunities had been given to get to know Jesus but were rejected!
But for those who do know Jesus, who live by faith in Him even now, His return will simply be a wonderful homecoming!
