About 50 years ago I met an older and godly man named Abe. He was my Sunday School teacher in a small Baptist church in a small NE Iowa town. Never have I met anyone so filled love with love for God, who just beamed with joy, and who spoke so excitedly about being in heaven with Jesus. His example has truly encouraged and motivated me through the years.
There is a clear connection between loving Jesus Christ now and loving Him in the future. As a Christian, you should be looking forward to seeing Jesus in person, and loving the One who loves you far more than anyone else. If you don’t have a close relationship with Jesus, if you are not actively loving Him now, then you are probably not excited about seeing Him and being with Him in heaven.
So how is your relationship with Jesus? Is He #1 in your life? Is He your best friend? Are you getting good alone-time with Him? Are you telling Him how much you love Him? Do you praise Him and sing to Him with all your heart? Are you like Mary, “seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word?” Remember, “only one thing is necessary” (Lk. 10:39, 42), and that’s being with Jesus, and loving Him and learning from Him.
If Jesus is first in your life, then you will know His love for you; you will be filled with joy; you will be at peace; you will be perfectly satisfied; you will be loving others; you will be helping Jesus make disciples “to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20); and you will be wanting Him and waiting for Him to take you to Himself and home to heaven.
If you don’t have a strong love for Jesus, if you aren’t doing what He wants you to do, if you aren’t excited that He’s coming again to be with you, then consider these questions: * Are there sins that have captured your heart, that have taken hold in your life, sins you need to confess to God and Christ? Ps. 32:1-5, 1 John 1:5-9 * Are you fleshly, are you loving the things of the world? 1 Cor. 3:1-4, 1 Jn. 2:15-17 * Are you remembering what Christ did for you at His 1st coming? Do you know what He did for you on the cross, that He died to pay for all your sins? Are you regularly taking communion? Do you realize how much God has forgiven you? Do you think often about Christ’s love for you? Ps. 86:12-13; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; 1 Jn. 4:10,19
* Do you understand the truths about God redeeming you, justifying you, forgiving you, reconciling you, adopting you, and sealing you with the Spirit? Eph. 1:3-14 * Are you in a solid church, in a good, Christ-is-coming, Bible-preaching church? 2 Tim. 4:1-2 – “In view of His appearing and His kingdom… preach the word.” 1-2 Thess. * Are you having good fellowship with other Christians? Heb. 10:24-25 * Do you have good Christian friends that you are accountable to and that are an encouragement to you? Prov. 18:24b, Rom. 16:3-16, Col. 4:7-15 * Do you know what Christ will do for you at His 2nd coming? Are you filled with hope? Do you understand the glorious future God has planned out for you? Do you realize that “to live is Christ” but “to die is gain,” that being with Jesus in heaven is better than being with Jesus on earth? Rom. 8:18-25, Rom. 15:13
* Do you realize how much Jesus wants to be with you, how much He wants to show you His love in the future and for all eternity? Jesus told you, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn. 14:3). Jesus prayed, “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (Jn. 17:24). Jesus “died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.” 1 Thess. 5:11
The most important thing in life is knowing God’s love and loving Him! That’s it! And Jesus does not hesitate to correct Christians – “I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” (Rev. 2:4). O, may this not be true of you! “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mk. 12:30, 1 Cor. 16:22
Looking forward to loving Jesus in the future is an important sign that you love Him in the present. So are you wholeheartedly loving Jesus now and excited about loving Him in the future? If you are not sure, then go over the questions I listed, and get some answers; ask God to search you, cleanse you, and instruct you (Ps. 139:23-24); and He will surely revive you. “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore, be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Rev. 3:19-20
Finally, remember what Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me” (Job 19:25-27). And say, “Come, Lord Jesus.” Rev. 22:20
View of Jerusalem with calanit – red poppy flowers, national flower of Israel
The 4,000-year history of Israel has been an up and down journey and, at times, very dangerous and deadly. She has been in her land, out of her land, in her land, out of her land, and now back in her land. The devil has continually been against Israel, but God has always been for her – He has mercifully and faithfully kept her going through all the years. There’s no doubt that God will carry out and complete all His plans for Israel. Psalm 33:10-12
As you know, Israel is again in the middle of another difficult conflict, and you may be wondering what will happen next. But don’t believe what politicians and news people say, for they don’t know. Look to God and His word. The Old Testament gives 100’s of verses about the future of the Jewish people. But what does the New Testament say?
I have discovered 21 New Testament passages that speak about God’s plans for the Jews in these end-times and in the ages to come. So what do they say? * Matthew 5:17-19.“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets… but to fulfill.” Jesus is telling us that everything God told us in the Law and the Prophets about the future will come to pass. That includes everything that He said about the Jewish people. Is. 46:9-11 * Matthew 5:35.“Jerusalem… is the city of the great King.” When Christ came the 1st time as the Messiah, Jerusalem was not the city of the great King, but it will be when He comes the 2nd time. Then He will be The King of the Jews and will reign over the whole world. Ps. 48:1-2
* Matthew 19:27-28. “You shall sit upon 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.” Jesus Christ will sit on His throne in Jerusalem during the coming kingdom age, and His disciples will reign with Him over the tribes of Israel. Matt. 25:31 * Matthew 23:37-39.“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Most of the Jews rejected Christ at His first coming and, therefore, were left desolate and were punished. But a Jewish remnant will be glad to see Him at His 2nd coming and will repent, and receive Him as their Lord and Savior. Isaiah 53
* Matthew 24:15-27.“… the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel…” This describes the Antichrist’s desecration of the Jewish temple, his pursuit of the Jews, the great tribulation he brings upon them, and the coming of Christ for them and the Christians. This occurs sometime during the 2nd half of Daniel’s 70th week. Daniel 9:27 * Luke 21:20-24.“Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot… until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Christ predicted that the Jews would be punished, scattered, and gathered back to Israel, all of which has been fulfilled. We also learn that the Gentiles’ influence over Israel will come to a complete end. Then Christ will judge the world, save a remnant of Jews and, from Jerusalem, begin reigning over this earth. Luke 19:41-44
* Acts 3:21.“… the period of restoration of all things…” When Christ returns to rule the world, all things on earth will be physically renewed and restored as was promised by the prophets. (Is. 35, 65:17-25). This restoration happens during the millennial kingdom. * Acts 15:16-18.“… so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord…” In the age to come, the temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt, Israel will be a fruitful and glorious place, Christ will reign over the world, and the Jews will be a godly witness to the Gentiles. Pss. 72, 96
* Romans 8:18-21.“… the creation itself will be delivered from its bondage to decay.” The sons of God, both Jews and Gentiles, will be revealed, the creation will be set free from sin, and God’s glory will be displayed on earth like never before. Is. 6:3 * Romans 9:27-29.“Isaiah cries out,… ‘though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved…’” An important promise that God will fulfill is the salvation of a remnant of Jewish people. Is. 45:17, Dan. 9:24
* Romans 11:25-27.“… all Israel will be saved…” This important promise, that a Jewish remnant will be saved, is repeated. This will take place at the end of Daniel’s 70th week. These Jews will live in Israel and will assist Jesus Christ in His reign over Israel and the entire world. Jer. 31:31-34 * Romans 15:8-13. “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise Him.” Our hope is that in the coming ages, Jesus Christ will rule over the world, and all people, Jewish and Gentile believers, will be unitedly worshiping Him. Ps. 117
* 2 Thessalonians 2:3-9.“… the man of lawlessness… exalts himself above every so-called god.” The Antichrist is revealed at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th week. He takes his seat in the Jewish temple and displays himself as God, for he wants to be worshiped by the world. Soon after that, Jesus Christ comes and soundly defeats the Antichrist, and it is Christ who is worshiped by the world. Rev. 19 * Hebrews 8:7-12.“I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” God made a special covenant with Israel, that through Christ, both Jews and Gentiles would be forgiven and know Him. This covenant is being fulfilled during this church age, and when a large remnant of Jews is saved at the end of Daniel’s 70th week.
* Hebrews 11:1, 8-16, 39-40.“God is not ashamed to be called their God for He has prepared a city for them.” God promised spiritual and physical blessings (salvation and land) to all true descendants of Abraham, all those justified by faith in Christ. These blessings will be realized in the kingdom ages. You will see that the hope of Abraham and the Jews is related to the hope of all believers. Ps. 37:11 – Matt. 5:5 * Revelation 7:4-8.“…we have sealed the bond-servants of our God.” During Daniel’s 70th week, before the church is raptured into heaven, 144,000 Jews, 12,000 from each tribe of Israel, will be sealed and kept for Christ. They will be Christ’s special servants. Rev. 14:1-5
* Revelation 10:1-7.“… the mystery of God is finished” at the sound of the trumpet of the 7th angel. This occurs at the end of Daniel’s 70th week. Then a remnant of Jews will be saved, the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of God, the nations will be judged, and all things will be summed up in Christ. Eph. 1:9-11, Rev. 11:15 * Revelation 11:1-15. “I will grant authority to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1260 days.” During the last half of Daniel’s 70th week, we see this focus on the temple, Jerusalem, the powerful preaching of two godly witnesses, and the glory of God.
* Revelation 12. “She gave birth to a son… who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.” Rev. 12 tells us key elements of the Jews’ history. We read of her birth as a nation, her purpose in giving birth to Jesus the King, her lifelong battle with the devil, being persecuted in the end-times, her great escape, and God’s protection of her. * Revelation 20.1-10.“… The thousand years…” refer to the millennial kingdom and is vividly described in the prophets and Psalms. Christ rules the world during this time, and believers, both Jew and Gentile, reign with Him. At the end of these 1,000 years, Christ will cast the devil and the dead, all unbelievers, into the lake of fire. Matt. 25:41, 46; Rev. 5:10
* Revelation 21:10-13.“… the new Jerusalem… with 12 gates… names were written on them… the names of the 12 tribes of the sons of Israel.” This glorious city comes down out of heaven at the end of the 1,000-year kingdom age. Then Jewish and Gentile believers will live forever with Jesus Christ, our Lord, Savior, Husband, and King.
In conclusion, here are several important thoughts to remember: 1. These NT verses about the Jewish people confirm and complement many of God’s OT promises to them. Dan. 9:27 – Matt. 24:15 2. These NT verses about the Jews is overwhelming proof that God did not forget His promises to them, that He won’t go back on His word, that He hasn’t given up on them, and that He will carry out all His plans for them. Is. 46:9-11
3. Reading these NT verses makes it clear that the Jews are back in their land, the land of Israel, and that it’s a special place, a God given and glorious land. 4. The main themes of these NT verses focus on God’s working with the Jews. Primarily, they describe what happens to them during the end-times, their salvation, and the kingdom ages to come.
5. These NT verses say nothing about another country occupying the land God promised to the Jews. Not only that, but there will be no permanent two-state solution. The land of Israel will be occupied by the Jewish people and ruled by Jesus Christ. Gen. 13:15, 15:18-21; Zech. 14:9 6. These NT verses make it clear that God is simultaneously working with both Jews and Christians in these end-times and in the kingdom ages to come.
7. These NT verses tell us that these years before the end of this age will be a very difficult time for the Jews. They will not experience any great blessings and glory until the millennial kingdom when Christ is reigning over them and the earth. 8. Be excited and thankful that you are alive at this time in history, and that you can witness God’s working with both Gentile and Jewish believers. And remember, it won’t be long before Christ comes back to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and begin His reign over the world.
“All nations will be blessed through Him, and they will call Him blessed. Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to His glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen,” Psalm 72:17-19
There’s an enormous volume of verses about the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. Obviously, God wants you to be convinced of this most important truth. It’s imperative that you realize its relevance, especially now that we are living in the end-times. Christ’s coming is not a minor, secondary truth, but a major, primary truth. Just think, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, could come back in your lifetime. You may actually see Him return on the clouds to rapture you and the church.
That God gives us so many verses about Christ’s coming means that it must be a subject He really wants you to know and understand. My purpose in this post is not to address all the details in these 2nd coming verses, but to impress you with this singular message, that Jesus Christ is coming again!
The verses I have written out are those containing the word coming, appearing, and revealing. The word coming is in both a noun form, speaking of Christ’s arrival and presence, and a verb form, referring only to the fact that Christ will arrive. Appearing means to shine forth, telling us that Christ will be visibly evident to the whole world – no one will miss Him. Revealing speaks of the uncovering, the unveiling of our coming Lord and King. Jesus Christ is very much alive, and for Christians, He is spiritually in our hearts, but now He is physically in heaven and hidden from view. Soon enough, Christ will physically come, physically appear, and physically be revealed, and the entire world will see Him in all His glory. What a day that will be!!!
Here are 54 verses about the coming of Jesus Christ: Matthew 23:39 – “I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’” Matthew 24:3 – “What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:27 – “Just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:30-31 – “The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to another.” Matthew 24:37-38 – “The coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away. So will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:42 – “Be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.” Matthew 26:64 – “Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Mark 8:38 – “Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Luke 12:37-38 – “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when He comes; truly I say to you, that He will gird himself to serve and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them…” Luke 12:40 – “Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.” Luke 17:29-30 – “On the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.” Luke 18:8 – “However when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” John 14:3 – “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” Acts 1:11 – “This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” 1 Corinthians 1:8 – “You are not lacking any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will keep you strong to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:22-23 – “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming.”
Colossians 3:4 – “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:19 – “For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?” 1 Thessalonians 3:13 – “… so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.” 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 – “We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not proceed those who fall asleep. The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “… may your spirit and soul and body be persevered complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10 – “These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed.” 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 – “We request you brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him…” 2 Thessalonians 2:8 – “Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming.”
1 Timothy 6:13-14 – “… keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will being about at the proper time.” 2 Timothy 4:1-2 – “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort…” Titus 2:12-13 – “… live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” Hebrews 9:28 – “Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation, without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” Hebrews 10:37 – “In a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.” James 5:7 – “Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it.” James 5:8 – “Be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” 1 Peter 1:7 – “… so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13 – “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 5:4 – “When the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”
2 Peter 3:3-4a – “In the last days, mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’” 1 John 2:28 – “Now little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.” 1 John 3:2 – “We are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be… when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” Revelation 1:7 – “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.” Revelation 22:7 – “Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is He who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” Revelation 22:12 – “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what He has done.” Revelation 22:20 – “Behold, I am coming quickly. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”
Here are 49 more verses about Christ’s coming, ones that are either duplicates, Old Testament verses, or do not have the words coming, appearing, or revealing in them. Job 19:25-27; Ps. 2:6, 98:9; Is. 40:10; Joel 2:30-32; Zech. 14:4:9; Mal. 4:5; Matt. 16:28; Mark 13:26-27, 13:33-35; Luke 12:42-46, 17:24, 21:27-28, 34-36; Acts 3:20-21; Rom. 8:22-25; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; Phil. 1:6, 1:10, 2:16, 3:20-21; 1 Thess. 1:9-10; 2 Thess. 1:6-7; Jude 21.
I encourage you to read and reread all the above verses. Study them, and study them in their context. And share them with others. May they encourage your soul and give you hope. Now more than ever before, be looking forward to the coming of Jesus Christ, your Savior, Lord, and King.
To truly know where things are headed in this world, you must understand God’s purpose and plans for Israel. It started about 4,000 years ago when God promised to Abraham and his descendants that they were to be His people, that He would give them a special piece of land, and that He would greatly and eternally bless them. Genesis 12:1-3, 13:14-16, 17:1-8
It was around 1845 BC when Israel was born in the nation of Egypt. She grew to be about 2,000,000 people, and then in 1445 BC, Moses miraculously led her out of Egypt. And 40 years later, Joshua led her into the promised land. For about 800 years, she lived in this good land, but God drove her out because of all her sins. In 538 BC, exactly 70 years after she was exiled, God sovereignly brought a Jewish remnant back to Israel. Indeed, God kept His promise to His people – “When 70 years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place,” Jeremiah 29:10-14
What was the main reason God brought some Israelites back to their land? Because He wanted His Son to save people from their sins. And for that to happen, His Son, Jesus, needed to be the Son of man, a descendant of Jewish people, and be born in this land of Israel. For the next 500+ years, God was getting everyone and everything in place, and it all went according to His plans. “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His inheritance.” Psalm 33:10-12
The 2000-year history of the Israelites was culminating in the coming of Jesus Christ, of God’s Son to earth. And Jesus came to the land of Israel, not to Persia, Magog, Edom, Italy, Greece, Assyria, Egypt, Ethiopia, or any other place. It was in Israel that God would accomplish His most important work, the suffering, death, and resurrection of His own Son, so as to save souls from sin, death, and hell. Matthew 26-28; Romans 3:23, 6:23
Finally, “when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman” (Gal. 4:4). The Son of God was born of a woman and, thus, was also the Son of man, and He had to be God and Man to fulfill His most important work. The last 3 years of Jesus’ 33-year life were the most critical, for He was completely focused on the people and carrying out God’s work. “I brought You glory by completing the work You gave Me to do.” John 17:1-4
During those last few years of His earthly life, Jesus was crisscrossing the land of Israel, going from villages to cities, to places like Nazareth, Capernaum, Cana, Bethany, Jericho, Bethsaida, Bethesda, Chorazin, and Jerusalem. Jesus dearly loved the people; He was always gentle, patient, and kind; He worked extremely hard; He healed the sick, cast out demons, and raised the dead; He was continually teaching the truth; He was devoted to training disciples; and He “would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.” Luke 5:16
Jesus was also fulfilling prophecy, predictions about His life when He was in the land of Israel, ones God had made 100’s of years earlier. Mic. 5:2 said Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Is. 9:1-2 told us He would be a great light in the land of Galilee. Is. 35:5-6 spoke of miracles being performed in Israel, which Jesus did. Zech. 9:9 predicted that that this Messiah would come to Jerusalem riding on a donkey. These prophecies and many others came true, confirming Jesus’ identity, and the plans God had for His Son. Matthew 1:18-2:6
By all He said and did, Jesus proved that He was God in the flesh. Jesus made it clear that He was and is the greatest man ever, not just in Israel, but in all the world. Yet, for loving people and sharing the truth, He was mocked, slandered, beaten, flogged, and killed. In all this, Jesus wasn’t thinking about Himself but others – He was humbly, willingly, and lovingly sacrificing His life for the lives of others. Philippians 2:1, 5-8
It was just outside the city of Jerusalem where Jesus Christ, a perfect man, died on a cross to pay for the sins of all those who would repent and believe in Him. Shortly after He died, He was buried, and three days later He was raised from the dead, proof that He had gained the victory over man’s sin by satisfying God’s demands for justice. Rom. 3:21-26, 4:24-25, 5:6-11, 6:23; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 3:18
Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead, He lifted off from Israel and went to heaven to be with His Father. His work to save people’s souls was completely finished. Ten days after His ascension, Jesus, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, began building the church. (Matt. 16:18, Eph. 2:19-22). It’s now close to 2000 years later, and Jesus is still in heaven and the church is still growing. But is He returning to earth and to Israel? Yes, He is! Jesus kept telling us He would come back, and He will definitely keep His word! Matt. 24:27, 30-31, 37-42; John 14:1-3; Rev. 22:12
Why is Jesus Christ coming back? He’s coming back to rapture the church, those on earth at the end of this age, and take them to Himself and then home to heaven. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3). “He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to another” Matthew 24:31, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
Jesus is coming back to judge an unbelieving world, those on earth after the church is raptured. “The Lord will go forth and fight against those nations” (Zech. 14:3). “I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, He judges and wages war… From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations… and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.” Revelation 19:11-21
Jesus is coming back to Israel so as to reign over her and the entire earth. “… In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem… the Lord will be King over the whole earth” (Zech. 9:4, 9). “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth.” Psalm 67:4. Psalm 2:7-9, Psalm 47:2-4, Matthew 19:28
What a great time to be alive! Now we can look back over the last 4000+ years and see all that God has done with the nation of Israel and with the church. And now we live in the end-times, the final years before Christ returns to rapture the church, judge the world, and begin reigning over this earth. Be excited and rejoicing! Be worshiping Christ, working for Him, and waiting for His coming! “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; may Your glory be over all the earth.” Psalm 57:11
P.S. Jesus Christ came to the land of Israel, the land where He would do the work to save us from our sins, and the land He will return to in the near future. The following post will help you see the importance of the land of Israel in the past, present, and future – “God Promised ‘The Land’ to Israel.”
The world has all kinds of ideas about what Christmas means, but what God does say, what does God’s word tell us, what is the whole message? Matt. 1:23 – “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall beara Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel.” A foundational truth about Christmas is that there was a woman named Mary who miraculously became pregnant and gave birth to a baby named Jesus. This Son of Man was the Son of God – and He was both God and man so He could be Immanuel, so He could live with man.
There are a number of reasons why God wanted Jesus to be both God and man – let me share with you seven of them: 1. Jesus had to be God and man to fulfill Bible prophecy. Many prophecies in God’s word had to be fulfilled by Jesus, for only a person who was both God and man could fulfill them. – Isaiah 9:6-7 – This child, this son, is the Mighty God, and He will rule over the world forever – and this can only be speaking of Jesus, one who is God and man. – Micah 5:2-5 – This person is born in Bethlehem, and He’s eternal and He’s a King, a ruler who brings peace to the ends of the earth. This describes one who would have to be both God and man, and we know His name is Jesus. – Many prophecies speak of the Messiah, one who would be a Savior, King, Judge, and Redeemer. To fulfill these roles, He would have to be both God and man, and indeed, this is referring to Jesus Christ. Isaiah 40-66
2. Jesus is both God and man so He could reveal God to mankind. God revealed Himself to mankind through creation (Rom. 3:20-21), but most importantly He revealed Himself through Jesus. Heb. 1:3 says, “Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.” The word radiance means to send forth light, and Jesus is sending forth the light and glory of God. Think about the sun – you don’t actually see the sun, but you see the light, the rays of the sun. And just as the sunlight reflects the sun, so Jesus reflects God. When you see Jesus, you see the exact representation of God’s nature. You see His power, love, supremacy, authority, holiness, goodness, mercy, and His purpose. John 1:29
“Jesus is the image of the invisible God”(Col. 1:15). God is invisible but Jesus is visible, and therefore, He can show us who God is and what He is like. Jesus represented God perfectly when He was on earth. By His words and teaching, by His actions and miracles, by what He said and did, Jesus was manifesting God, was making God visible, was revealing God to us. The way we know God the Father is by knowing God the Son. John the Baptist said, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten of God who is in the bosom of the Father,He has explained Him”(John 1:18). And Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” John 14:9
3. Jesus is both God and man so He could take our sins upon Himself. He would pay the penalty for our sins, that is, be punished for our sins with the result that God the Father would be satisfied by the justice that Jesus carried out for us, and then declare us righteous and give us eternal life (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus became a man so He could be our Savior, so He could save us from the consequences of our sin, from Satan, death, and hell. Rom. 5:8, 6:23; 1 Pet. 3:18
4. Jesus is both God and man so He could be with us forever. One of Jesus’ names is “Immanuel,” which means “God with us.” This is a powerful and wonderful truth, that God actually came down to earth to love us, to live like us, to live with us, and to be with us forever. This is unbelievable, this is amazing that Jesus, that God Himself wants to live with us.
To think that God would come down to our level so we can live with Him, so we can see Him and His smile and His love for us, so we can hear Him speak to us, so we can talk to Him, and so we can have fellowship with Him is so encouraging. John 14:16-18, 14:1-3. During this church age, Jesus is with us through the Holy Spirit, but soon enough Jesus will come back and we will be glorified, and physically and forever be with Him in heaven and on earth. Rev. 21:1-3, 10-21
5. Jesus is both God and man so He can be an example to us. Matt. 5:48 says that we are to be perfect like our heavenly Father is perfect, and Eph. 5:2 says we are to imitate God. Since Jesus is God, then we can be like God by looking to Jesus, by seeing His life and hearing His words. We need human examples and Jesus is the best one we have, a perfect one.
6. Jesus is both God and man so He can defeat death and perfectly reign over this earth. Adam, the 1st man, was created by God to rule this earth, but he sinned and failed in his mission. The result of Adam’s sin was that he spiritually and physically died – and his sin was passed on to his descendants resulting in spiritual and physical death to all of mankind. Not only that, but the entire creation was corrupted by his sin. Rom. 5:12-21, Rom. 8:19-22
So God sent Jesus Christ, His only Son, the 2nd Adam, a perfect man, to earth. He was the only One who could save both us and this world from sin and death. If we believe that Christ died and rose again for us, we will be saved from sin and death and spiritually be made alive. And at Christ’s coming, when the church is raptured, we will physically be made alive, we will receive brand-new, glorified bodies. 1 Cor. 15:20-23
But what about this earth? Who can redeem this world from sin, Satan, and hell? Who is worthy and able to rule this world? Who can break the seals that initiate the whole end-time process that leads to Christ’s return? Only Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and rose from the dead, can defeat the devil, and renew and restore this earth. Rev. 5:1-5, Col. 2:14-15
After Christ returns, the restoration process of the earth begins. He will take back the earth from Satan and all the evil authorities and powers. (1 Cor. 15:24-28, 1 Jn. 5:19, Acts 3:20-21). We don’t know exactly how this restoration process will happen, but it will occur when Christ is ruling over this earth during the 1000-year millennial kingdom. At the end of that time, the earth will be restored to God’s original design. Ps. 98:4-8, Is. 65:17-23
Christ’s final act, the culmination of His reign, of all His work, is to turn this world back over to the Father. Then, as 1 Cor. 15:28 says, “The Son Himself also will be subjectedto the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.” John MacArthur summed up Christ’s work on earth this way: “When He took the assignmentof salvation from His Father, Christ came to earth as a baby, and lived and grew up as a man among men. He taught, preached, healed, and did miraculous works. He died, was buried,was raised, and ascended to His Father, where He now intercedes for those who are His.When He returns, He will fight, conquer, rule, judge, and then, as His last work on the Father’s behalf, forever subdue and finally judge all the enemies of God, recreate the earth and heavens,and finally deliver the kingdom to the God and the Father.”
Jesus had to be both God and man to carry out this salvation process, the saving of souls from sin and death, and the restoring of this earth. MacArthur goes on to say, “From the time ofthe Incarnation until the time when He presents the kingdom to the Father, Christ is in the roleof a Servant.” That is, Jesus is serving as God and man from the Incarnation, from the birth of Jesus, until the end of the millennial kingdom. And Jesus will keep being God and man forever and ever – and continue His close and affectionate relationship with His Father and with us.
Why am I taking so much time on this 6th point? So you can better understand the meaning of Christmas. We celebrate Christmas not just to celebrate Jesus’ birth, but to uunderstand the totality of Christ’s purpose, His whole reason for coming to this earth. We are not focused on the baby Jesus but we are looking at the big picture, that Jesus was commissioned by His Father to save man and this world from sin, death, and corruption. During this church age, Christ has been doing just that, and as Christians, we are to be worshiping Christ and working with Him, sharing the saving message of the gospel. Indeed, it’s a wonderful life, a fruitful, exciting, eternal, and God-glorifying life that we have.
But we also have hope, we have a future, a most glorious future. This is what Mary tells us. She knew it wasn’t just about baby Jesus, but that her son was God’s Son, the Messiah, and that He would grow up to be the Savior, and the King who would forever rule over the world. (Luke 1:30-33). And as Christians we are so blessed, for we will be living with Christ, reigning with Christ, and loving Christ forever and ever. Rev. 5:10, Rev. 21
We are now very close to the end of this age, to that time when Christ returns to rapture the church, judge this world, begin His reign over the earth, and begin this restoration process. I love what 1 Chron. 12:32 says – “The men of Issachar understood the times and knew what they should do.” As Christians, we need to understand these times that we are living in, and know what we are to do, that we are to love God and live for Him, and that we are to use our gifts and do our part in building up His kingdom. Mark 12:30, 1 Peter 4:10-11
7. Jesus is both God and man so that He and the Father will be greatly glorified. God knew that much more glory would be brought to Him and His Son if His Son would become a man, and be the Savior of sinners, the Shepherd of believers, the Judge of the world, the King of this earth, and reign with Him over the eternal kingdom. “Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.” (Ps. 72:18-19). “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” John 17:4-5
What’s the big deal about this small piece of land that sits off the eastern edge of the Mediterranean? Didn’t you know that God’s purpose has always been to work with His chosen people who are living on this land? God’s plan has always been to bless them so they might fear Him, obey Him, and forever praise Him. “The Lord remembered His covenant for their sake… Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And let all the people say ‘Amen’. Praise the Lord.” Psalm 106:44-48
Who are these people? They are descendants of Abraham, the Jewish people, the Israelites. And God’s plan is for there to be a special piece of land, a designated place where He can bless His people, and where they can worship Him, serve Him, and be a witness to the world of His glory. God wants people all over the world to see His people being blessed so that they themselves might fear Him, obey Him, praise Him, and be blessed by Him. “Let the peoples praise You, O God… Let the nations be glad and sing for joy… God blesses us so that all the ends of the earth might fear Him.” Psalm 67:7
That Israel should possess this land started with God’s promise to Abraham around 2,050 BC, and this was an everlasting covenant. About 1440BC, God gave Moses specific plans as to how He wanted the Jewish people to live in the land. Then around 1400 BC, Joshua led them into the land, the land from the river to the sea, “from the Jordan even to the Great Sea” (Josh. 23:4), where they lived for a little over 800 years.
God’s history of the Israelites living in their land for those 800+ years is extensive, given in 25 different books of the Old Testament, a history that covers close to 60% of its pages. So what happened during the Israelite’s stay in the land? What does God want us to learn from them? Here are some of the most important lessons:
* God worked through the lives of godly people. God always had His person carrying out His plan, like Joshua, Ruth, Deborah, Samson, Samuel, David, Elijah, Asa, Isaiah, Joel, etc. By God’s grace working in the lives of His people, victories were won and His purposes were fulfilled. I say grace because God’s people in and of themselves were unable to do what He wanted them to do. So God empowered the weak and the humble, like Gideon and his small army, and enabled them to get the victory. “Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hands” (Judges 7:15). And God always got the credit for the glorious work He was doing through the lives of ordinary people.
* God worked through the lives of wicked people. God raised up evil individuals and nations for His purposes, often allowing them to oppose His own people. Time and time again, God enabled His people to defeat His enemies. But it also happened that God would use His enemies, like the Assyrians and Babylonians, to judge His own people for their terrible sins. Then He would judge these same enemies for their sins (Hab. 1-2). By showing mercy or justice, God would be victorious with both His people and His enemies. The fundamental difference between the two are the three promises that God made to the Jewish people about the land, the King, and salvation, all of which are eternal in nature. You find all three promises in Psalm 125, in Isaiah 55, and in Ezekiel 37:21-23.
* Israel was at its peak during the reigns of King David and King Solomon. The Israelites and their land were being blessed like never before, and when the surrounding nations saw this, they were in awe and worshiped the God of Israel. The Queen of Sheba visited Solomon to learn of his wisdom and wealth, and she was truly affected by the incredible display of God’s glory in Israel. She said to Solomon, “Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel, because the Lord loved Israel forever.” 1 Kings 10:9
* God’s character, purpose, and glory were on display during Israel’s long stay in their land. If the Israelites were obedient and victorious, it was because God’s grace and power was working in their lives – think of David killing Goliath. If they were disobedient and defeated, then God was merciful and faithful – think of King Manasseh. In either case, God’s character was evident, His purpose was fulfilled, and He was glorified.
These truths are wonderfully illustrated by Psalms 78, 105, 106, and 136. They describe God’s holy, powerful, merciful, patient working with His people. They tell us that God was sovereign, that His promises were kept, and that His purposes were fulfilled. They speak of thanksgiving and praise being given to God because of His awesome works, perfect character, and amazing glory. Psalm 136, my favorite of the four, repeats the truth of God’s love for His people 22 times, from the defeat of the Egyptians to their journey in the desert until the time they entered their land. “To Him who… gave their land as an inheritance, for His love endures forever.” And God continues to show you His immense love during your journey on earth.
God kept communicating to the Israelites during their time in Israel. What God said was the truth, and it was spoken clearly, completely, lovingly, and powerfully (Micah 3:8). He wanted the Jewish people to know who He was – “The Lord is the true God; He is the living God, the eternal King” (Jer. 10:10). And He wanted them to know what He was thinking, what He was doing, and what He planned to do. But most Jewish people weren’t interested in what God said, didn’t listen to what He said, or forgot what He said. Not knowing and heeding God’s word was their biggest problem, and it might be ours too. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6
God talked to His people through the prophets, godly men who spoke eternal life-giving messages. “He has told you, O man what is good; and what the Lord requires of you, but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8, Mal. 2:4-7). The prophets talked about God, His person, purpose, and character. They proclaimed to the Jews their sin, warned them of God’s wrath if they didn’t repent, and promised them God’s mercy if they did repent. And the prophets gave the people hope, for they predicted the coming of Christ as Savior (Is. 53) and King (Is. 9:6-7), and spoke volumes about His glorious kingdom age. Isaiah 61
From God’s perspective, all those years in the land were very productive. The Israelites entered the land with promise and hope, but it didn’t take long before they sunk deep into sin. Sadly, it was the general pattern for most of those years. This may have seemed like a failure from man’s perspective but not from God’s. Critically important things took place and extremely valuable truths were written down during this time. – Christ’s ancestors, 19 from Salmon to Jeconiah, lived during this time. Matthew 1:8-11 – God’s work was done exactly the way He wanted. Psalm 33:10-12 – God’s word was perfectly written down, and permanently so. Psalm 119 – God’s word teaches you very important lessons. From the Psalms you learn about praising God. From Proverbs, you learn many practical truths. From the Prophets, you learn about your Savior and King, and the coming Kingdom age. – You learn life-lessons from the successes and the failures of those who lived during this time. – Most importantly, you learn how God was always exalted and glorified by His word, by His works, and by the lives of people. Psalm 145
* Most of the Israelites time in their land, humanly speaking, were bad years, marked by all kinds of grievous sins. There was pride, rebellion, idolatry, disobedience, selfishness, worldliness, immorality, and murder, of babies too. God had no choice but to judge the defiled people and the defiled land (Lev. 18:24-28, Numb. 35:33-34). These judgments usually occurred after significant periods of sin. Some of the Jewish people died because of war, famines, and plagues, while others were forced from their sin-sick land and taken to other countries, most notably, to Assyria and Babylon.
* The Israelites’ mass exodus from their land was in two stages, 606 BC and 586 BC. Jeremiah predicted that their exile would last for 70 years, which was exactly what happened (Jer. 25:1-11, 29:10-14). Then the Israelites came back to their land during which time Jesus Christ lived, died, and was raised from the dead. In 70 AD, they were again exiled, and for a very long time. Since the 1880’s, they have been returning to their land, and now there are close to 7.2 million Jewish people living in Israel. It’s absolutely amazing to see God’s purposeful, powerful, and patient working with His people for the past 4,000+ years. But God has only just begun His work with the Jewish people. “For the sake of His great name the Lord will not reject His people, because the Lord was pleased to make you His own .” 1 Samuel 12:22
P.S. God speaks extensively about the Israelites and their time in their land. That’s because He wants you to know His eternal commitment to them. In the years ahead, you will see the salvation of a great remnant of Jewish people and Christ’s reign over the world. To help you grow in your understanding of God’s chosen people, I encourage you to look at “A Jewish Reading Lesson”.
If you are a true Christian, if you have repented of your sins and have believed that Jesus Christ died to pay for your sins, and was raised from the dead, then you are a child of God, forgiven of your sins, and have eternal life. And God has planned out many great things for you in this life, and many, many, many great and glorious things for you in the future, in the ages to come.
After your life on earth, you will have a perfect body, you will be in your heavenly home, you will be with other believers, and you will be richly rewarded. What is vastly more important than any of these things is that you will be with Jesus Christ, the One who saved you from sin and death, who loves you far more than anyone else, and who can’t wait to see you. Your entire and eternal future is centered on Jesus Christ! To live is Christ! What, specifically, does this mean for you?
* You will be with Christ. “I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may also be” (John 14:3). You will physically, joyfully, and forever be with Jesus Christ, your Lord, Savior, Husband, and best Friend. 1 Thessalonians 4:17
* You will live together with Christ. “… obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him” (1 Thess. 5:10). You will not be far away from Christ but will live together with Him in the holy city, the new Jerusalem, your heavenly home. Revelation 21:1-2
* You will see Jesus Christ. “I know that my redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth… from my flesh I shall see God: whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within Me” (Job 19:24-27). What will it be like when you first see Jesus Christ, when you gaze upon the face of God? You will be thrilled to see Him, you will be filled with joy, you will see His love for you, and you will love Him like never before. 1 Corinthians 13:12
* You will see Christ’s glory.“Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory, which You have given Me.” (John 17:24). When we say Christ’s glory, we are talking about His character – His love, power, holiness, goodness, mercy, truth, wisdom, splendor, majesty, etc. You will be in awe and so amazed when you witness the glorious character and person of Christ. John 17:3-5
* You will be seen with Christ. “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with Him in glory” (Col. 3:4). You will personally be with Christ, but also publicly be seen with Him. Christ wants the whole world to know that you are part of His family, that you are royalty, and that you are loved by Him. John 14:9
* You will be perfectly holy in the presence of Christ. “God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph. 1:4). You will always be holy in the presence of Christ, and it’s all because He died for you on the cross, thereby, perfectly satisfying God’s justice. To God be all the glory! Jude 24-25
* You will witness the reign of Christ. “God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skillful Psalm. God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne” (Psalm 47:7-8). We live in a world with many evil and terrible leaders, but you will soon see Christ the King righteously ruling over the world. You will observe His justice and mercy in people’s lives, and hear praise coming from their lips. Psalm 67
* You will reign with Christ.“They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6). As believers, we are a kingdom of priests, we are royalty, and thus, we will have the position and power to reign with Christ, to assist Him in His rule over the world, and to bring great glory to Him. Revelation 1:6, 5:10
* You will be like Christ.“We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2). You will receive a new body, one like Christ’s, one that is powerful, immortal, spiritual, and glorious. This will enable you to fully experience and enjoy eternal life, to have intimate fellowship with Him and many others, and to perfectly love and serve Him. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44
* You will personally worship Christ. “I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You (Psalm 145:1-2). You worship Christ now, but not perfectly so. In the future you will excitedly, continually, and wholeheartedly be worshiping and praising the Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm 72:18-19
* You will be perfectly loved by Christ. “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love” (John 15:9). None of us experience Christ’s marvelous love like we should. But in the future, you will abide, you will remain in the fulness of His love which, unbelievably, is the same love that God the Father has for Him. Psalm 86:12-13
* You will perfectly love Christ. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). You don’t always and fully love Christ, but when you get to heaven you will, and perfectly so. You will greatly, joyfully, and excitedly love your Savior. Psalm 9:1-2
* You will always obey Christ. “I will always obey Your law forever and ever” (Psalm 119:44). Jesus Christ is your Lord and you are His servant, and you obey Him now but not all the time. In the future, you will enthusiastically, continually, and completely obey all His commands. How satisfying and God-glorifying that will be! Psalm 119:1-8
* You will be taught by Christ. “Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways so that we can walk in His paths” (Isaiah 2:3). Think how encouraging it will be to listen to Jesus Christ, the greatest teacher of all time, for you will learn the ways of God and more clearly understand the word of God. Psalm 119:12
You will see Christ always exalted in your life. “To live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). Jesus Christ is the heart of your life, but because of sin that doesn’t always happen. But in the future, Christ will always be the center of your life. Day after day and forever and ever Christ will be seen and exalted in and through your life. Every thing you do or say, every place you go, every person you are with, will directly relate to Christ, to His life, purpose, and glory. Philippians 1:20-24
* You will be married to Christ. “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage supper of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7). You are married to Jesus Christ. But at the beginning of the next age, not long from now, Christ will prepare for you the most magnificent marriage supper ever. All dressed up in fine linen and looking gloriously beautiful, you will have the time of your life with your most loving, caring, and devoted Husband. Ephesians 5:23-27
Your life as a Christian is completely centered on the person of Jesus Christ, now and forever. And your life as a Christian is a love story. Jesus has always loved you but now you know His love, and you love Him. But when you are in heaven, you will fully know His love, and you will fully love Him. Just think, you have eternal life – Christ knows you and you know Him, and He loves you and you love Him, now and forever. “To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 25
P.S. The most important thing in life is your relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Only a few things are necessary, really only one” (Luke 10:42). Here is a post and an article on this most relevant subject – “The Rapture, a Love Story” and “Thinking of Jesus Christ”.
The chapter in the Bible that best talks about the suffering and glory of Jesus Christ is Psalm 22. It was written by David, and there’s no doubt he experienced some of what he wrote in this Psalm, but its primary focus is Jesus. Psalm 22 vividly tells us what Jesus was thinking and feeling when He was suffering on the cross, but it also shares His hope, a glorious future that centers on Him and directly affects us. And so, it’s unique for it describes aspects of both Jesus’ first coming and second coming. Let’s go through this Psalm and see what it says about Jesus’ suffering and glory.
Psalm 22:1. Shortly before Jesus died, He cried out to His Father – “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46). Jesus feels absolutely terrible, worse than He had ever felt before. Jesus is physically suffering. Every inch of His body is hurting; He’s in great pain; and He’s exhausted. Jesus is emotionally hurting. He, the Son of God, is being mocked and laughed at; He, an innocent man, is being punished for our sins; surely, He feels guilty; and He’s all alone. Jesus is relationally separated from His Father. They had been perfectly united since eternity past, but now His Father rejects Him and isn’t talking to Him because He’s bearing our sin. Jesus is spiritually separated from His Father. He’s experiencing and feeling the holy wrath of God. But Jesus’ suffering and death is the only way a person can be saved. “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh.” 1 Peter 3:18, John 14:6
Psalm 22:2. Jesus keeps crying out to His Father, but to no avail. His Father is completely silent – He could not answer Jesus because He’s treating Him like a sinner – He has to be just, He has to punish His own Son. “God made Himwho knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
Psalm 22:3-5. Jesus knows He’s bearing the guilt of sinners and that His Father is doing the right thing by punishing Him. So what does He do? He thinks about the saints of old, many who were persecuted, and yet they trusted God. Here is Jesus in extreme physical, emotional, and spiritual anguish, and He too is trusting God, for He’s convinced that He will be delivered and be greatly blessed. “I trust in You, O Lord… How great is Your goodness which You have stored up for those who fear You.” Psalm 31:14-19
Psalm 22:6-8. Jesus is hated and so He’s persecuted – He’s taunted and ridiculed. “If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross… He saved others, He cannot save Himself” (Matt. 27:39-44). But Jesus knows He’s doing the right thing, that He’s dying for sinners so they can be saved from their sins. And He knew the plan and power of His Father, that He would miraculously raise Him from the dead. “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You allow Your holy One to undergo decay” (Psalm 16:10). “God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death.” Acts 2:23-24
Psalm 22:9-10. Jesus trusted in His Father His entire life, as a fetus, a baby, a toddler, a boy, a youth, a teenager, a young man, during His ministry years, and now on the cross. Jesus’ faith, His complete and total reliance on His Father is critical, for it enabled Him to live a perfect life, have a successful ministry, and die on the cross to pay for all the sins of all the people who would ever believe in Him.
Psalm 22:11-13. Jesus again prays to His Father. Big time trouble is near, for Jesus’ enemies are like animals, like mad bulls and roaring lions. They hate Him with a passion, they can’t wait until He’s dead.
Psalm 22:14-18. Jesus pours out His heart to His Father – He tells Him that all His bones are out of joint. Can you imagine how excruciatingly painful this must have been? The physical stress Jesus is experiencing is putting incredible pressure, an unbelievable strain on His heart, so much so that His heart feels like wax. Jesus is so dehydrated that His tongue cleaves to His mouth. And He feels extreme pain in His hands and feet, for they had been pierced through by huge spikes. Every time Jesus pushes up to get some air, this screaming pain shoots through His hands and feet.
All these evildoers are around Jesus, staring at Him and making fun of Him – and they are gambling for His clothes. Trouble is upon Jesus in every way imaginable, and only by faith, by trusting His heavenly Father can He make it through these horrendous and hellish six hours. What helps Jesus is knowing that this is His Father’s will – “You lay Me in the dust of death.” And He knows it won’t be long before He dies and His work on the cross to pay for our sins is finished. John 19:30
Psalm 22:19-21. Again, Jesus prays to His Father, and He calls Him Lord, the One who directs His life. Jesus asks Him for help, and to hurry up, to bring this unbelievably difficult ordeal to an end. He wants to be rescued from His enemies, ones who are like lions, oxen, and dogs, like wild animals.
Then there’s a dramatic change in the direction of this Psalm. The first 21 verses describe Jesus’ suffering on the cross. But 9 of the last 10 verses speak of Jesus’ hope, of His future (“will” is stated 11 times), and this hope helps Him endure to the end, to finish the work of paying for our sins. But it’s verse 24 that explains why this sudden change in the Psalm.
Psalm 22:24. Jesus knows His Father has not looked down upon Him, detested Him, or disregarded what He’s going through. He knows His Father deeply loves and cares for Him and has not forgotten Him, and that He will answer His prayer. And this is what vs. 24 tells us – “when He (Jesus) cried to Him (God the Father) for help, He heard.” That Jesus’ Father heard Him and was satisfied that He paid for our sins is the reason He had hope and is looking forward to the future.
Jesus knows the plan and promise of His Father, that He would physically die and immediately be with Him, and then 3 days later, be raised from the dead, be given a glorified body. He understood that His victory on the cross was the basis, the reason for a glorious future, for the coming church and kingdom ages. He realized His death and resurrection would bring eternal glory to Him and His Father, and would greatly, powerfully, and eternally affect every person who would ever live, resulting in incredible blessings for a great multitude of people, ones who would be His spiritual brothers and sisters. Jesus has hope – He knows the future is extremely bright for Him and all who put their faith in Him.
So what is this hope? Hundreds of Old Testament verses describe the hope God has given to His people, and these last verses of Psalm 22 give us a glimpse of what is soon to come. And in my understanding, these are fulfilled during the kingdom age, but some may also be referring to the church age.
Psalm 22:22-23, 25. God is being praised, and it’s the main theme in these “hope” verses that are primarily speaking about the kingdom age. We read, “In the midst of the assembly I will praise You,” and who is the “I”? It could be referring to David, but there’s no doubt that Jesus, who is in Jerusalem at this time, is honoring His Father. In John 17:2, Jesus prays, “Glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You.” Phil. 2:10-11 says, “every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus wanted His Father glorified and the Father wanted Jesus glorified. Speaking of Jesus, Psalm 47:6 says, “Sing praises to our King, sing praises.”
Then we read, “all you descendants of Israel” – all these Jewish people are praising the Lord and standing in awe of Him. That it says “all” means this is not taking place during this church age for not “all” descendants of Israel are worshiping the Lord at this time, but they will be during the kingdom age.
Psalm 22:26. The afflicted are the poor, the needy, the humble, and they are seeking God, and He’s helping them, saving them, and they live forever, they have eternal life, and He’s forever satisfying and blessing them. “He will deliver the needy when he cries for help… He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy He will save.” (Ps. 72:12-13). This could be speaking of both church age and kingdom age believers, for people are turning to Christ and getting saved during both these times.
Psalm 22:27. Everyone on earth, all nations and all peoples, and all Jews and Gentiles, including unbelievers, will be worshiping the Lord. Again, Phil. 2:10-11 predicts this – “that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow… and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” – and this sure isn’t occurring now, which means it must happen during the coming kingdom age. Psalm 67:3
Psalm 22:28. There will be a kingdom, and this is Christ’s kingdom, and He’ll be reigning over the world and ruling with a rod of iron. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (Rev. 11:15). “The Lord will be the King over all the earth” (Zech. 14:9). Psalm 2:9, Matthew 6:10
Psalm 22:29. All those who are rich, whether they’re saved or not, are not just eating good food but are worshiping the Lord. This must take place during the kingdom age because there’s no way all rich people are worshiping Christ during this age. Not only that, but all those who die, who go down to the dust, will bow to the Lord. God makes His point loud and clear that all people, whether they live or die, whether they are rich or poor, will worship Jesus Christ. Again, we’re seeing the truth of Phil. 2:10-11, that “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”
Psalm 22:30-31. Our posterity, our spiritual descendants, will worship and serve the Lord, in this age and the next (Matt. 4:10). And how? By telling people that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, by proclaiming His righteousness and their unrighteousness, by telling them that Jesus died on the cross to pay for their sins (“He has done it” – He finished the work to pay for people’s sins), and if they repent of their sins and believe Jesus died for them and rose again, they’ll be forgiven and be given eternal life.
This big-picture Psalm is all about Jesus’ suffering and glory. Be very thankful that He suffered and died to save your soul and give you eternal life. But now’s our time to serve our Lord and suffer for Him. Rom. 8:18 tells us, “suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” 2 Cor. 4:16-17 says, “momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory.” Now we suffer, but in the future, we will be glorified, and be blessed forever, and worship and serve the Lord forever! Hallelujah, what a Savior! “I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Your name forever. For Your lovingkindness toward me is great, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.” Psalm 86:12-13
I think of Jesus Christ when I think of Christmas, not the worldly, materialistic, and made-up one. And Christmas is not just about baby Jesus – there is so much more…
I think of Christmas being about Jesus Christ, not food, family, presents, vacations, and secular songs. That “the Word became flesh” means that Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of man, an amazing, wonderful, most important miracle. John 1:14
I think of a world that does not know Jesus, and does not understand the spiritual truth and relevance, the real meaning of Christmas, but instead uses this special season for physical and commercial purposes, for the fleshly desires of man instead of for the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10:31
I think of how Jesus was like each of us, a little baby, 7 or 8 pounds or so, with arms and legs and fingers and toes – and He was dependent on His mother and father, but much more so, on His heavenly Father. Psalm 22:9-10, Luke 2:7
I think of Jesus, and He was not like us, for He was God in the flesh. And not having a sin nature, He never sinned. As the “Holy One”, He was perfect in all He thought, said, or did. Mark 1:24
I think of Jesus existing in the “form of God” since eternity past, but on Christmas He “became flesh”, was “made in the likeness of men”, an incredible miracle we call the incarnation. And that was just the beginning, for Jesus humbled Himself and became a “bond-servant”, a slave, and in fact, the lowest of men, for He died in the worst way, as a criminal and on a cross. But it was for a reason, to save man from his sins and from eternal death, with the result that Jesus was “highly exalted” and His Father was greatly glorified. Philippians 2:5-11
I think of how Jesus was born to live with man, One we call Immanuel, “God with us”. He went from being a baby to a toddler to a young boy to a teenager to a young man to a man. For three years, Jesus ministered to people, He “dwelt among us, and we saw His glory”. Then He died for us, rose again, and ascended into heaven to be with His Father. It won’t be long before Jesus comes back to earth, and then we will see Him and be with Him forever. Hallelujah! Matt. 1:23, John 1:14, John 14:1-3
I think of God’s character being clearly displayed at Jesus’ birth and during His first coming – His love, power, holiness, goodness, wisdom, sovereignty, etc. Therefore, God was glorified and worshiped! Luke 2:9, 14, 20, 32
I think of Jesus becoming a baby, becoming human flesh, and how it shows the great and marvelous love of God for each one of us. “For God so loved the world, that He gave us His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16
I think of Jewish people in those days looking for a King, and they were correct in their understanding of Jesus being a King, and were excited about the prospect of Jesus being their King (Luke 19:38). But most did not recognize Jesus as their Savior, as the only One who could take away their sins. “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
I think of Satan’s strong and continued opposition to Jesus’ birth, summarized in Rev. 12:1-5. Six different evil empires over the course of 2,000 years tried to wipe out Israel, but they were all unsuccessful. God’s plans for the birth of Jesus were never thwarted, for Israel “was with child, and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth… but she gave birth to a son, a male child.” Psalm 33:10-12
I think of those God chose to be involved in Jesus’ birth and early years on earth. There were the angels, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary, the shepherds, Simeon and Anna, and the Magi, and many others we don’t even know about. All were blessed to be part of the most important birth on earth – but consider this, that those of us alive at this time are also blessed, for we are God’s chosen servants in these last years leading up to Christ’s 2nd coming. Mark 13:34, John 15:16
I think of Christmas being about baby Jesus, but more than that, it led to His ministry years on earth, to His death, resurrection, and ascension, to shepherding the church – and at this time, to His return to rapture the church, judge the wicked, reign over the restored earth during the millennial kingdom, and over the new heavens and earth with His Father in the eternal kingdom. 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, Matt. 19:28
I think how we are much, much closer to Christ’s 2nd coming than His 1st coming. But keep both in mind, remembering that Christ’s work to save souls at His 1st coming will result in their salvation being completed at His 2nd coming, at which time God will give all believers glorified bodies. Jesus was born to die, but was raised again to redeem sinful man, and “when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” 1 John 3:2; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 40-42
I think how God had all the details of His Son’s birth planned out, the time, the place, Joseph and Mary and many others, the census, the Satanic opposition, etc. Nothing was left to chance, for it was all part of God’s wise, holy, perfect, and glorious plan. Isaiah 46:9-11, Luke 2
I think how God predicted specific aspects of His Son’s birth long before it happened, for He wanted His people to be looking forward to His coming (Gen. 9:10, Deut. 18:15, Is. 7:14, Is. 9:6a, Mic. 5:2). So too, God has predicted many aspects of Christ’s 2nd coming, for in these days, He wants all Christians to be looking forward to His return. Matt. 24:3-31, 1 Thess. 4:15-17, Rev. 7:9-14
I think how in these end-times, all true Christians rightfully and joyfully look back at Christ’s first coming and see Jesus as a Savior, but sadly, most Christians are not expecting and looking forward to His second coming, to seeing and being with Jesus the King. Might we rightfully and joyfully sing – “Joy to the World, the Lord is come; let earth receive her King… Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns; let men their songs employ… No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground… He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love.” From “Joy to the World”
I think how the Son of God, as a baby and a servant, came humbly, quietly, and secretly to the little town of Bethlehem. And the Son of God will come again, as a man and a King, this time in the sky and in power and great glory, with the trumpet of God and the voice of the archangel, and “every eye will see Him” (Rev. 1:7). “She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.” Rev. 12:5, Matt. 24:30-31, 1 Thess. 4:16
I think how Jesus was born to be a Savior (Psalm 22), but also to be a Shepherd (Psalm 23), a King (Psalm 24), and a Judge (John 5:22, Acts 17:31).
I think of how Christmas needs to be personal, and it is to me, for Jesus is my Savior, my Lord, my Shepherd, and my King. And I do love Him and rejoice in Him and trust Him and learn from Him and submit to Him and talk to Him and pray to Him and thank Him – and I cannot wait to see Him. “After my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:26-27
Think about Christmas and Jesus Christ, and what it really means, how it should greatly affect your life, the church, and the world. And think how it won’t be long before Christ’s second coming, and all believers will forever be with Him in heaven and on earth (Rev. 21:1-7). “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among men!” Luke 2:14
We live in a world where there are all kinds of wicked and evil rulers. “The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed” (Ps. 2:2). But how are you to live in view of this? And what does God tell you about the age to come, and how His Son, Jesus Christ, will be the greatest King ever?
What God says about living in the present age: * Know that God will give you all the grace, peace, and wisdom you need to live in this world, even when the Antichrist is ruling over this earth. Revelation 1:4, 13:18, 22:21 * Remember that God is sovereign, that He selects the rulers (Ps. 75:6-7), that they can only do what He allows them to do (Pr. 21:1), and that He raises them up for His purposes. Romans 9:17 * Know that during this evil age, Satan has a limited rule under the sovereign hand of God (1 Jn. 5:19), but in the coming age, Christ will have absolute rule over this world. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 * Don’t focus on the kingdoms of men, but seek first the kingdom of God, a spiritual kingdom (Matt. 6:33). Join with Jesus Christ in building the church, in making disciples. Matthew 16:18, 24:14, 28:19 * Yes, you can vote and help elect rulers but, most importantly, pray for them. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 * Have hope! Live life in light of the future! Be excited about what God has in store for you! Yes, life can be difficult, but it won’t be long before Jesus Christ, the King of kings, will come back and make everything better. Philippians 2:10-11
What God says about the KING and living in the coming kingdom age: * The coming of the KING and His kingdom: 2 Samuel 7:16 – “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” Psalm 2:6-8 – “As for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain… I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession.” Psalm 89:27-28 – “I shall also make Him My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth… I will establish His descendants forever and His throne as the days of heaven.” Isaiah 9:6-7 – “The government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.” Jeremiah 23:5 – “I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and He will reign as King and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.” Micah 5:2, 4-5 – “As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah… from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel… at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth. This One will be our peace.”
* The establishment of the KING’S kingdom: Ezekiel 37:21-28, 22 – “I will make them one nation in the land… one King will be king for all of them, and they will no longer be two nations… My servant David will be King over them.” Daniel 2:44-46 – “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all those kingdoms, but it will endure forever.” Daniel 7:14 – “… one like a Son of Man was coming… His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” Zechariah 14:9 – “The Lord will be King over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only One.” Revelation 11:15 – “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”Revelation 19:15-16 – “From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron… on His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written, ‘King of kings, and Lord of lords.’”
* The KING will reign: Psalm 10:16a – “The Lord is King forever and ever.” Psalm 22:27-28 – “All the families of the nations worship before You. For the Kingdom is the Lord’s and He rules over the nations.” Psalm 29:10 – “The Lord sat as King at the flood; yes, the Lord sits as King forever.” Psalm 45:6 – “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.” Psalm 47:6-8 – “God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skillful psalm. God reigns over the nations.” Psalm 48:1-2 – “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great King.” Psalm 93:1-2 – “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty… Your throne is established from of old, You are from everlasting.” Psalm 95:5 – “The Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods.” Psalm 145:13 – “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.” Isaiah 43:15 – “I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.” Jeremiah 10:10 – “The Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King.”
* The nature of the KING’S kingdom: Psalm 67:4-5 – “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the people with uprightness and guide the nations of the earth.” Psalm 72:6-13, 19 – “In His days, may the righteous flourish… May He also rule from sea to sea… let all the kings bow down before Him, all nations serve Him… He will have compassion on the poor and needy.” Psalm 102:21-22 – “That men may tell of the name of the Lord in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem, when the peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.” Isaiah 2:2-4 – “The law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations and will render decisions for many peoples… Nations will not lift up sword against nation and never again will they learn war.” Isaiah 61:11 – “The Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.” Joel 3:17-18 – “I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain, so Jerusalem will be holy… and in that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk…” Zephaniah 3:15-17 – “The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst… a victorious warrior, He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Malachi 1:11 – “From the rising of the sun to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to My name…” 1 Corinthians 15:24-26 – “Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and authority. He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” Revelation 1:5-6 – “… from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us… He has made us to be a kingdom.”
* Glory to the KING: Psalm 72:19 – “Blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.” Isaiah 6:3 – “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of His glory.” Habakkuk 2:14 – “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” 1 Timothy 1:17 – “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
* O Worship the KING: Psalm 98:4-6 – “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Break forth and sing for joy… With trumpets and the sound of the horn, shout joyfully before the King.” Psalm 145:1-2 – “I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.” Isaiah 12:6 – “Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in Your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
Keep loving God and living for Him. Keep waiting and looking for Jesus, the coming KING. And keep praying, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10
